Marker Marketing: Let's Stop Buying Cheap Lies

[@AmyShulke]

Sponsored videos and ads for cheap markers and marker supplies are everywhere. Are you tired of it? Let's be smarter shoppers and how to deal with misleading recommendation videos. I'll also try to save that sticky mess of a tomato project which was colored on Ohuhu's Bleed-Proof Marker Pad. Resource page for this video - markernovice.com/best-paper/ohuhu-marketing Part 1 Review-ish for Ohuhu Bleed-Proof Marker Pad: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXasY2SOibKsq8k

[@LollyPalooza]

"Nobody owes you inexpensive art supplies." :) And thank you for pointing out that when manufacturers' employees are paid a decent wage, the cost of the products goes up!

[@AmyShulke]

See, that's the part I really don't get. We've got people marching and protesting about all sorts of things, then they go home and whip out their cheap knock-off art supplies to make more posters. It's shallow thinking. When a product is too cheap, that's a clear sign you're not going to like the conditions at the factory where it was made.

[@LollyPalooza]

@@AmyShulke I always thought that we should start the conversation with, "Do you believe in a decent wage for workers?" Of course they will say yes, and then it can be pointed out that the knock-off factory workers are paid wages that keep them in bondage. Yes, the US and UK art and craft companies often manufacture in China, BUT they also are heavily involved in the process and ensure that they are using a factory that humanely cares for their employees.

[@AmyShulke]

@@LollyPalooza THIS! A million times! I should have had you write that section of the video for me. ❤️❤️❤️

[@LollyPalooza]

@@AmyShulke You did an EXCELLENT job.

[@gwenster]

@@LollyPaloozaAnd a lot of people have the attitude that if they don’t like the cheap thing, they can just throw it away so there’s no risk. But with worker exploitation and landfill waste, that’s not really the case. Just another reason to be selective and not fall into the trap of spending a fortune on “bargains.” It’s not a crime to make a mistake on a cheap product but a lot of these influencer videos present hauls or big publicity boxes, not a lower income artist trying to economize.

[@saishin1059]

Really glad I found your channel. ❤ Seeing a realistic and oftentimes brutal evaluation of ‘fan favourites’ is something that has been sorely needed for a long time. Looking forward to browsing through your other videos and learning from them!

[@AmyShulke]

Welcome and thanks for watching!

[@CurlyCrisps]

The fact that I actually got jump scared when the coffee tipped over 😭

[@AmyShulke]

I'll try to warn you before I make a Halloween video. BOO!

[@gwenster]

You hit the nail on the head when you said these materials are basically what we would find in the bargain section of Target. That’s what really annoys me: these products are often cheaper than premium materials but they are overpriced for what they are. I bought an Arteza watercolor journal that was praised to the skies and its sizing was so bad, paint would suddenly splat out in spiderweb patterns, ruining my work. It was almost a relief when my Labrador ate it. I ended up buying a legacy brand journal, it was only a few dollars more and that paper had my back every time I used it. I love it and will never go back. I think some KZbinrs believe they are doing a favor to their viewers by recommending cheap things but they are setting people up to fail. So-so or bad materials just are not a bargain and are a bigger waste of money than buying good quality the first time. If I buy four bad $15 journals to avoid buying a legacy brand for $25, where are the savings? I am sticking with tried and true brands. I am sure there are good newcomers but the misinformation is so prevalent that I am just not willing to risk more money or time or frustration. Thank you so much for tackling this important topic so professionally.

[@AmyShulke]

"Overpriced for what they are". That's a brilliant phrase!

[@solarydays]

arteza has very low grade stuff but they had a big sponsorship campaign a few years back and they were gifting huge packages to popular youtubers left and right so everyone would promote them

[@christaprim4371]

Hallelujah!!! Amy, finally someone speaks the truth about this system. I have always trusted you as an marker artist, so I expect nothing less. Thank you for staying true to yourself and true to us.

[@AmyShulke]

Thanks, Christa. I'm still not sure how I feel about KZbin since it's incredibly time intensive... I am glad so many Beans readers and students are finding their way here to the channel. Thanks for the endorsement and for watching!

[@charlotteboy6783]

This explains why I have had the same experience repeatedly where I'm watching the video going, "the art looks kinda bad..." and then at the end for the "final" shots, it looks really good. It might not even be the same peice...😮

[@AmyShulke]

In general, I'd bet it's the same piece. I've never noticed an outright substitution and because I tend to watch videos with a critical eye on the technique used, I think I'd notice blatant subbing. But speaking from experience, I can't tell you how many times I've had something sitting on my desk for a few days after I've finished filming and it's hard not to grab it and fix the error I just spotted. And to be fair, that's how art is supposed to work, we fiddle with stuff for days/months/years rather than seal it under glass as soon as the camera turns off. But yes, I often think the only difference between the pros and an amateur artist is that the pros know how to fix mistakes better. We don't make fewer mistakes, we just know how to hide 'em.

[@cherij9008]

I'm on a (very) limited income I'm careful now. Xpress It is expensive but worth it. I've had my copics for 14+ years. Cardmakers are inundated with new products endlessly. Now I recycle & reuse. Great video 📹 Amy!!!

[@AmyShulke]

Yep. I think that's traditionally been a big difference between craft supply companies and art supply co's. Crafters are on a new technique Merry-go-Round meanwhile art supply companies are more like: "Oh, you want this weird product that only 3 people can use? Here you go, now you're my customer for life." I never heard of de-stash until I started teaching at a papercrafting store.

[@michelebuisson6317]

I have only recently discovered your videos, and WOW! You are so refreshing! I am getting sick of everything I watch being a gloried ad for a company. I enjoy the demonstrators a lot, but to be continually reminded of the supply list where I can buy all the most recent releases gets old. I’ve watched 2 of your videos so far, and I can tell I there is much to learn from you! So, I’ll be starting at the beginning and see where we go from there. So nice to make your acquaintance :)

[@AmyShulke]

LOL, don't go back too far. Some of my earlier videos were filmed in a dungeon. I still have no lighting and camera skills but at least now I have someone to step in and say "Mom, move that light and use this lens."

[@lesleyegbert4807]

I absolutely LOVED the tone of this video. Guess which exact product I saw advertised during the commercial break? 🙃

[@AmyShulke]

@@lesleyegbert4807 Really? You just made my day. Love it!!!

[@Oozaru85]

All those Ohuhu product reviews being sponsored is very telling. Apparently even bigger channels have no interest in buying that stuff with their own money and reviewing them. They all only do it when they get it for free. I mean, Ohuhu has been around for a while now. And still most reviews start with "Ohuhu sent me these products to review them". Or: I knew about their products before but had no interest in them until they offered me free gifts and a potential sponsorship.

[@AmyShulke]

I'm glad you see the problem too. Meanwhile I'm the doofus who debated whether to do these Ohuhu paper videos because I didn't want to be seen as piggybacking on the dumb Ohuhu sponsored video trend.

[@GwyllionFaye]

Love your videos. I really appreciate your honesty. I learned the hard (and expensive) way over the years. I’d rather but and try a few proven more expensive supplies rather than cheap knock offs. It took years to see yes I can create art. It wasn’t me , it was the cheap supplies that just did not nor would not work

[@AmyShulke]

I saw this same thing first hand when I started a watercolor class and gave permission for one student to use a very popular student grade option. She struggled so badly. Not every student was painting a framable masterpiece with their higher quality paint BUT the difference was that they were practicing their brush strokes and working on how to make smooth washes... meanwhile she struggled just to get the paint to the right consistency and then it wouldn't fully stick to the paper. Quality matters to professionals and serious hobbists because we like efficiency. But I think quality matters even more to beginners because learning is hard enough without fighting your art supplies.

[@Oozaru85]

I use both student grade as well as artist grade watercolors. Im doing illustrations tho. As long as I use 100% cotton paper, the student grade paints do a pretty good job. I like using them in my sketchbooks. For serious art pieces I do prefer artist grade, tho. But yeah, for sketchbooks and brainstorming student grade paints are well suited. Wouldnt want to waste my expensive artist grade paints for that. ​@@AmyShulke

[@AmyShulke]

I kinda think we need to redefine student grade and you'd probably agree. I've come across a lot of pretty good student grade products and technically, the Bristol I teach with is student grade. But there's a lot of really bad stuff that needs to be demoted to a lower category. BTW, the student I mentioned was using a mix of Koi and Artist Loft tubes. If she'd had the Winsor Newton student grade (Cotman???), I think it would have been a totally different story. I just remember the Viridian literally would not stick to the paper.

[@Antony_Oscar]

I've only watched a couple of your videos but you're already one of my favourite art channels on here. Thanks for making awesome and truthful videos!

[@AmyShulke]

Thank you Antony. I appreciate you taking the time to tell me.

[@christeepascale4483]

Even if I had endless hours to watch videos I wouldn't. I want to be creating! Thank you for cutting through the BS. You explain the how, what, and why. I finish this video better informed, which, in my book, is worth every second of my time.

[@AmyShulke]

Thank you Christee; that's that's sincerely the highest compliment you could give me. I'm right now editing the next script or really, the list of talking points. Anyway, I just cut out a long point, thinking "meh, that's not worth the time". So I'm thrilled to hear someone else verbalize my mission. Thank you.

[@AnnetteSchmidt-c4t]

OMG the Bob Ross saint- I’m still chuckling!

[@AmyShulke]

I love it when people get my warped sense of humor.

[@sheilacym]

@@AmyShulke …..I just discovered your YT Channel today and absolutely LOVE your warped sense of humour indeed !! Am now working my way through every part of your website….and am reading EVERYTHING 🤩🤩🏆🏆🤗🤗

[@miklospinter]

I get your points about this specific paper. But then you sound like generalizing the whole time, and as if expensive stuff (especially Copic that you mention everywhere) was the only way to go. What do you think about Ohuhu's markers? Are they that bad as well? Do you have any videos with side by side testing of what Ohuhu can't and Copic can do?

[@AmyShulke]

I think the first problem is dividing all products into "expensive" and "inexpensive". It'd be more accurate to call things "stuff that works" and "stuff that makes life harder". Copic works. That's why I use them. I'd use them if they were cheaper but I'd also still use them if I lost my collection today and had to start over with a new marker collection. They work, therefore they're the better value over the long run. Ohuhu markers were so bad, I stopped testing them. markernovice.com/ohuhu-archive

[@miklospinter]

@@AmyShulke I see, thank you for the response. I quickly looked into a few of these tests. As a professional, I'm sure you can see stuff that I don't even notice. But I still think you are too hard on Ohuhu. "You get what you pay for" is probably somewhat true in this case, too... but "frustration"? On my level, I didn't have any of that. I had a lot of fun with my Ohuhu markers so far, and while a professional could for sure point out the flaws in the markers (and even more so in my technique), I'm absolutely happy that I bought them and started to explore alcohol markers. And I'm not sure if the markers matter that much on a beginner level. I probably would not even have any alcohol markers if I had to buy Copics to start with. And in my opinion, that would be way worse than using markers that are not perfect through the eyes of a professional.

[@AmyShulke]

@@miklospinter A lot depends upon what you're doing with the markers and your definition of blending. Card makers and colorists demand ultra-smooth blending that most journal sketchers do not. If you're a blender, you're going to fight to get Ohuhu to behave and that matters a lot more in the beginning phase. If you're just laying swaths of color with low blending expectations, you can get away with stubborn markers.

[@susanshearer2762]

Thank you Amy for your honesty as well as your art. Coming across your channel while researching buying copics has already saved me a fortune. I didn't buy the 72 pack and instead followed your starter set recommendations. I am watching many of your videos wishing you were running a beginner class again before next year but I will be watching out for when you reopen expressions of interest or sales. Thank you again

[@AmyShulke]

I run the marker class for 6 months, then the pencil class the other six months. We'll be back to markers in January :)

[@gingerfloof9882]

I’d like to see your thoughts on the OLO brand. They have foam rubber brush tips like copic but are “customizable” meaning you can buy half markers (that hold 2ml of dye) and mix and match them with connector rings. I’m wondering how they hold up to copic. I’ve been thinking of trying them out as an addition to my copics, which I use for illustrations, and ohuhus, which I use for sketches. They haven’t been advertised or sponsored that much but have their own KZbin channel, and I’m wondering if it’s just another gimmick or if it will be another option for artists.

[@AmyShulke]

I've got about 30 OLO here and I talked about them in a livestream... sorry, I can't recall whether it was a YT stream or a class stream. At 4 streams a month, they all run together. Anyway, I like what I see but I have balance and body-length issues with how they rest in my hand. I need to play around with some parts to see if I can hit on an end-combination that doesn't feel like a 10 pound marker in my hand. Anyway, I'm seriously considering mixing OLO into my Copic collection. Right now, I'm saving money to buy more and then possibly test them the same way I did Copic and Ohuhu. It'll be a while though because I've got other areas of my business that also need funding & upgrades. Plus I need to hire help. Money, money, money. Ugh.

[@heatherwarner865]

There are only a couple art KZbinrs I follow other than you - 1 is for her reviews on pencils and pens for coloring, the next a coloring book colorist, one a professional artist who reviews everything but it primarily a water-colorist, and finally a guy just because I love his personality and his comic book art. In my coloring books I use coloring pencils and will be honest I use everything from Crayola, to Brutfuner's 520, Primsacolor and Polychromos but I still ALWAYS use my Copics. The closest I've ever used to Copics was the original Spectrum Noir which they don't even make anymore and their current ones absolutely suck. Prismacolor isn't bad, but no refills and their nibs stink - same with W&N. When I'm doing art for family and friends for gifts - I always use the best; my Copic, Prisma and Poly on X-Press It or Arches if I'm not using markers. The Ohuhu paper barely even picks up pastel colors and just turns everything muddy looking which makes it look like the artist has issues not the crappy paper. Thank you so much for these vids Amy.

[@AmyShulke]

I'm glad you're enjoying the videos. These last two have been hard because the flying monkeys came out in force. I appreciate your kind words and I always love hearing why people use what they use. Thank you for sharing, it truly helps.

[@divinebeartarot7612]

Thank you, for real. I have been feeling guilty for some time for investing in comics little by little to fulfill my artistic needs when there's "cheaper" stuff

[@AmyShulke]

@@divinebeartarot7612 The economy is tight now so the cheaper markers are sooooo tempting. But in the long run, you’ll learn faster and spend less. Never feel guilty about that!

[@spencerallegra]

Not me hoping this part is as sassy as the first part🙈🙈🙈 Edit: either way I love your videos!

[@AmyShulke]

LOL. Thanks.

[@kassaArt]

😂😂😂 totally agree 👍 🤝 👌🏾

[@WayWaurde]

I am so guilty of this. For all the cheaper markers I've purchased, I could have bought a handful of copics and gotten started. My ohuhu Markers are sitting, and I went back to watercolor and ink illustration.

[@AmyShulke]

I think this is the gigantic untold story of Ohuhu products. People start off with cultish levels of enthusiasm, then flame out in frustration. Before you take someone's recommendation for Ohuhu, ask how long they've been using the products. I really doubt half of them reach the 3 year mark.

[@CoolCakesandCraftswithAmalia1]

Love the tone of this video😂! Honesty is very much appreciated. Marketing in general is creepy and I wish it was different but people want to buy the dream. Reality is real enough.

[@AmyShulke]

I totally agree! The problem is that eventually, we all hit the real brick wall. Thunk.

[@CoolCakesandCraftswithAmalia1]

@@AmyShulke I don't think so. Marketing works and when it doesn't then they will implant chips in our brains to make us buy stuff, if they haven't already... My trigger word is clearance. I see that and I am hooked! When Michael's had the coupons going on all the time, I would make it my mission to buy something. Now that I don't get the coupons, I haven't been to Michael's in forever!

[@AmyShulke]

LOL. I always considered it lucky that the art supply aisle at Michaels is so small and in that space covers a lot of mediums I don't use. Otherwise, I would've been right there beside you waving my weekly coupon.

[@blinkybli8326]

I can't tell you how much my heart soared when you knocked over the cup of coffee. I came to this video after watching Part 1 because I was so enthused by your honesty, excellent critique and, most importantly, loads and loads of great art advice and information. When it opened with a "mood scene" i felt bereft, I thought you had tricked me with Part 1 -- pretty sneaky, Sis!

[@AmyShulke]

Oh good, I'm glad I caught you off guard! BTW, you have no idea how hard it was for me to purposefully spill liquid on my coloring desk. I had to psyche myself up for it and even then, it took a couple warm up passes before I could bring myself to do it. Just having an open mug there broke 4 of the 10 commandments, LOL.

[@sharperwhisper9752]

This was phenomenal, like I said on my comment on your previous vid. I’m not surprised that the paper is bad tbh the only thing I like about ohuhu is there markers in all honesty and it’s because they got my foot in the door. Without ohuhu i wouldn’t be a full on traditional artist so I’m thankful for that. BUUUUT there’s probably a reason why I’m slowly switching to copics as time goes on

[@AmyShulke]

The slow switch is why I originally bought my set of Ohuhu. I truly think we need an introductory brand that isn't refillable, then when the marker dries out, you replace it with a similar Copic. I don't think Ohuhu is the best brand for this plan because the ink has issues BUT the idea is great. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, I really appreciate your insight.

[@beckyneemann7273]

Seriously…. THANK YOU! I was almost ready to pull the trigger on the Ohuhu paper. I have the full set of Honolulu markers that I bought a year or more ago and I haven’t used them because I never was able to get a good blend and decided I was just not good at alcohol markers. I recently found your website and decided to buy a few Copics. They are so much easier to use. The brush tip alone is superior because I don’t feel like I’m ruining it by pressing on the paper. So now I have 22 Copics and will build my collection a little slower because of the cost. Glad I didn’t fall for the marketing jazz again and get that paper too. Now I’ll watch your video to find what paper I SHOULD use. I want my art to be fun. Thanks again! Your honesty is refreshing. And your sarcasm made me laugh out loud. 🤣

[@AmyShulke]

Hi Becky, thanks for sharing your starter story. It helps more than you know! I think it's hard sometimes for artists, instructors, and video creators to remember back to the days when we were confused by the products we now use with ease. You said "I decided I was just not good at alcohol markers"-- that's really important to hear. Art supplies should never make you feel like that. I'm not saying we'll all be great at everything we try and sometimes things are hard because I'm using them wrong... but there's a serious problem when a product basically talks you out of using it. So glad you didn't give up and tried a few Copics. Thanks for watching but more, thanks for leaving a comment. I appreciate it.

[@MrSquidArt]

i got the ohulu paper and used sanjoki markers went fine good blending

[@AmyShulke]

I'm happy for you. Got a video or tutorial to teach us the magic?

[@MrSquidArt]

@@AmyShulke i don`t do youtube videos art is just a pass time for me most i learn for marker is from ADCArtAttack channel

[@AmyShulke]

@LollyPalooza has some great points in her video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3qWkn2jgaqMd5Yfeature=shared I don't think about toxicity enough and she's absolutely correct.

[@santaclauslagrange]

I bought copics and loved them, but I am so careful with them and the lids are fracturing and copics are too expensive to buy new and have them broken and dry and unrefillable. Why does Copic not offer to sell just caps when their markers have a problem with caps developing micro fractures?

[@AmyShulke]

This is second hand info but a teaching friend has been to the Copic factory and she mentioned once that each cap is cut from the tube which forms the body of the marker. This makes every cap unique to the marker it was born from. If I understood her correctly, then this would be why Copic doesn't sell replacement caps-- they can't.

[@thoughtfulwatcher]

"You don't blame the YTer...you blame yourself." Oh no, I blame the person recommending. I actually like Ohuhu and can't tell the difference from Copic for what I'm doing. I may outgrow Ohuhu, if I stay with markers. For now they do what I want and get the results I hope for. Even so, I'm steering away from that paper. I've been using the expensive stuff. I really enjoyed your last 2 videos and honest opinion. You're so right that starting artists can get taken in and frustrated.

[@AmyShulke]

Good to hear that you're not beating yourself up over bad supplies! One thing I've noticed is that the artists who stick to it and really grow are the ones who can step back and evaluate "Is it me that's the problem or should I change my approach/tool/technique".

[@QueenofFlannelColors]

Ultimately though, you’re responsible for your own purchasing choices. A few years ago I bought a brand new vehicle. I did a bunch of research, read both positive and negative reviews. I watched road test reviews here on YT, most of which had positive things to say. So I bought the vehicle…and two months later it died and left me stranded on the side of the road with my child in the car. I don’t blame the YT reviewers I watched, because ultimately it was my choice to buy that vehicle. And it definitely didn’t work out. Just like there’s going to be people who still buy this paper, based on this review because “wow I have to try it myself just to see if it’s really that awful” and they may find they actually like it 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@thoughtfulwatcher]

@@QueenofFlannelColors Fair enough. We should all be making educated decisions and some people want to try it themselves. It's 100% the best way of judging. More accurately I'd say: I don't blame myself. There are many variables. Did I get the odd defective item from a good company? Is it a good but unsuited for me/my style? Could the place I bought them from sent me old stock and the item is updated? But I also put responsibility on influencers. They aren't bound in any way to make good, honest or accurate content on these platforms. It's free. We don't have to watch or believe. At the end of the day, though, parasocial relationships are powerful and advertisers know it. It's all good if our opinions differ, but I agree with the video that some of the blame goes their way. Sorry you had that happen with your car though!

[@karenroberts9410]

'Project containment center' ... lol Love it ! 🙂

[@AmyShulke]

😁

[@solarydays]

Finally somebody covering this. I do not like alcohol markers much but I own copics and anybody who claims those other brands selling for half or third the price are just as good is either delusional or selling snake oil for clicks and likes. They don't have the same blending properties, end of story. I did have trouble with expensive "special paper" before too, also anything Fabriano which is a highly praised brand, but pretty much everything I got from them was unusable quality. I kept trying thinking maybe I just got unlucky with a bad batch, but no. I think there was a big shift on the market and art brands now focusing on hobbyists more than professional artists. It's a bigger target audience, and also easier to find reckless spenders who hoard supply they may never use. You can now buy any shade of watercolor premade with any kind of glitter/shimmer/metallic shine and neons and pastels with all sort of artistic names instead the traditional sets. They are trying to make them look like make up palettes and you can collect them like pokemons, color by color, shade by shade. Even the palette comes in different cute colors. Watercolor is mixed, we don't actually need a pan of midnight princess deep blue with silver sparks. It's more of a "feels good" collectible than actual practical product. ty for coming to my TED talk

[@AmyShulke]

I enjoyed your TED talk and totally agree! The hobby market demands a lot of convenience products, things the fine art community either make themselves or don't need. I do worry that the easy hobby money means companies are taking their eye off quality control.

[@friedakiezebrink277]

Thank you for this video , i use that paper and i can not get a good blending i’am not a expert . I was thinking it was me , I ordered better paper on your advice.

[@AmyShulke]

Please let me know how it goes with the new paper! One tip: Keep in mind that if you work on bad paper long enough, it kinda warps your sense of technique. I notice the students who come to me after learning on bad paper tend to press a lot harder with their markers. When you make the switch and as you color on this new paper, be mindful of how much force you're using. A good marker on good paper is a delicate floating swish. Often times, I'm just using the weight of the marker.

[@LRWdesign]

As an artist I hear what you are saying. I do paper sculpture. Using sharp blades to cut my paper and various tools and techniques to get the dimensional effects is important. But the tools and the paper are the basis for good work. If I add color, I want my art supplies to be of excellent quality or it makes days of work look cheap and ugly (and it takes weeks to make one of my paper pieces). I do use markers for my doodle journals, and those markers are cheap ones solely for that purpose. When I’m ready to invest in nice alcohol markers I will make that investment like I have with my pastels, paints and pencils. Using quality papers suitable for the medium you are using is important for the quality of the outcome. I rant with you. ❤

[@AmyShulke]

This is wonderful to read and you're right, I have no issues with a pro artist goofing around with silly supplies for doodles or even doing prelim sketches and comps. In these cases, it's the idea generation that counts, not the finished drawing. It's backwards for most of the Ohu-KZbinrs I see. They're representing these journals and skechbooks as an end product, not a study. It's funny because I'm not a judgemental nanny kind of person. Most of the time, if you want to waste your money on something cheap, it's none of my business. But it becomes my business when I'm left to pick up the pieces when a student feels like they're incompetent and untalented... and the root cause is their awful art supplies. Thanks for sharing and I'm going to click over your name to see if I can see your work. (edit: darn, I was hoping you had a video of your sculptures!)

[@LRWdesign]

@@AmyShulke I’m terrible at posting my paper sculpture work and end up selling it and forgetting to photograph it. 😂 I do have an Instagram though under LRWdesign. There might be something there. 🤔 I do a lot of arts and crafts and at 63 I believe you never stop learning. 🥰❤

[@LRWdesign]

@@AmyShulke here is a Pinterest link to one of my sculptures. My sister has this one in her home. pin.it/6WwOXgHAM

[@LRWdesign]

@@AmyShulke pin.it/2Tkd93YER Here is another on I have on Pinterest. I think there are about 5 or 6 of my sculptures on that site. 🤷‍♀

[@LRWdesign]

@@AmyShulke I have about 5-6 older paper sculptures on Pinterest floating around somewhere. 😂

[@MissChelle]

Fantastic video Amy. So very true……. ❤️🇦🇺

[@næntsi]

Thanks for the insightful video. I've definitely seen the perplexing demonizing of Copics over the years despite the fact that it's simply been used in all sorts of professions for decades. Off topic, but related to marketing and glowing reviews, I bought into the bar shampoo and conditioner marketing campaign and overwhelmingly positive reviews last year. Within a few months of use, my hair was in the worst state it had ever been-dead, lifeless, no elasticity, dry, thinned, and yet it felt dirtier (and gunky!) than ever. Hair came out in chunks in the shower so I tried to wash my hair less, and yet the simple act of running a brush through my hair took off even more as my hair couldn't withstand the friction of even the gentlest swipe. I kept thinking maybe it was just my hair or that I was using it wrong. I was so sad for my hair and kept hoping it would eventually work out, but it never did. I left a critical review, and the morning after it was posted a representative had already contacted me to offer a refund for the price of the product. At that point, I didn't even care about the money anymore since it would not fix the damage it had done to my hair. Suffice it to say, marketing is very effective, and reviews are often bought or paid to change.

[@AmyShulke]

Your hair story is awful but it proves how conditioned (bad pun) we are to trust reviews nowadays. It's scary to think how often we're being lied to each day. Kinda ironic because reviews became popular because we thought they were more trustworthy than the commercials. Ugh. What a mess.

[@næntsi]

@AmyShulke Thanks for the pun. 😂 Influencer marketing works incredibly well, even if people think they're above "influencers" or don't they are one.

[@sveredself1766]

The saturation of Ohuhu on Reddit is insane. All glowing reviews, bad marker advice, and extremely suspect purchasing suggestions. Right now there is thread by a 19 year old student who has decided to buy the 320 set of Ohuhu Honolulu markers having never used them and is asking for advice on using them and how to make the markers last longer. The comments section is not only egging her on to spend $200-250 on these markers (which is outrageous to me knowing the majority of these markers are worthless within the first couple weeks when they run out of ink and there aren’t refills for them) they are also treating the 320 pack as if it’s a starter pack that she will need to expand by purchasing more Ohuhu marker sets. One of ‘em said he’s bought five of the 320 set which I really truly cannot believe. This has to be some kind of guerrilla marketing right? It’s just too insane to be true? Here’s hoping somebody can talk her out of it. For that price she could afford better and more useful markers.

[@AmyShulke]

@@sveredself1766 I’m gobsmacked. In my mind, I know one must buy a new Ohuhu marker to replace a dying one but I was picturing an open stock, single marker substitution. When you wrote someone has purchased FIVE full sets of Ohuhu? I honestly never thought that far ahead or that people naturally gravitate towards sets for economic reasons. Two years from now, he’ll have purchased 8-10 full sets???? It’s criminal. Thank you for shining a better light on this aspect!

[@sveredself1766]

@@AmyShulke only choice is to buy new sets if you live in Canada. Ohuhu doesn’t sell refills or open stock markers there. Every few weeks a disappointed Canadian will post trying to warn other Canadians since this issue is rarely ever brought up in any of the Ohuhu reviews or recommendations. Ohuhu customer service flat out tells Canadian consumers they must buy new sets to replace markers.

[@MaryYoungblood-xy8vg]

I unsubscribed to those KZbinrs a long time ago. I am on a substitute teacher income and while I can't always afford expensive art supplies I really can't afford products that don't work. I save up for what works now.

[@AmyShulke]

Hi Mary, welcome to the real art world where we're always saving up for a quality-something. I can't remember a time when I didn't have a piggybank going for a specific supply. I guess this makes us dinosaurs because today, they see a new product and hit the buy button before the video is over. Maybe that's the key to why people complain so bitterly about the price of good markers and good marker paper. The prices make instant gratification impossible for most people. But saving is very doable and because there's time to think, savers don't make as many purchasing mistakes.

[@jirikir]

Hallo Amy, you are so right. Greetings from Germany

[@AmyShulke]

@@jirikir Danke ihnen und wilkommen! My german is really bad so unless we’re riding bikes or ordering schnitzel, I’m out of words. Thanks for watching and the feedback!

[@lisasmith6000]

Thank you for the lessons. ❤❤❤

[@AmyShulke]

You're so welcome. Thank you for enjoying them and for letting me know!

[@aimeegill]

Is there a difference between the sketch and the ciao markers? Can they be mixed and matched when being used?

[@AmyShulke]

@@aimeegill Great question. Sketch and Ciao use the same marker ink, same nibs, just a different body style. Mix and match all you want. The Ciao are intended as a basic starter version, meanwhile the Sketch come in the full color range, hold more ink, and have more replacement nib options.

[@aimeegill]

@@AmyShulke thank you for the response. Are you ever going to offer you flutterfly and other beginners class I can’t remember the name again?

[@AmyShulke]

@@aimeegill Yes, I’m restructuring the classes I offer and I pulled both Flutterby and Oopsie Daisy until I can refilm them. Both are my oldest classes and ready for updates.

[@lucychan7938]

I understand people with low budget that want to try art supplies with lower price especially with expensive ones like alcohol markers. It's okay if their art styles are mainly the simple and cartoonish one do not require lots of blending. But Ohuhu's popularity to a point silence other brands that are cheaper than copic do make me suspicious about their marketing strategies. If you take search of internet and KZbin about alcohol markers reviews 5/6 years ago, there were way more varieties of brands but after Ohuhu come out, people outside China/ East Asia mainly buy Ohuhu and neglect that besides Ohuhu, there's a lot cheaper variants and some even can provide full-colour range refills on eBay and AliExpress. P.S. I am a resident form Hong Kong and the copic refills here are actually sold cheaper than the ones from Ohuhu online and I've used some Asian brands like Shinhan, Finecolour, Croma, etc. IMO Prismacolor does need to provide alcohol marker refills for people living in America. I believe the markers' price being ridiculous high in American and Europe lack of local suppliers sure being one of the main factors since you need extra care to handle the flamable materials. Not to mention the import tax.

[@AmyShulke]

@@lucychan7938 Wait, do you have access to Prismacolor refills? I don’t love their nib but I understand why some people love that nib style. Refills would be awesome.

[@AmyShulke]

BTW, for anyone wondering, the US import tax is part of the Copic price here. We don’t have the same trade deal with Japan as with China and on top of that, Ohuhu uses the same legal loophole Temu uses. A Copic marker shipped from China in Temu’s small package system would be cheaper.

[@lucychan7938]

​@@AmyShulke No Prismacolour refills available but from my knowledge they are made in Mexico.

[@AmyShulke]

@@lucychan7938 That’s why I was wondering how you had refills there when Mexico is so close to US. Darn. I had hopes it was real.

[@lucychan7938]

@@AmyShulke you may need to form an alliance to demand Prismacolor providing refills, not only being more environmental friendly but also helping marker users living in American saving a lots of money. Prismacolor marker is not really available in my city, instead the only professional Western brands available here are Promarker (Winsor & Newton)and the Classic Xylene based Admarkers. I am really surprise Shinhan touch twin cost nearly the same as Copic in USA in list price when in Hong Kong it 2/3 Copic's price. (around $3.33 each)

[@liloutriskell31000]

😂👌 I just bought the full range of Derwent Lightfast pencils. And the only interesting video i saw was a lady using the lightest colors to change the darkest, explaining that the color range is much larger than we could think it is! You re gonna tell me that it is the same thing with all color Pencil ranges, but with these pencils it is different… Same thing with the Pablos… they are water resistant, but i have never see a video in which a colorist is using them with a resist effect xith watercolors! To create an illustration… I tried to and it comes out so original ! The rest of the videos are swatches, or comparing these pencils with many other brands… Ok ok but what is the purpose!? I love my inktense for example, and i will never compare them to albrech Durer or other watercolor pencils… Each range is unique. The point is : how do you use it, and what for… I have a lot of supplies & i m a noob. But i m using or trying to play with each one… to achieve what i have in mind…🌸🦄🌸

[@angiadcock8196]

I don’t know why ohuhu thinks they have to have a product in every category of art supply. I have some of their markers and I really like them, especially the water based ones. But their paper is crap. I wish they’d just stay in their lane and keep making products that people like rather than wasting time pumping out crap.

[@AmyShulke]

Interesting question. If I had to guess, maybe Ohuhu sees the success of the crafter's art-supply genre. Just from observation after teaching for years in papercrafting stores, I've noticed that serious crafters are incredibly brand loyal and truly do want to work from start to finish with everything from paper to top sealant branded by their favorite company (or even company spokesperson, like Tim Holtz). Meanwhile I can't imagine taking Golden seriously if they started making canvas fabric... and to be honest, when Golden came out with watercolors, I was like "uh, really?". Don't get me wrong, I really like Qor but I do think there's a reason why they're marketed as Qor rather than "Golden Watercolor". I think professional artists admire companies develop within their zone of expertise rather than spreading themselves thin. That way when they do branch out, you know they're serious about the chemistry and not riding a trend wave. But I'm just spitballin' here. I could be totally wrong and maybe Ohuhu marker pad is a next step towards geopolitical dominance.

[@QueenofFlannelColors]

It’s not just the “budget brand” companies doing this. Look at Derwent for example. They were primarily pencils, and now they’ve started branching out to paint. Caran d’ache was watercolor pencils, wax pastels and fancy pens until around 2008-ish when they started getting into pencils.

[@ghoulchan7525]

oh boy. this is going to be fun. and you bring up a lot of good points once again on how many sponsored reviews and total beginner recommendation videos are floating around youtube. also totally didn't find a short of someone just being given a set by ohuhu and then calling them "such expensive markers". having never used em before. right before this. you know that bit on swatching. the first time i ever really swatched my alcohol markers instead of just jumping in. were those cheap Action ( european dollar store equivalent for context ) ones. and why?? because i legit had trouble with grabbing the right color of marker by just looking at the caps. so made tiny swatch cards i now look at when i need to grab the right color for the project i am working on. and each time it takes a bit to find the right one since i need to dig through the sets to look for the right shade. instead of just.. look at the cap, and go. and i am not a pro artist and i felt the struggle. somehow i now feel glad that when i got into alcohol markers. Copic was basically all there was. and my first ones were basically a birthday gift of a few 5+1 fineliner sets. those markets are still alive BTW. probably should uh.. buy ink for them but as of now they haven't dried out once. despite having had them for like a decade, and they have probably taken some high temp damage from some hot summers. but over that decade i have added to them so now i am up to 50 markers (with a few repeats due to shop derps, but also me trying to buy ink but they shop i bought them at were out of stock, so i opted for a replacement marker and got send back the difference in money).

[@AmyShulke]

You bring up something that's on my mind... I'm kinda in the formulation stages of a video? Maybe. Not sure. Maybe you can help clarify... It's about the swatches. Do you truly color with the swatch cards right next to you the entire time or is this just something people do in videos because it adds to the setting and vibe? BTW, please refill those Copics soon! I almost feel the need to start an ambulance service where the van full of refills comes to a screeching halt at your house with full sirens and lights, then gives your markers the total CPR treatment on the front lawn while your neighbors stand around gossiping "how could they let their markers get so low????" "oh, I always knew it'd come to this..."

[@ghoulchan7525]

@@AmyShulke when i color i tend to look at the caps of the copic what color i want to use. if it's a character of a show i like i look at my reference pics then see what color comes the closest as a base, then try and shade it. i do have markers i grab for stuff like skin. the cheap markers. the swatch cards/papers are inside the plastic storage box things they came in. so when i grab one of those the card is right there. as for the art peeps in videos. i think it's both a way for them to see what each color looks like but also so they don't have to think up what to draw per review. also just aesthetics for the video i guess. ha ha.. my wallet is going to hate me if i buy all those refills in one go. probs something to consider buying when my next paycheck comes in

[@QueenofFlannelColors]

@@AmyShulke I create videos in the adult coloring niche. And I’m actually…in general, not much of a swatcher. I’ll do it if there’s a reason for it. I’m gearing up for an acrylic paint pen project and have a specific criteria so…swatching for this one is a necessity. One of the more common questions I get asked though is how I pick my colors and how do I decide or know what goes well together. So I’ll pull out a swatch sheet, if I happen to have one, and walk through what I’m looking at. Not everyone can eyeball their colors, so, seeing how someone else does it on screen can be helpful. Also, some people want the exact combo I’m using, and if I have it off to the side so they can see it…I don’t have to keep repeating the color names. And I rapid swap too fast to just put the names on screen when I edit. I’ve actually recommended and use your honeycomb color charts. I like the way they’re laid out better than just a bunch of squares on a page.

[@dee8212]

Hi Amy, I'm not an artist but I love colouring and learning about art. I have swatches of my colour pencils and the few copic markers that I have. It resulted from watching KZbin videos of swatches being made, because the colour on the pencils could and sometimes are different to the actual colour of the pencils when laid down. I will always use the swatch sheets I've made to help me choose the right colour to use.

[@wisp0099]

to add my two cents to the swatching conversation: I swatch everything. I don’t know if it’s the perfectionist in me, but I like to have a concrete plan before I go in and swatches are an important part of that. Every art supply I own, the first thing I do when I get something new is swatch them, because I want to be able to see the exact colors, not just the ballpark area of the color coding on most supplies. When I’m going to be working on a piece, no matter what kind of media I’m using, I pick potential colors and swatch them all on the same type of paper I’m going to be using for my piece and narrow down my final selection. When I’m ready to start, I use a clean scrap of the same kind of paper as my final piece to neatly swatch everything I’m going to be using, and next to each swatch I write the code for the specific color, because more often than not when I’m working on something it takes me multiple days and I don’t want to leave my supplies laying out willy nilly. Having that final swatch set lets me put stuff away and take it out as needed without accidentally switching the yellow I’m using partway through the piece, and it lets me quickly refresh my brain to the colors when I’m sitting down to get working again, in a way that just writing the codes of what I’m using wouldn’t let me do. The exception is the art supplies I only have small sets of, where there’s no danger of me picking the wrong red because I only have one red pastel pencil, but even when there’s no need for me to write the codes because what I’m working with is something I have such a small set of, I like to swatch the colors I’m using so I can better see how they all go together as compared to the full swatch sheet where the colors I’m using are probably separated by colors I’m not and that can throw off how they look together. I guess that’s another important part of why I swatch everything, so I can see how the colors I’m using look as a unit because, y’know, colors are affected and influenced by the colors around them. I’m 100 percent positive that the kind of youtubers you’re talking about do it mostly if not entirely for aesthetic purposes, but you will pry my swatching as a valuable tool for creating cohesive pieces from my cold, dead hands.

[@nilawarriorprincess]

🤷🏾‍♀️Different art strokes for different art folks. I started watching YT because I was too sick to do anything else, much like my favorite KZbinr Drawing Wiff Waffles. I think you failed to see the humanity behind the so called "giggle girls" & what they offer to those of us who just need to to take their minds off of unbearable pain or life circumstances. Both of your POVs are valuable to different YT communities. At 35 I needed someone like Waffles. At 43, I want to take art seriously, so I look to people like you. There's just a different mindset I have when watching Rin of Drawing Wiff Waffles because she's suffering like I am. She's doing so poorly that she's no longer capable of working or drawing or filming & her channel has been on hiatus over 1½. Creators like her are the gateway to artists like you. I'm so grateful both of you exist. I wouldn't have picked up a pencil & paints if I hadn't seen her sketching from her hospital bed & seeing her giggle through her pain as she demonstrated how therapeutic art was. I truly & miss her & obviously felt a need to defend her. Yet I need a blend of fun & serious artists & I love knowing sick people who dabble in their sketchbooks can pay their medical bills cause of Ohuhu. Even Waffles never says they can compare to Copic. As her reviews obviously call them the best cheap option & the not best option. She's a draw for fun sketchbook artist & they & that's who Ohuhus are for. I also & depend on people like you to break down art product reviews, show blending techniques, art basics, ect. Thank you for providing such a valuable service! Anyway, I just needed speak up as a Waffles fan & offer my personal feelings on your set of videos. I just really wanted you to see Rin as a human being.

