Fixing marker streaks?
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You may think this is stupid advice but practice. You say you just got them, expect to have a bit of streaking and inconsistency if you are a novice at markers. Though honestly I don't use prismacolor markers BECAUSE they streak and are darker in pigment.
lol, no, definitely not bad advice. I've been dinking around with them, trying to figure out what works for what. But I figured if someone already knew an easy solution, why not ask?
You consider the Prismacolors streaky? What ones do you use? I just moved up from a cheap kids water-based set from Walmart, so I'm still starry eyed about even the streakiest stuff the Prismacolors lay down. XD
You consider the Prismacolors streaky? What ones do you use? I just moved up from a cheap kids water-based set from Walmart, so I'm still starry eyed about even the streakiest stuff the Prismacolors lay down. XD
Well yeah!! If your going for Roseart to Prismacolor I'm sure your just floored!! lol
A lot of what make a good marker is the alcohol content. The higher the alcohol content the more bendable it is. I personally use Copic Ciaos, They have medium soft brush tips which are awesome for blending and shading. You could also do Copic Sketch markers, they also have the brush tip and they hold more ink than the Ciaos but are slightly more expensive.
A lot of what make a good marker is the alcohol content. The higher the alcohol content the more bendable it is. I personally use Copic Ciaos, They have medium soft brush tips which are awesome for blending and shading. You could also do Copic Sketch markers, they also have the brush tip and they hold more ink than the Ciaos but are slightly more expensive.
Ah! Now we're down to the meat of the science!
If the copics have a higher solvent content, does that mean that the color stays wet longer for the amount of pigment layed down? Cuz that alone would certainly reduce the number of dark streaks I'd leave.
I was thinking that I'd buy Copics as I need individual markers. Will they play nice with the Prismacolor set I have?
Sorry for all the questions. ^_^; I'm all sorts of curious about good markers now that I have some.
And yeah, Roseart to Prismacolor... floored is pretty much the perfect word for it. XD
If the copics have a higher solvent content, does that mean that the color stays wet longer for the amount of pigment layed down? Cuz that alone would certainly reduce the number of dark streaks I'd leave.
I was thinking that I'd buy Copics as I need individual markers. Will they play nice with the Prismacolor set I have?
Sorry for all the questions. ^_^; I'm all sorts of curious about good markers now that I have some.
And yeah, Roseart to Prismacolor... floored is pretty much the perfect word for it. XD
I'm not sure if it will stay wet longer but ALWAYS color while its still wet! color continuously, don't lift your marker until you have completely colored the space if possible. That will dramatically cut down on streakyness.
I've used both copics and prismacolors in the same picture before and depending on the colors they can play nicely. I'm not certain if you could blend them, I have never tried before.
no problem! As long as I can help I don't mind at all
I've used both copics and prismacolors in the same picture before and depending on the colors they can play nicely. I'm not certain if you could blend them, I have never tried before.
no problem! As long as I can help I don't mind at all
Buy some soft pastels, grind them up and mix them with lighter fluid. Apply this with something like cotton wool for large areas of flat colour.
Aren't there a variety of different pastels? Chalk-based, oil-based, etc? Which ones are we talking about?
But it sounds basically like making a marker with a super huge tip. It could work very nicely. Thank you! I'll be sure to try it next time I go to the art store.
But it sounds basically like making a marker with a super huge tip. It could work very nicely. Thank you! I'll be sure to try it next time I go to the art store.
They call them soft pastels her in Europe but chalk pastels are the type i meant. Yes i creates a wet marker but because it uses lighter fluid instead of water the paper doesnt buckle.
You could go nuts & buy an airbrush tool for your markers. The downside- they blast through marker pigment. The upside- no streaks, & very nice fading effects. Or go mixed media...use something else to color large areas. Then...not sure if this would be at all helpful- but when I use microns, tech pens & ink & brush all in the same piece- each black is different- the ink from the tech pen is shiny, the micron less so, & the brush inked even more matte & even a little streaky...Krylon UV resistant (a few light-moderate coats) seems to unify all the blacks into one consistent black. Don't try it on a finished piece...experiment. Lastly- a lot of papers made for felt tips have little to no bleed to them...back when I used markers I looked for paper with just enough bleed that the markers didn't streak, but not so much bleed I couldn't control it.
[link] (felt tip & color pencil)
[link] (felt tip, color pencil & spray paint)...not trying to promote myself...just the handiest examples of what I'm talking about. The work is very old.
[link] (felt tip & color pencil)
[link] (felt tip, color pencil & spray paint)...not trying to promote myself...just the handiest examples of what I'm talking about. The work is very old.
It makes sense that the Krylon stuff evens out the finish on the different pens. It's an overcoat, leaving them all with the same finish. Certainly a good solution to that problem, but I think your idea about trying a different paper is better for my issue. Just find a low-bleed paper and color close to previous strokes without overlapping.
I can only imagine how many markers an airbrush would go through. O.O; And they're like $5 each. I do love the way the sky looks in that pic you gave as an example, but my wallet would cry.
Thank you very much for the tips! I hadn't thought of trying different papers to solve it. I will definitely try it!
I can only imagine how many markers an airbrush would go through. O.O; And they're like $5 each. I do love the way the sky looks in that pic you gave as an example, but my wallet would cry.
Thank you very much for the tips! I hadn't thought of trying different papers to solve it. I will definitely try it!
I use copics, so I'm not sure how helpful I can be. 
Anyways, it takes a fair amount of overlapping and coloring over the large area to get rid of the streaks, so start with a lighter shade than what you want the area to be. If you color fast enough it also helps.
Anyways, it takes a fair amount of overlapping and coloring over the large area to get rid of the streaks, so start with a lighter shade than what you want the area to be. If you color fast enough it also helps. Start with a lighter marker? Hmm. Yes, I could see that working. My set didn't come with an overabundance of light colors though, so I'll have to buy a few and give it a try.
Thanks!
Thanks!
XD That's honestly my first thought as well. I've been a digital artist mostly, so I was like "Oh, I'll just go over it again with the same color and 100% opacity..."
And then I realized that there was no undo button. NO UNDO!
You have to be so careful with this traditional media stuff.
And then I realized that there was no undo button. NO UNDO!
You have to be so careful with this traditional media stuff.
Is there a way to blend the dark streaks left from overlapping an already dry stroke?