TouchNEW Sketch Markers, are the 6th generation of Touch markers and are an excellent value professional grade alcohol-based marker with an exceptional color range and are a safe purchase for beginners and advanced colorists.
Summary
Colors
TouchNEW have a wide variety of colors available for purchase individually, in the all colors set, or in pre-selected color sets eg for architecture, animation, skin tone colors only, etc.
Design
They are almost as good as the gold standard of alcohol markers, Copic Markers. Their product is excellent but without the price of Copic.
Functionality
These alcohol markers are ideal for coloring small spaces through to large areas. They are also suitable for advanced coloring techniques such as blending, shading, etc.
Value
When compared with other alcohol markers on the market, I believe TouchNEW Sketch offer the best value for money.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion:
These TouchNEW alcohol markers are great and excellent value for money because:
Features and Benefits
Matches the Criteria for Alcohol Based Markers
There are many hundreds of alcohol based markers on the market so what criteria was used to identify the best value for money alcohol based markers:
COLORS
- Markers should have a large range of colors from pastels through to vibrant and strong colors to give you options to choose from.
- Markers should also have a variety of shades of each primary color. Unless you have a specific need, you don't want a set with mostly blues. You should have a set that provides a variety across all primary colors.
DESIGN
- The thickness of the tips (fine and broad) should be suitable for the variety of coloring desired from simple coloring to advanced techniques.
- The ergonomics of design should allow the marker to be held comfortably and used for a long time without cramping.
- The color of each marker should be easily and quickly identifiable.
- Alcohol based markers should have a cap that is easily secured and tight fitting to prevent the ink from drying.
- The markers should last for at least 5 years with normal usage and provide for individual nib replacement and/or individual marker replacement.
- They should be safe for kids.
- A set of markers should include a carry case for easy organisation, identification, and travel.
FUNCTIONALITY
- As alcohol based markers they should be quick drying. You do not want any smudges!
- They should use permanent ink so as to be suitable for coloring a variety of surfaces from paper to rocks.
- Whilst all alcohol based markers should be quick drying, the solvent inside the ink should reactivate the initial color when applying the second and subsequent color so that the colors can blend together.
Value
- Determining 'value' is a personal characteristic but generally considered as selecting the best product available that achieves your goals at the lowest possible price.
I believe TouchNEW Sketch Markers match these criteria and offer the best value for money when compared to others on the market.
Types of TouchNEW Markers
TouchNEW Sketch Markers are the 6th generation of TouchNEW Marker pens. The earlier version is called TouchFive Markers and the 7th generation is TouchNEW T7.
From my comparison of TouchFive, TouchNEW and TouchNEW T7, the ink formula, colors, nib sizes, etc remain the same. Only the shape of the barrels and caps are different across the generations - and of course the prices!
TouchFIVE Set
TouchNEW Set
TouchNEW T7 Set
TouchNEW Soft Brush Markers have dual tips with a soft brush tip on one end and a broad chisel tip on the other end.
They use the same ink formula, chisel tip, and colors as other TouchNEW Sketch Markers.
Soft Brush Head
Soft Brush Example
Variety of Colors
168 Colors
There is a maximum of 168 colors offered by TouchNEW Sketch Markers. This includes ranges that can be purchased as pre-selected color sets including a set for skin tones, a set for grey colors in both warm and cool tones, etc.
Pre-Selected Color Sets
TouchNEW have selected the most commonly used colors for different areas into different sets. For example:
- Landscape
- Architecture
- Animation
- Costume Design
- Interior Design
- Body Colors
- Grey Only
- All 168 Colors
Grey Set
Skin Tones Set
Advanced Coloring Technique Suitability
The TouchNEW Sketch Markers are very suitable for advanced coloring techniques.
Check out the examples below.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, but you can buy markers individually.
As long as you keep the caps fastened tightly when not in use, these markers should last you up to approximately 5 years normal use according to the manufacturer's information. However if you intend on using them extensively everyday, you should reasonably expect them to last up to 3 months of frequent daily use.
You can use most paper including basic printer paper but you will avoid a lot of bleedthrough if you use marker paper. Marker paper will give the best results for blending as it allows the ink to stay on the surface of the paper a little longer so colors can be mixed or blended together before drying.
Many Adult Coloring Books are sold using marker paper and single sided to avoid any bleedthrough.
Yes, you can achieve some great results with this type of paper but you have to be very careful as some copy paper will spread the ink along the paper grain. Also remember that alcohol ink will bleed through to the other side. It is best if you try your marker on a piece of discarded paper first as an experiment.
Yes, you can use any alcohol based markers on a variety of surfaces, even rocks, but remember that the tips will wear away faster on rough surfaces.
- Place some old paper under the page you are coloring so that any bleed through is 'pulled' down and absorbed by the paper underneath rather than spreading outwards on the page you are coloring.
- Because the alcohol based ink drys quickly, experiment on some discarded paper first when learning how to blend colors.
- Blending with light colors on a dark background produces different blended results from dark colors on a light background.
- Use a notebook to record the colors you used on different parts of your picture so you can use them again or avoid them on future drawings.
Yes, they are alcohol based so the ink will stay put and is not soluable in water or from hand sweat.
Yes, all 168 colors are available to purchase individually.
This is really a personal choice. You could save money by buying a set rather than individual markers, but you may not use all the colors in the set. You may buy just a few markers that you know you will use but then miss out on the range of colors and shades offered in a set.
Other's Comments
I have examined many comments offered by existing users on many web sites and summarise the majority of those comments below...
Pros
Cons
Alternative Markers and Suppliers
Copic Markers are well known as the professional, high quality, very expensive markers but there are many alcohol based, dual end alternative markers on the market. Many appear to have very similar characteristics to TouchNEW Sketch Markers based purely on research but they have not been tested by me. Here are a few:
- Alchilalart 168 Colors Alcohol Markers
- L'emouchet Twin Marker Pens
- MILO Art Marker Set Dual-Tip
- Ohuhu Dual Tips Art Marker
- Shinhan Touch Brush TWIN Marker
- STA Art Marker Dual Headed
- Touch TWIN Brush Markers
If you can't find the markers of your choice at your local Amazon store, check out these alternative international on-line stores:
