Marker pens rocking the art world? These hidden skills are loved by art students

‌You think marker pens are only good for writing shipping labels? Art students have already mastered them! These pens, which cost only a few dollars each, have become a treasure in art studios. At this year's Central Academy of Fine Arts graduation exhibition, at least one-third of the mixed media works featured marker pens. Its charm lies in breaking the boundaries of traditional painting tools—the high saturation of oil-based ink allows for the visual impact of advertising posters, while the unique penetrating properties of alcohol-based ink unexpectedly create a watercolor-like blurring effect.

Illustrator A-Ken recently created a series of street-style works using oil-based markers: " Compared to markers, marker pens have more intense colors, and applying three layers can achieve an oil painting-like texture. Even more amazingly, by controlling the pressure applied, the same pen can produce line variations ranging from 0.5mm to 5mm.“ He demonstrated the technique of painting on old jeans: ”First, treat the fabric with a degreaser; the marker pen's adhesion will be more durable than textile paint. "This material adaptability allows marker pens to shine in the field of installation art, transforming everything from recycled plastic bottles to discarded circuit boards into canvases.

Training class instructor Lin Yue-ru revealed that when teaching children to draw cartoons, marker pens are distributed in the first lesson: "Besides having a thick enough tip for beginners, the most important thing is that it eliminates children's fear of making mistakes. When something is drawn incorrectly, it can be directly corrected with an alcohol swab, unlike pencils that require repeated erasing and damage the paper. "Advanced courses teach layering techniques: first use light-colored markers for the base layer, let it dry completely, then outline with dark colors, and finally add highlights with a highlighter pen. Three steps are all it takes to create a professional-level POP poster.

However, experienced users also remind of precautions: when using alcohol-based markers, ensure proper ventilation in the environment; for detailed works, it is recommended to use the ultra-fine 0.8mm version; When mixing with acrylic paint, ensure the marker ink is completely dry. Japanese illustrator Tanaka Ryoko has even developed the “alcohol spray technique”—spraying alcohol on wet marker lines creates a dreamy starry sky effect. It seems this “everyday office supply” is making a stunning comeback in the art world, transforming from a supporting tool to a mainstream medium!

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