Introduction: The Basics of a Copic Marker

Congratulations! You have been introduced to the world of Copic markers and have decided to get involved as well.  You've gotten a glimpse of what the three popular types of Copic markers look like (Classic, Sketch, Ciao), but now it's time to get down to the basics and break apart what these markers really are!

What is a Copic marker?

Copic markers come from the Japanese company Too and are their brand of markers.  There are six types of markers but these are the markers that this blog will focus on:

1.  Classic/Original - These markers comes in 214 colors and have a square/cube shaped barrel.
2.  Sketch - These markers come in 358 colors and have an oval shaped barrel also being the most popular out of all three markers and most used among artists.
3.  Ciao - These markers are smaller than both the Classic and Sketch markers and come on 180 colors and have a circular shaped barrel.  Ciao markers are the cheapest out of the three.

Not only do these makers work smoothly they produce incredible artwork!

What makes these markers a huge convenience is they are all refillable.  So instead of having to buy the marker again, you can just buy the refill (which is much cheaper) and keep the marker you already have.  Copic markers are all permanent, non-toxic and alcohol based.

You can buy them individually or in sets.  I recommend you buy them in sets wherever you purchase them.  Buying them individually costs more but if you have never bought a Copic marker and you just want to test it out to see how it feels and functions or only certain markers from a set then individually is the way to go.  However, sets offer you more variety of colors to choose from and depending on the set a lot more shades of each color.

Ciao and Sketch come in 12, 24, 36, and 72 piece (pc) sets while Classic only comes in 12, 36, and 72 pc sets, but these markers are bigger and hold more ink than the Sketch and Ciao.  The 72 pc sets come in different sets organized by letters.  The sets come in A, B, and C and if you buy all of them you should only get about 2-3 duplicates and all these marker types offer the 72 pc sets.

The designs of these markers are very unique and so useful to artists.  The Sketch and Classic markers provide an almost "roll-proof" barrel in case you drop the marker, they won't roll away and drop somewhere.  The Sketch is also compatible with Copic's airbrush system, I'm sure there are people out there who somehow manage to fit the Ciao and Classic in the system and have uploaded 'how-to' videos if you desire the system for Ciao and Classic.

(From left to right ; Sketch, Classic, Ciao)

The Ciao is not roll proof, but the cap is designed with holes at the top if you accidentally were to swallow it you will still be able to breathe.  This is important in case you live with small children who are still putting random things in there mouth.

All three of the markers are labeled with names that include a letter with one to two numbers following and an actual name at the bottom.  Sketch and Classic come with the name on the side of the barrel as well as the caps with the color it is at the tip for storage and a fast efficient way to pick which color you desire.

The Ciao however does not have the color's numbers on the caps, but but on the barrel itself.

Each side of the markers, the chisel and brush nib are color coded.  The side with the brush nib is a darker gray and extends so that when the cap is back on the brush nib side there is a dark gray ring around the cap.  This makes it easier for the user to identify which side has the brush and chisel. The brush nib on the Classic is smaller than the one on the Ciao and Sketch.  The brush nib and chisel nib are replaceable for all three markers.(Refer to the image above)


Prices

Purchasing Copic markers does not come cheap.  On the official English Copic Website the pricing is based on the suggested manufacture prices so the prices are pretty high. They are priced at $7.99 per marker.

On the other hand, there are online stores that offer a MUCH cheaper price ranger for these markers, but that will have to wait for another post.

Conclusion

Whether this is all new to you or not, Copic markers truly are a great tool to have as an artist.  This post will continuously be updated as more information comes in and after I have conducted more research!

If you have suggestions or additional information to add for this please let me know in the comments or email me at:
copicstatus@gmail.com

For now I say goodbye until next time!