Faber-Castell Watercolor Markers

This is a look at the Faber-Castell Abrecht Durer watercolor markers introduced in autumn of 2019. In this video I look at the color, solubility, transparency, blending, mixing and tonal values as well as a comparison to Winsor & Newton's watercolor markers. These are compatible with the Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils so that really extends their utility. Here is the gear I used in the video:
Etchr Sketchbook - amzn.to/3hBAdeH
Watercolor Brush - amzn.to/3d2Y5Eo
Winsor & Newton Watercolor Markers - amzn.to/3d8EN0q
Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor Markers - amzn.to/2N3LAOn
Arches Paper - amzn.to/37yeHCU
Saint Armand Paper - amzn.to/2Y5uxSo
Faber-Castell TK 9400 Lead Holder - amzn.to/37CD4zu
Staedteler Pigment liner 0.5 - amzn.to/2AAgfQS
Faber-Castell's guide to using these markers - www.faber-castell.co.uk/tutor...
Credits:
Video production and content: Marty Owings
Music credits:
What If? by Jerry Owings
Morning Dance by Finn's Fandango
I use the music service Soundstripe.
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[@juststartingover2735]

I love that Faber Castell keeps the same names/numbers across all their products…color pencils, watercolor pencils, markers etc.

[@owingsart]

Thank you.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Faber castell makes great products. I was curious about these but I dont use my W&N markers to justify another set. Tempting this. Thanks for posting reviews again. It's always a treat to wake up and see you uploaded!

[@owingsart]

Hi Lindsay - Some tips I got on these and how to use them, might encourage me to use them more, but like you I don't use my W&N very often. Was amazed though that after 5 years, those W&N markers still worked like new. Thanks for the support my friend. I love seeing your comments. ~Marty

[@cpatel5397]

Paper always matters .., great review. Hopefully they bring out some more colours

[@chiarac358]

They already have 30, I believe.

[@sketchingjohn1678]

Thanks for showing the drawings/paintings of the house and the tree. That's always where the rubber meets the road, in practice. Nicely done, and a lot of technical information too.

[@owingsart]

Hey thanks John - wasn't sure that house should make the cut, it was pretty rough, but I left it in to show things can go south fast if you're not using these correctly. I should have let the marks dry more before adding in more colors - side of the house got pretty muddy at that point. Lessons learned. Thanks for checking out the video John. ~Marty

[@carolsuepope6297]

I am really enjoying seeing you review and use products again! I trust your recommendations. Great video!

[@owingsart]

I'm so glad! Thank you my friend.

[@margaretnoble4805]

Thank you for such a comprehensive overview of this product, and for the brief comparison with Windsor and Newton. I, too, find the similar lids a frustration. I ended up marking them for easy recognition.

[@tonihulick1886]

Doing my happy dance! Another great post!......sooooo glad you are back!

[@owingsart]

Thank you Toni.

[@kathyn3978]

Hi Marty. Love your reviews. I have Faber-Castell watercolor pencils I take on sketching road trips and also have the Tombow markers at my desk for quick greeting cards. I bought a couple of the W/N markers after your review on them...maybe they were too pricey for my playing around with them. Oh well...glad I saw the house. Very nice. And you always rock the trees. Would love to see you back outside and doing the urban sketching in your neighborhood😎

[@owingsart]

Hi Kathy - I really wish road trips were a thing again. I'd love to be out sketching and painting again, but with the pandemic, I have to find subjects closer to home. I love the Tombow's as well. Have you made it over to the Art Store in Egg Harbor? Are they open again? How I wish I was in that store right now, just browsing around. :-)

[@kathyn3978]

Owings Art You wouldnt know there was a pandemic in Door County except for the locals wearing masks. Tourists are everywhere and most of the places I like to go to are crowded. But there are a few secret spots :) I have to be extra careful tho as this past year was a little rough on me so any road trips are brief. Art store in Egg Harbor? Have I missed this??? Unless you meant the Artists Guild in Sturgeon Bay? I have not gone in yet but I believe they are open. I should stop and see the gals...I have a nice gift certificate there that can easily be spent! You have a wonderful spot out there as well...Wet Paint. Thank God we have art to keep the minds busy. Be safe, Marty

[@LizzieQuinterosLeon]

Mmmm... Luego de algunos años al fin pude adquirir un set de estos marcadores. Gracias por la revisión me ayudo mucho... 🤗🤗🤗

[@valasafantastic1055]

For watercolour markers; Paper is VITAL, you can’t even use them properly on the wrong paper! Also I highly recommend ‘palleting’ use a very smooth plastic and swatch some ‘ink’ can swatch colours next to each other to mix colours by picking them up with and mixing using a brush or waterbrush. Also 100% use them with a brush and do direct on paper later in The process for the darkest tones. Keep notes about paper tests you do so you can make an informed descision about the correct paper to use. Useful video thanks.

