Artists Loft Watercolor Markers

[@tripsmith8591]

I've been trying to figure that out since I got them. I'm just glad there was a video on these at all honestly.

[@MeowMeowKapow]

You know, honestly, these are probably the best artist's loft thing I've seen to date which I suppose is the best thing to say about them? Truthfully, I've used Crayola markers in a similar fashion and had better color blending and pigmentation than these seem to have....Though these have better color dispersion being wet after they'd already dried on the paper. I'm really liking this growing trend of companies marketing markers for use as watercolors, and like all the different ones suddenly available. I got some of the Winsor Newton ones to review on my channel a while ago but haven't gotten a chance to-Glad to see your swatches because you got way more than I did and that gives me a good idea of what I'm in for! Thanks for always introducing us to things we've never heard of before, and I love that you're always so thorough and include comparisons at the end!

[@owingsart]

Thank you so much for the kind remarks. Yep, I am willing to try out any art supply, because you never know when something might be really great but overlooked. I think you're going to absolutely love the W&N watercolor markers. They are not just my favorite watercolor makers, they are one of the best watercolors out there IMO. Let me know when you post your review. :-) ~Marty

[@lamargot2201]

I didn't mean to thumbs down you, sorry! I've never been happy with a single Artist's Loft item I've purchased. I even returned a pencil set once (seriously, they messed up pencils?) but usually I don't bother. Now I just don't buy the brand. There's student grade and economy grade and then there's how do they even have the cheek? I feel like their products could cause a beginner to abandon art. Mr. Owings, I just love chooks so that was a fun surprise at the end!

[@owingsart]

@@lamargot2201 No worries.

[@MDCampbell]

I like that you've paid particular attention to an Artist's Loft product that works for you. My overall experiences with their products have been that they linger between Beginner Grade and Student Grade, and results, for me, have been mediocre to good. I kept a set of their fineline pens in my kit for a while, but wore them down, so those are worth looking at in comparison to Micron pens for a lower price point. Always good, always informative, Marty! Thank you!!

[@owingsart]

Hi Mark - You're right, that's a great way to put it. They do linger between beginner and student grade as you point out. People are still out there looking for ways to crack into the art game, but are on a budget so these are a decent entry point. Cheers my friend. ~Marty

[@twinkieproduction4802]

I got artist loft markers and this was very helpful thanks also love what you drew❤👌

[@lipstickcourage4809]

I love your honest reviews.

[@owingsart]

Thank you, much appreciated. And thanks for watching.

[@kiranchana7550]

i got a bunch of these in the clearance section of Michaels and didn’t know how to use them now i do thanks

[@owingsart]

Thank you for watching!!

[@daffysmom3793]

Fun information! I've heard of this brand and appreciate the review. Your Wet Paint group really is high class. They kept me in the loop as to when the "missing" parts would be expected etc. Great service and another special outlet for origami paper! I bought a few gifts while I was shopping for your set. 😀 Best warm regards from Michigan, as always.

[@owingsart]

Hi Judy - So glad to hear you were taken care of by my friends at Wet Paint, they really are high class as you put it. Hope all is well in Pure Michigan. ~Marty

[@aanyan5253]

Everyone keeps saying they don’t come with purple,but I got a 10 pack and it came with purple

[@essietangle9931]

They did better than you would think. These would be good for kids. Good to hear the kit sold out at Wet Paint, I have enjoyed mine. It will be fun to see what you all come up with next. The rooster at the end made me laugh, you have a good sense of humor. I noticed on Instagram Wet Paint had a picture showing your roads looking pretty clear of snow and ice it was nice to see. Take care, thanks for the video and review. Essie

[@owingsart]

Hi Essie - I actually gave them to my son to use. Thank you for purchasing the kit. You should have gotten a note from me inside it. :-) Thanks for noticing the rooster, I thought he was hilarious. It's been warm here the last couple of days, it even hit 40 degrees F today, however it's supposed to be -5 by Thursday, with heavy snow. If you ever visit, dress warm. Have a great week Essie. ~Marty

