Copic Marker Buying Guide

Copic markers are the original classic alcohol markers, loved by artists and designers all over the world. These Japanese markers are the most popular for creating colour manga artwork, but are also very often used for architectural drawings, and all sorts of other graphic artwork.

They can be blended, for smooth colour transitions, and they’re available in a huge range of colours, and with different tip sizes. The main marker models all have two ends, with different tips for different jobs.

Copic Markers

The Copic Classic is the original Copic Marker, a big, chunky pen made for professional use. The bit ink capacity keeps going for longer than their other pens between fills, but also means they’re more expensive, and many people will find them a bit wide to use comfortably. Wide chisel tip at one end, and a firm bullet-shaped tip at the other end for detailed work.

The Sketch was made to be a Copic marker with all the same features, but a slimmer barrel, for more comfortable use, making it easier to hold for light sketching. The finer tip is swapped out for a brush tip, for more expressive drawing.

Simplifying further, to make a marker that’s more affordable, Copic created the Ciao. It has the same tips as the Sketch, with a round barrel that gives it a smaller ink capacity. Anything the Sketch can do, the Ciao can do at a lower cost. The down sides are that you’ll need to fill a bit more often, and the caps don’t have the colour codes printed on them for easier selection when they’re in a case. It’s a great compromise, as the negative points are unlikely to be too much of a problem at all for most hobbyists, and the round barrel is more familiar.

The Acrea, new at the time of writing, is a bit different - in place of the usual alcohol-based ink is a water-based paint, waterproof and light-fast when dry. The opaque paint can write on all sorts of surfaces, making these perfect for all sorts of projects where Copic’s other markers just wouldn’t work.

Copic Drawing Pens

The Multiliner range of drawing pens work perfectly with Copic markers, with waterproof drawing ink, perfect for line work, so you can then colour over and around them with the markers. They’re available in a wide range of colours and sizes, including warm and cool greys, and brush and calligraphy tips.

The Multiliner SP is the refillable version - with fewer options, but ink refills and replacement tips mean you can use them for years.

Refills and Accessories

Copic, of course, make their full range of colours available as Ink Refills. It’s the same ink they used to give the somewhat confusing name ‘Various Ink’, now in a bottle that’s easier to use for refilling their markers. The same ink can also be used for making alcohol ink art - spreading the ink to make some beautiful and semi-random patterns. Look up some examples on YouTube if it sounds like something you might want to try. Or even if not, it’s some great relaxing viewing!

Their Opaque White is an interesting product - a tiny jar of white, to be applied with a brush or knife for tiny highlights or corrections.

The range of accessories also includes tools for changing tips, spare tips for the markers, and all sorts of cases, carrying pouches and boxes.

Overall, Copic’s range has been changed and perfected over many years of heavy use by professional artists and designers, creating a product range with real attention to detail.