Super Markers

U.S. Art Supply always has the coolest stuff, so I was super excited to try out their Super Markers Set! 

The set comes with 100 different colored markers. They are twin tipped, which means each color has a 3.0mm tip and a tiny 0.7mm fine liner tip.

The set comes packaged in a box with a neat idea for storage. However, it only has a flap, so the two sides are still open. Another downside; almost every time I pull out a marker, the cap stays stuck in the bottom of the box. The box keeps all the markers color coded and easy to find, but it's a pain to slowly lower each marker back into the slot in order to get the cap back on.

I tried to solve one of these issues by removing the outer part of the box, and lowering the slotted section into a box I already had that came with a lid. It's a neat storage idea, but the caps are still getting stuck. I don't know how long I'll keep it like this. I think I'll eventually just dump them into a box. It's a bummer because they look so nice organized.

I sketched out something to color on a nice piece of drawing paper. I colored most of it, but then the flesh tone marker instantly tore a hole right through my paper... 
This is paper I use for painting, pencils, pastels...but the marker ate through it and destroyed my piece. 

I tried the markers on three other types of paper. The markers collected a lot of buildup. What a pain it was to have to wipe the tip off every few seconds or it would ruin my lines. This happened on all types of paper I used, so I think it's a problem with the markers and not all of my paper. 

There was also a problem with a few of the markers arriving broken. The fineliner tips where pushed in, and the bigger tips pushed out with no way to keep them in place.

I had better luck filling in with the fineliners than the bigger tips. The markers seemed to dry out so fast. Even using them for the first time, the coverage was pretty rough. The pieces I colored were much smaller than any coloring page. The ink flowed much better from the tiny tips.

Available on Amazon.

The variety of colors are great, but that is pretty much the only thing I like about these markers. 

I give them 3 out of 5 stars. I think they would be alright for adult coloring books and children, but I would not recommend these for artists. 

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.

~Crystal Vicious

Mermaid Art with Gel Pens

Summer is here! I'm getting in the mood by making some Little Mermaid art. I am obviously a huge fan of Ariel. Her hair inspired mine. 

Gel Pens are an interesting media. Yes, if you are covering a large area, it's a time consuming process, but it's also very cathartic to draw those lines. 

US Art Supply has an awesome gel pen set. It comes with 2 sets of 60 different colors, so when you run out of a color, you have a back up! Sweet! 

There is a great variety! Classic colors, neons, pastels, metallics, glitter!!! It even has some swirly colored ones, which are fun for writing. I'm having a blast using the 4 different reds for Ariel's hair.

The ink flows out of these great and it stays on the paper...I haven't had any smudges yet, on my paper or my hands. There is a good bit of ink in the pens. This picture is on 11x14" paper and I am going to town with the reds, and they are holding up great. 





There is only one downside. They do not have grips. There is an indent in the pen where a grip should be. It isn't super uncomfortable, but I take breaks before my fingers start to get sore from holding the pens.

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These pens are awesome. The variety of colors is great and I love that it's a two pack. They will make a lot of art with me. The ink quality is great. I give them 4 out of 5 stars. If they had rubber grips to protect my fingers, they would definitely be a 5 star product for me. I would recommend them for anyone who likes to draw or write with pretty colors. 

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 


~Crystal Vicious