[@owingsart]

You make great points and I would use a pallet going forward for sure and do my mixing there. Also the process and paper plays a big role in outcomes with these. Thanks for all the pointers, much appreciated. ~Marty

[@valasafantastic1055]

Owings Art no problem I just want people to enjoy and get better use of their art materials!

[@stalean0301]

Wonderful, concise review. Thank you for sharing!

[@owingsart]

Thanks for watching!

[@ybe7011]

Very professional review 👌 thanks for what you do!

[@owingsart]

Thank you very much!

[@claychick100]

Hi Marty! So good to see your posts again. Think I will get out my W&N watercolor markers and play. Never used them much. Thanks for the review,

[@owingsart]

Thank you Kathryn. I had to get mine out again and they were as fresh and new as the day I bought them 5 years ago - amazing.

[@UJB123]

Nice. One thing. One doesn't use markers on cotton paper. Cotton is made to soak in liquid which is what it will do to your markers' liquid as soon as they touch the paper . 😉

[@owingsart]

This all depends on the paper sizing. I use cotton paper of all kinds and some of it isn't absorbent at all, but I get what you are saying. Thanks for watching and I hope you have an awesome day!

[@pippaloves]

Thank you for this invaluable video! 😀

[@owingsart]

Thank you for watching.

[@amyjoystudios]

I just love your videos. So quality. And as I've said many times, I love your voice!!

[@owingsart]

Thank you Joy. You’re very kind to me. 😊

[@amyjoystudios]

@@owingsart ♥️

[@TerrieJohnson731]

Ooooooo, ahhhhhh. Yes must have. Going on my wish list! I have a huge stash of real brush pens but lighfast markers will be AMAZING!

[@owingsart]

Have fun!

[@cachitagarcia]

Thanks Marty. The markers are not only consisten with the watercolor pencil, also with polychromos. For me the W&N markers feel more professional (I am not expert). I enjoy both.

[@owingsart]

Hi Maria - Yes that really makes them versatile and extends what you can do with these. I was going to demo that, but ran out of time. Thanks for watching. ~Marty

[@chrissie4452]

Merci beaucoup, Marty, for this very professional review, once again. I remember when you did the one for W&N markers and I love mines although I don’t think often to use them. I love your pine tree and your house ! I didn’t notice that it was best to apply water once the marker is dry, I will try them this way ! Salutations amicales xxx

[@owingsart]

Hi Chrissie - I think you are right and I applied the water too soon, especially in the house. I also love these, but they are really expensive.

[@liezelhaupt7172]

Thanks for a great review!

[@owingsart]

My pleasure!

[@kirbythompson8032]

Excellent review, thanks.

[@owingsart]

Thanks for watching!

[@kassaArt]

I have these and I absolutely love them! 😍

[@owingsart]

They are pretty good and I like them, but they are a little less vibrant than the Winsor and Newton wc markers. Thanks for the note.

[@kassaArt]

@@owingsart I'm honoured you replied! I agree w&n are perfect but I'm not a professional and need to be able to add layers which the FC allow me to as they seem to be more permanent?

[@owingsart]

@@kassaArt Thank you. In the end it should be whatever you feel comfortable with. FC are still a great choice.

[@TerrieJohnson731]

WOW comparison! Thanks!

[@owingsart]

Glad you liked it! Thanks Terrie.

[@dhirajshetty483]

excellent video !! thank you !!

[@owingsart]

Glad you liked it!

[@chedoodles]

I like it

[@slateportraichu5416]

Thank you for the interesting review=)

[@marialauramalventano4014]

Thank you for this video.😉 I love my faber castell watercolor pencils; I like them in sketches . I have w&n watercolor markers, and I absolutely love them, and I've found that they work very well for me on canson montval torchon, over my pen and ink sketches

[@owingsart]

Hi Maria - Thank you and I think that paper makes the biggest difference with these, same with the W&N markers which I also think are great.

[@spiritsjoy]

Thanks for the review. I saw the 30 pack for 50 dollars and it seems like a good deal.

[@Sick1982]

They do say to take cellulose paper, and not cotton. The cost today in Europe is the same for both WN and FC (5 euro/pc). While I do like the greens from WN more, after production moved from France to China, the QA is horrible! To make a long story short; after many issues, regardless of where I bought them, I could not rely on their product anymore and had to switch to FC.

[@owingsart]

Thank you.

[@providencevalleyfarm5270]

Thanks!

[@owingsart]

Thank you so much!!! Very much appreciated.

[@watercolourartincapetown2919]

Sounds like it would be fun to travel with 😍😍😍 (not that we’re traveling much right now)

[@owingsart]

Same here.