[@AmyShulke]

Hi Nila, this is 100% projection. I have only a vague knowledge that someone does marker sketch journals with a Waffle channel name. Why on earth would I pause to "acknowledge her humanity" in a video about guerilla affiliate marketing by a predatory plastics company??? It may be a good idea to pause and consider why you thought of her. You seem miffed at me but I'm not the one promoting shoddy merchandise to low income beginners.

[@RowhouseGreetings]

I automatically skip over any influencer video that refers to their sponsored product as a “game changer.” The chances of that being true are slim and none.

[@AmyShulke]

Oh, that's a great buzz word to watch for! So smart, wish we'd had this conversation before I made the video. It reveals a lot!!!

[@RowhouseGreetings]

@@AmyShulke And great minds think alike. My blog post today discusses why I'm no longer using Hammermill and throws a few rocks at influencers (myself included).

[@AmyShulke]

@@RowhouseGreetings Here’s Nancy’s article: rowhousegreetings.com/2024/07/06/christmas-postage-3c-waffle-flower/

[@AmyShulke]

@@RowhouseGreetings I just read the article and I totally love your new paper choice. It makes total sense for your style which is light on the pencil with strong blends. I love that a switch of paper can renew our enthusiasm and open new directions. Hooray!

[@fuzzydragons]

thats the big reason i havent accepted any supplies, i HAVE to be able to give my honest opinion on something. if its junk, im going to say it 😝

[@AmyShulke]

Excellent! If enough of us are honest, maybe we can make a dent in the flood of misinformation! Thanks for watching!

[@rebeccaduggansartboard812]

@AmyShulke I have found new low for alcohol markers new subscriber here love your videos

[@sinfall5280]

Not the candle 😭😂🫣😅🤣

[@AmyShulke]

You're not a real-real artist unless you light a candle. It's like a law or somethin'

[@SumHandballPlayer]

This is your "Not like us" moment

[@AmyShulke]

I'm straight outta Compton.

[@MegaTazmom]

So you are a Copic Instructor wouldn’t that be a conflict of interest since you earn money from the Copic Brand. Ultimately a lot of people are not able to afford Copic’s and I think they are overpriced in my opinion.

[@artichook]

She doesn't earn any money from Copic, she just likes the markers and uses them to teach her classes. In other videos you'll also hear her openly criticising the things she doesn't like about Copic, for example their paper and staining colours, so I don't think she is unfairly biased. I agree that the Copic brand is very expensive though! But that's art supplies for you. Should I buy a pricey set of prismacolor pencils or will Crayola be adequate for my needs? Questions like these are why I appreciate honest videos about quality so I can make an informed decision when it comes time to spend hard earned money. By no means do you have to buy expensive art supplies just because someone else prefers them!

[@AmyShulke]

@MegaTazmom By this logic, the only people allowed to comment on a product are the people who've never touched it.

[@notyou6674]

why won't you actually name the videos and creators?

[@AmyShulke]

@@notyou6674 1. there’s too many of them. Just search Ohuhu and you’ll come up with at least a hundred YTers opening gift boxes and gushing. It’s not hard to find them. It’s not like I want to run a long list a’la closing credits on a movie. 2. These YTers are part of the problem but they’re not the source of the problem. Ohuhu created this marketing mess. If O stopped shipping gifts today, these videos would quickly dry up. 3. I think a lot of these YTers are simply naive. They see other YTers making Unbox & Swatch videos and think this is how to become an influencer too. Few of them will make it and that’ll happen on its own without me snapping at their heels. 4. When was the last time some stranger called you out in a video and you totally changed your ways? Seems like a call out would have the opposite effect.

[@notyou6674]

@@AmyShulke this is a really good response, thank you. I have some points and tell me if you disagree: is it really necessary for the people in question to change their mind to have a positive effect on the people watching who would not have watched otherwise? second point: while I agree that the companies stopping is of course the best solution surely this solution is impossible? if we rely on impossible solutions to happen just because that's what should happen we will go nowhere right? third point: is don't we have an instance of such a positive effect from call out of sponsorships in the form of better help and the like? sure it didn't solve the issue by any means but many youtubers actually stopped taking that sponsor and even apologised among other things (which I do not think would have happened if they had not been called out) and my final point is do you need to name all of them to have the effect I'm talking about? I think naming a few prominent ones would clear up what you are talking about and catalyse some amount of change. I may be wrong about these points but I don't know, thanks for responding.

[@AmyShulke]

I totally get what you're saying in the first point which is in turn related to the last. If we call out some smaller sponsored YTers and especially the most prominent overt-sponsored, wouldn't that create a change? And you're not wrong. I guess I'm just not comfortable with determining who gets called out and who gets skipped. What I do know is that I have an audience with the end consumers and with the realism students, whereas I don't have any influence over the influencers. I also know I feel totally comfortable saying "we have a problem and here's how I think we can do better" because I'm part of that we. Meanwhile, I feel very squidgy about saying "this person has a problem and this is how he needs to fix it." Do we have an instance of someone discontinuing their relationship with a cheap art supply sponsor over ethical concerns? I'm kinda wracking my brain here to remember such a thing happening. Then again, there are some biggies I've never watched much because something about their channels didn't feel authentic or was annoying. You bring up excellent questions without easy answers. Thank you for this.

[@notyou6674]

@@AmyShulke you also bring up great points, its very hard to find answers to. it would be nice if people in any profession could freely discuss concerns and ideas and work through them publicly but obviously reality is messy and that expectation is mostly unrealistic. thank you for the response.