[@JaneMetcalfe]

Hiya Marty, I'm off to Mum's (nearly 100 miles away) shortly as our heating system has packed up and hubby wants me away from here due to the disruption that's gonna happen during the week, getting it fixed. That's nice of him lol. Anyway, I have a thing about water-based brush pens as I do a lot of colouring so I'm not bothered so much about blending, to be honest, although a lot of people are. However, my main concerns with such pens are the robustness of the brush tips themselves. What are they like in the Artist Lofts? I have had a few of those Tombows in the past and - for the price - I think the quality overall was poor. The brush tip wasn't too bad but they RAN OUT of ink very quickly. The bullet tips are terrible. The Zigs are the same. Eventually I bought (singly as they are so expensive to buy in packs) 3 of those Kuretake Clean Color Brush pens. Fortunately, they do live up to the hype - just about. The pens you've just tested remind me of Lyras. Have you ever tested those? I've never bought them but I might one day. I do have a pack of Kois too which are a free replacement from the manufacturers as my originals had dodgy brushes!! I don't even like Pitt markers as I had a Pink Madder Lake one that dried out dead quick. I don't have much luck with them do I?!

[@owingsart]

Hi Jane - Glad to hear you're going someplace warm. To your questions. The brush tips on these are nylon and they seem okay, but for the price I think they had to cut expense somewhere, I'm guessing it'll turn up somewhere when you don't want it to...lol. I haven't tested the Lyra's. I have had great luck with the Faber-Castell Pitt markers, which are water-based. They aren't as vibrant as others, but they are dependable and excellent quality. Hope that helps. All the best Jane and Happy New Year!!! ~Marty

[@starshinesoldier]

Great review and painting Marty! I’ve always been curious about the artist loft markers.

[@TerrieJohnson731]

I bought Tombow in Skintone and Grayscale. I have been looking for a good way to add colors for a bit less, as I do not use them often. I will try these! Thanks Marty.

[@owingsart]

:-)

[@nancyrolfe3033]

Love the drawing! Great review. I started w/Winsor Newtown oils. These are great value for "piddling".

[@kiwigirlNZ]

I’m keen to watch your video. Very interested in these markers 😊

[@azzuparis]

Hi Marty, Happy New Year my friend! These markers are pretty nice and they look fun to sketch with. I love the brush tip. Thanks for the review. Take care!

[@owingsart]

Happy New Year my friend. These are really cheap.

[@kimleon-guerrero9980]

Thanks for the review Marty. 💞💫

[@owingsart]

Thanks Kim.

[@jean6061]

After struggling to get my Loft watercolor markers to function like a watercolor marker, I searched online and found your video. Thank you so much for sharing your results! I was wondering if it was just me! I can't even get the markers to "bleed" with a watered brush. I think I'll just have to use them as regular markers. Quite a disappointment.

[@Koiyouu]

I have these pens but I’m pretty sad they don’t come with purple.

[@owingsart]

You can make purple with Red and Blue. :-)

[@tripsmith8591]

Right? I was so sad over that. But he is right though... if only they were a little easier to blend😅

[@JenniferHaselton]

I just received the 48pc set! I can't wait to test!💜

[@everythingisfruity]

the set i bought came with purple

[@lorijones9579]

Hi Marty! I have a lot of Artist Loft brushes. They are remarkably good, and cheap enough to be disposable, though I've never tossed one. I paint with them, use them with Brusho or even dipped in bleach to turn Brusho back to white, and with masking fluid, and I've never had a problem cleaning them thoroughly after masking fluid if I do the soap thing first. I'd have never considered these markers but maybe I'll try them. Nice review.

[@owingsart]

Hi Lori - Besides the brushes, have you tried anything else by Artists Loft?

[@lorijones9579]

No. I'm pleased with the brushes though, so maybe I should.