[@rballesteros]

Hi Marty, Faber Castell recommends Cansons Montvall paper and another brand (i forgot) in their brochure. Its 100 % cellulose. I have these watercolor markers and I tried it on Arches 100 percent cotton too but it left some marker lines. With cellulose, they blend better and leave no marker lines and look like they come from regular watercolor pans or tubes. I also recommwnd Daler Rowney Aquafine watercolour paper (also cellulose).

[@rballesteros]

I also have a few W&N water color markers and found they blend better on 100% cellulose than on cotton. Try it!

[@owingsart]

Thanks for the tip Rolando, much appreciated.

[@AquaPrison]

Thank you so much for this review! I'm a huge watercolor markers enthousiast, I'm absolutely in LOVE with the Winsor and Newton markers. I also adore the Ecoline and the Tombow ones, but the natural look of the pigment based markers is more beautiful to me. I've never tried the FC ones, I've been thinking of buying them, so this review was helpful! I might stick to the WN ones, just because of the price. Also, the downside of the WN ones, is that they come in max 12 set, so you have to buy the rest of the colors one by one... Takes time and money. I already started my collection. Another paper that works really well with these markers is the Canson Montval, which is awesome since they sell this paper in a 100 paper block for 30 something dollars. I've tested a lot of papers, I should make a list of them when I get a chance, I'll put it in a comment under this.

[@owingsart]

Hi There - Thanks for the comments. I also really enjoy these markers and always learn something new when I use them. I think I originally should have tried the Canson Montval, but could not find the guidance from FC on which papers to use for sure. Please add your list here when you put it together - I'd be interested to see what papers you've tested with these. Thanks for watching. ~Marty

[@recoveringsoul755]

that would be great, just dropping a comment in case you do!!

[@jenniefrench1338]

Allthough it looks exciting I didn't seem so excited about that wc lifting when glazing. I do use the pencils but feel I could buy a bunch of waterbrushes and really saturate the wc in them. And could mix them. But the lift is a bit worrysome. And FC markers in general just dry up. I really enjoy your reviews. Thank you. I say mix my own.

[@chiarac358]

If you wait for the first layer to dry completely - like bone dry -, then glaze over it, the base layer doesn't seem to move. Then let the 2nd layer dry completely before adding another, and so on.

[@essietangle9931]

Great review and comparison. That white line was interesting. You would think they would blend not remove color. I guess a big surprise for me was the cost comparison. That is quite a difference. Good information, thanks Marty.

[@owingsart]

Hi Essie - Yes that line was a concern for me and I think it must've had something to do with the paper, but I'm not sure what??? At almost twice the price, it's a big enough difference to make me pause and look at options, especially W&N which are great markers. Hope you are well in West Texas! ~Marty

[@TwistedArtdesigns]

Nice review

[@owingsart]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@MPLangerArt]

Hi Marty. Thanks for such a thorough review. I've always and used loved the Faber-Castell watercolour pencils but don't have any experience with markers. These look like they would be interesting to try, although certainly pricey. Have a great day.

[@owingsart]

Hi Patricia - Thanks fore the kind words. If you have some spare cash sitting around, these are worth a try. I'd maybe just buy the set of 6 and mix them for other colors. You can always buy more if you like them. Talk to you soon! ~Marty

[@MPLangerArt]

@@owingsart Thanks Marty. I'm certainly looking to try something new to supplement my regular watercolour sketching. I'll let you know how I like them. Patricia

[@brannonmcclure6970]

You broke the pigments with great variation. Thanks

[@owingsart]

LOL, thanks!

[@HerradaJulio]

Thanks Marty

[@owingsart]

Thanks Julio.

[@dhirajshetty483]

I d love to watch a perspective drawing tutorial from you if possible !

[@owingsart]

Thanks for the idea!

[@dhirajshetty483]

@@owingsart Cheers mate !

[@tessagonzalez3130]

Hi, I have this markers 10 pack, but I don't have idea how to used it, for example, I tried to mix it for skin color but the result isn't uniform. How do you do? Yours results are amazing

[@Donna_G]

I only have the watercolor pencils from this line. The only water based markers that I have are from Pentel Arts. They have flexible points; but, they are not flexible like a brush. The points aren't made of felt or sponge. I've had them for at least 2 or 2.5 years. There are 6 colors which can be blended to a certain point. I think I paid $13 or $15 for them. I use them a little nearly every day and have not had to replace any of them.

[@owingsart]

Do you know if they are ink based Donna? Saving money is also good and it makes sense if you're on a tight budget or just want to practice.

