Using my ever reliable Blossom the Weedle as my model--and a handy Sharpie PRO marker for lining (a great permanent marker to stand up against anything liquid), I have decided to present a variety of visuals for different dry, mixed and maybe wet media for you to see "in action", as the case may be. XD

This particular page presents the paper type of [Strathmore brand] Bristol, smooth version. Bristol comes in "smooth" and "vellum". Smooth is, as it says......smooth. Vellum is a little bit rougher in texture. Both papers are thick, thicker than standard cardstock paper. Personally, when I do marker work, I prefer to use Bristol [smooth] and Strathmore is my preferred brand to obtain. I've tried various other brands of Bristol paper, but Strathmore remains my favorite. Why do I like Bristol over marker paper for markers? Because it gives a more "natural" look and effect to the blending of the markers--almost like a painterly style.

The top left is with a brand that I have recently seen come out at major chain retaillers like Target and Wal-Mart--KingART. It's a good "starter brand" for anyone who can't afford the higher-end brands--and want to get a feel for blendable markers. These markers do a decent job of blending on their own without the aid of a blender marker, but the colors--well, this is another type of dry media that I really recommend you make a personal color sheet for, because the colors don't really look much like the barrel-tips. XD

The top right is another "starter brand" that I would highly recommend--which I have also found at major chain retaillers like the ones mentioned above. These are Azure. I LOVE the grey-scale set that Azure has, I think even more than Prismacolor's grey-scale set! But Azure has a limited set of colors, so you may want to practice some good color balance and be careful when coloring characters you may not have the right colors for. I haven't seen anything larger than the 24-marker set and I haven't seen these for individual sale at hobby shops--so I'm not certain just how limited their color range is, but when compared to the KingART markers, these blend a whole lot better!

The lower left is Master's Touch--these are Hobby Lobby's house-brand markers. They're a bit on the higher-end, as you scale up towards a Prismacolor range and pricing. Being a house-brand of markers, Hobby Lobby does sell colors individually and in special sets. These are good for making your way up the chain in wanting to try using professional markers, without getting into bankruptcy at a young age. chuckle You can't beat the color range and option to purchase colors individually outside of getting markers at an art supply store or Copics.

The lower right is a combo of the professional art markers that the majority of artists tend to use--Prismacolor and Copics. These are the high-end and with super-easy blendability without a blending marker, there's a reason why they're the best........and their prices speak for themselves on just how high-end they are. Start by buying a few favorite color packs when you can take advantage of sales. The bonus is--retail chains like the ones mentioned near the top are starting to carry a lot more pre-packaged Prismacolor materials (markers and pencils). So, it gives an easy-access option to young and upcoming artists to try professional art supplies without hunting down an art or hobby shop.