[@monicarosebloom5057]

Uhm excuse me, I've had these markers for 2 years now and basically have been using them like regular markers?! 😭😭😭 WHAT! Thanks for the review:) I'm going to finally use my markers right 😂

[@rachael9999]

New to the channel (hello!) Awesome video! Question: what is that neat brush you were using? Sorry if that's a tired question. Thanks!

[@dairiaabate1438]

Thanks for a fantastic review !

[@owingsart]

Thank YOU for watching.

[@lavenderfaerietale3330]

For some reason I couldnt get them to work on the paper, so I scribble it on a plastic lid and add water before applying it to paper, only way I could get it to work

[@CatsInaCradle]

Hi Marty! I'm wondering if you've tried the new Blick Premier 140lbs. 300gsm watercolor paper? I've thought of buying some but wondered if it was worth it or not? I always check your channel before I buy anything and paper is quite pricey....I know it's off topic here but didn't know where else to ask this question. 😁

[@owingsart]

Hi Alicia, I haven't tried it yet, but Steve Mitchell and I are doing a LIVE show on this topic next Thursday evening. If you want to save a few dollars and are looking for great paper, I can recommend Stonehenge Aqua and Fluid 100.

[@Lackaday.]

This is a really useful look into these markers! I've been getting into Tombow waterbased markers, and my local Michaels has them set up right next to the Artists Loft watercolor markers, so I've been wondering what the quality of the AL's are like. It's hard to get a read on them from just quick swatches and the one lime green AL marker I own.

[@DrawingWithFire]

Great video Marty! 😁 I have 3 sets of the tombow... I finally got them out the other night... lol 😆 For these types of markers i think the best way to mix colors is to scribble out the colors on some type of palatte & then mix with a brush & apply. I hope you are doing well & staying warm. Take care my friend! 🤗

[@owingsart]

Hi Val - Good points. I have done that, but then I think to myself, why not just use pans....lol. Steve and I are planning a LIVE event, would you be willing to moderate for us?

[@DrawingWithFire]

Owings Art sure Marty, when? I have my live Wed 11am, wed Lisa 7p, thurs sheldene/me live 4p, sat eve 12p... this week. I need a community calendar for all of my lives/modding so everyone can plan. LMBO 😆

[@DrawingWithFire]

Gracie Anna Shack Art Shack that ok Gracie, I have it.

[@Donna_G]

Hi Marty, I have a set of markers similar to the ones that you reviewed in this video. I'm not sure of the brand name, though. Dual Brush is stamped on the barrels of each marker; so, maybe that is the brand name. One end of the markers has a fine tip, almost extra fine, if you ask me. The other end has a brush end. The markers behave similarly to the ones you demonstrated.

[@owingsart]

Hi Donna....hmmm, maybe they are Tombow??? Could be.

[@EveBolt]

Interesting review! I love the color range of these, a lot of the colors are more muted and they feel like they'd work well to quickly color a landscape study or add a touch of color to an urban sketch. I'm not sure it takes less room to carry around than a travel palette though... ;)

[@owingsart]

Hi Eve - Yes, I think you are right, I'd rather just take my watercolors along. These are handy in the studio though, especially if you want to save a few bucks.

[@shannonwolff2599]

Just a hot tip for you Marty, Artist's Loft don't make their own products, they private label them, and these are actually the Lyra aquabrush duo markers, just cheaper as you can use a coupon at michael's to buy them. I had a set of 12 of the Lyra ones and when I saw the artist's loft ones I was sure they were the same. So I did buy the set of 48 and the 12 Lyras ARE exactly the same including colour. They are very nice markers so if someone is looking for a good quality watercolor marker these are a good bet. I know with Artist's Loft it can be pretty hit or miss and usually miss in their case as they seem to buy the cheapest thing they can and slap their label on it, but in this case they did choose a quality product from a quality maker at least. Oh BTW they have now put the name of the color on the pen.

