UPDATE::: Y'all I love these markers so much I've been using them consistently since I got them in october- no issues with drying AT ALL, though I would recommend taking them out and giving them a good shake periodically as a precaution. I find that they work smoother/more painterly on canvas or primed surfaces- they dry a bit too quickly on paper and soak up a bit more, but they still didn't even bleed through my mixed media sketchbook, so that's a major win! The case does take up a lot of space when you have all the sections out and accessible, which isn't my favorite, but is only a minor hindrance. No issues with snapping or breaking at all. I still have nitpicks about the color range (lack of oranges and yellows, mostly) but have found that, while they're still wet, they do mix quite nicely. You can achieve a lot of good in-between colors by mixing on the surface you're creating on before the marks dry. Though I am still so sure I will run out of white and yellow before anything else, which has me wishing I could buy individuals. Despite that, these are one of my favorite sets of art supplies in recent years. I'm obsessed. Updated pros/cons PROS: -Surprisingly opaque -very saturated colors -dries fast and layers well (colors do dry a bit darker, as it goes with acrylic) -The brush tip is actually the best, no more pumping a paint marker CONS: -color range is lacking a bit in oranges, yellows, and dark colors -case takes up a lot of space when opened -------------------------------- original review -------------------------------- (I got these today, so this is a 'first impressions' review) I'm a artist and art instructor by trade, and I like to use a wide variety of materials to make recommendations to students as well as find new supplies for myself. These markers are pretty solid- I like acrylic paint for its opaque layering properties, as well as the quick dry, and these markers are pretty effective at both. As with acrylic paint, you do have some transparency and a need to layer, especially on lighter colors like white and yellow, or on top of darker colors. But overall, the coverage is pretty solid and the saturation is impressive. The case is a bit weird, you have to be careful separating the layers (they tuck into these little ridges at the back to hold together, and I can see there being a risk of snapping) but otherwise it seems convenient. The color range is odd. Acrylic dries darker than it applies, so after you let them sit for a moment you do have deeper hues, but the black included is SO much darker than the deepest of any other color. I'd really love to see a deep jewel tone range for each hue so I can achieve solid depth without just resorting to black. A deep alizarin crimson, phthalo blue or Paynes grey, deep viridian- the problem, I assume, is that these markers all have an almost chalky binder to keep the opacity up, and it sacrifices the deeper values as a result (many of the above listed colors are traditionally transparent.) So I'm not sure this would even be possible with the current pigment/binders used. Still, it would be wonderful to have a really deep set of colors, and if I'm just missing them in this 60 pack, I'd love to be directed to where I can grab them. Also, there's not a lot of orange options, and there are a whole lot of certain other colors, like green and pink. Anyway tldr; PROS: -nice opacity -very Saturated -dries fast and layers well -smooth flow with convenient brush tip CONS: -color range is lacking in oranges, yellows, and dark colors -case is a bit confusing I'll come back after a couple months of use to update on whether the markers have any trouble or not, but as of today I'm liking them.