[@starshinesoldier]

Thank you for the detailed review Marty! So the Fabre Castell and the WIndsor and Newton are the only pigment based watercolor markers on the market right now? Ah! So tempting, I have some dye based watercolor markers and would love to have more lightfast versions.... although, I have too many watercolor palettes already. I know markers are more useful when out and about. The want monster is gnawing at me, lol my rational side it beating it back for now though. XD

[@thefrugalcrafter]

You have one of those too? lol:) the struggle is real:)

[@owingsart]

@@thefrugalcrafter LOL. It is very real.

[@owingsart]

LOL - I know what you mean. Yes, as far as I know that is correct. I've tried the Tombow's and the Ecolines as well and they are good, but not as lightfast. I don't think that matters much in a sketchbook, but I like using these pigment based markers. Hope you are staying well and in good spirits. ~Marty

[@anniefitzgerald4447]

I don’t know where you found your prices for these, but I purchased the full set of 30 on Amazon for about $115. I found that you can do a lot of cool tricks with these that you didn’t demonstrate in the video. You can touch tips together and get a blended color for a short time and you can also dip the tips into a tiny bit of water and get a really fun gradient of color too!

[@dmar1415]

Hi Annie. Is there any tutorial you followed to get those cool tricks? I have them but, honestly I don't think I'm using them to their fullest potential. I appreciate your help

[@jirikir]

Nice review. The price depents on wehre you are. Here in Germany is it exact the opposite. The Windsor&Newton are twice the price of the Albrecht Dürer. (Import against lokal Produkt, same in USA, I belife) Have a nice Day.

[@owingsart]

Guten Tag und vielen Dank für die Kommentare. Ich habe in Deutschland gelebt und es dort geliebt. Die Preise ändern sich immer je nachdem, wo Sie sich befinden. Es ist verständlich, aber immer noch frustrierend. Nochmals vielen Dank für die Nachricht.

[@Crazytesseract]

​@@owingsartHergestellt en Deutschland.

[@owingsart]

@@Crazytesseract Ich liebe Dinge, die in Deutschland hergestellt werden.

[@suel4269]

Have you tried the dual tip Pitt pens ? They are the same except made with India Ink. I’m still trying to figure out how to use them with Watercolors.

[@owingsart]

I need to try them out.

[@sonyadeantonio]

The colors don’t look vibrant like regular watercolor

[@user-we2pm8wz5m]

just bough faber 10 set, it was twice cheaper than windsor 12

[@owingsart]

Thank you.

[@Joyce-bv2tg]

What about the white line left behind ?

[@recoveringsoul755]

Seems like maybe it was lifting up the underlayer of paint/marker to me. But that didn't happen with the Arches paper, so maybe a paper issue? Now I am wondering if once they are completely dry, will they rewet and smear or are they permanent at that point.?

[@owingsart]

Yes, that is a great question and not sure how or why that was happening.

[@owingsart]

@@recoveringsoul755 Hi there - I think these reactivate once you add water, so not permanent in that sense. I also think this might have had something to do with the paper, but not exactly sure.

[@TerrieJohnson731]

Yeah that's weird how that line lifted!

[@owingsart]

Yes.

[@stefaniac2095]

I just received the faber castell and tried them on different watercolor paper and they suck: they don;t blend at all, just get diluted, and you still see the marks underneath. Also the blending between colors does not occur. Waste of money for me.

[@melittaoltmanns7723]

You have the wrong paper😩 Faber Castell says best paper is 100% cellulose, no part of cotton or only a little bit. For example Hahnemühle brittannia cold pressed.

[@stefaniac2095]

@@melittaoltmanns7723 thank you ! I will try that :)

[@UJB123]

Yep. They actually recommend Canson Montval (Artist) ... it has to do with the sizing & not fraying the marker tips for smooth use. Also cotton sucks up the liquid which is why they look dull.

[@TerrieJohnson731]

I'm really big on buying mixing sets to try a product too.sorry I communicate in real time with the video. Please forgive me.

[@owingsart]

That's okay. I like it when you do that. :-)

[@Lia-A-Eastwood]

Oh wow! They are surely expensive in your country! Luckily I am located in Germany so the markers a 2/3 of your price.

[@owingsart]

I wish sometimes that I was back in Germany again.

[@juststartingover2735]

Today 4-8-2023 on Amazon set of 30 for $89 us dollars

[@owingsart]

Thank you.

[@juliansw239]

Hello, just for you to know (for the reference of the video in KZbin): there is a spelling mistake in the title. Otherwise great video!

[@owingsart]

Thank you so much for catching that. I fixed it now!

[@gudtrazsnightcores6833]

Hay can you take care of someone harrasing me in your video comments

[@owingsart]

Hi there - Sorry to hear this. I don't see any other comments though?

[@gudtrazsnightcores6833]

@@owingsart its on your ticonderoga video

[@cynthiadalmaso9964]

Thanks Marty

[@owingsart]

Thanks for watching Cynthia.