[@owingsart]

Hey thanks for the heads up, I guess I didn't know that.

[@shannonwolff2599]

@@owingsart No problem, it can be hard with artist's loft stuff as a lot of it isn't very good quality but a few things are and these are one of them. Nice to find a gem in the junk...LOL!! P.S. Been using them a lot now with others like the tombow, ecoline, etc and they work very well!!

[@paigeme886]

Thanks so much Marty! I always love your videos and reviews- honest and fantastic how you always compare the products (incredibly helpful!). I received a set of Zig clean color real brush markers for Christmas- they are watercolour markers too. Ive only used them a little bit but i love them! If you ever had the chance or wanted to, i would love to see what you think of the Zigs and any tips you may have! They are vibrant and blend well (but you need to use the right paper and im still trying to figure it all out). Again., Thank you for this and all your reviews :)

[@owingsart]

Thank you so much for the kind remarks. I need to try out the Zigs, they are on my list. If you're looking for a decent paper, you might want to try Stonehenge Aqua. ~Marty

[@paigeme886]

You are welcome!! And thank you so much for the tip!! i saw your review of the paper (absolutely loved that review!! ).

[@nancyheinzen5732]

These are tempting!

[@owingsart]

There are better options, but probably not cheaper options. :-)

[@proud_mama79]

What kind of paper are you using? I’m using HP 32 lb paper and I tried blending it with a water pen but it doesn’t seem to work.

[@owingsart]

32 lb is too lightweight. you will need at least a 70 plus lb or ideally 140 lb paper.

[@aartadventure]

Great review. You really deserve many more subscribers.

[@owingsart]

Hey that was a nice thing to say. Thank you.

[@tripsmith8591]

So it wasn't very clear to me, but do you dip them in water then use them for the watercolor effect? Or...

[@owingsart]

Not really, but you can do that to. I just draw with them and then use my watercolor brush on them.

[@IWasGivenRest]

Do these markers dry out if you don't use them for a while?

[@ultimatemayo431]

Ugh, I cannot find anywhere how to use these correctly. I’m definitely doing something wrong because whenever I use the pens and brush over them with a water pen the pigment stays and doesn’t go away.

[@meylinhernandez461]

me too! let me know if you figure it out :/

[@ultimatemayo431]

Ninjas_In_Pajamas I kind of did, sorry it’s a little late, but after experimenting with them I just bought a water brush pen, like the one he had in the video. Then I rubbed the tip of the water brush pen to the colored brush pen ( not much) then color with it, and it won’t leave any marks or lines. Hope this could help :,)

[@meylinhernandez461]

@@ultimatemayo431 hmm, interesting. Thanks!

[@ultimatemayo431]

Ninjas_In_Pajamas yeeeeeep

[@annie-pn5fp]

Just bought these markers, i dont know what to think

[@owingsart]

Yeah....just meh...

[@annie-pn5fp]

It’s my fault for not doing research first

[@peachtea4064]

I have those markers

[@_quake_arts_]

Its not working! I colored on the page, added water to a paintbrush, and tried to disperse it, but it only made the paper wet!

[@owingsart]

You might not be using good paper or waiting too long to apply water.

[@leahkelm8663]

I’ve had these markers for a year and I didn’t even know they were water Color 😦

[@daisylizbeth7716]

Leah Kelm they literally said water color on the marker lol

[@universesubliminals9025]

Some dude in my class is named Nash OWINGS

[@owingsart]

He must be cool. :-)

[@TerrieJohnson731]

Afterthought-Tombow color set would serve me better-almost same price-they want 23 bucks for them, um, no.

[@owingsart]

Good call Terrie.

[@KateTheSleepyTeacher]

First!

[@owingsart]

TheSleepy Teacher You're BACK!!!

[@KateTheSleepyTeacher]

Owings Art happy to be home :)

[@charliebaker1427]

Artist loft is terrible atleast crayola doesnt pretend to be good