Another unboxing! My last post was all about paper and pens – this time…markers! I’d heard of Olo Markers before, but hadn’t considered them as an option, really. There are many knockoffs of Copic and I’ve found most relatively unsatisfying – because to get a cheaper pen, you have to sacrifice something. 

It’s rare to find a company ADDING something instead. And perhaps that’s what Olo has done? They’ve made the markers more of a DIY affair – you can decide if you want brush, chisel, or both, and you can decide if you want multiples in one pen or not.

SEE THE CAVEATS ABOUT THESE PENS LATER IN THIS POST.

Tutorial: Draw sugar-coated gumdrops in Olo alcohol markers 

See the unboxing and assembly of the pens – and a quick way to make gumdrops!

Watch the video below and scroll to the end to leave comments or questions — or click HERE to watch it on YouTube and leave comments over there. I read both dutifully!

Olo markers

First – I don’t know enough about the available colors to know if these are something to dive into. They’ve got a smaller collection than other brands – and with only a few colors, I don’t really know how the full range compares. I picked some dumb colors, or missed some good inbetween ones at least! Also there’s obviously no hex chart.

Nibs are very nice though, a bit thicker than Copic but not noticeably so. The bodies are round so they do roll spectacularly on my desk. 

And the price point for a half marker – which has as much ink as most other alcohol markers – is much less. You need to get two to make a marker, which makes a “full” pen more expensive, but for twice the ink, well – you see how that math goes. They are definitely less expensive.

From first blush they do perform like other alcohol markers; I’ll be playing with them on my Neenah and get a fuller picture, but I don’t expect them to fail at all in that way. My only concern is the color range, which I can’t speak to with only 18 colors here. 

Draw gumdrops the easy way!

Make a template first – draw a simple shape on cardstock at the size of your desired candies. Cut it out with an xacto knife, and trace the shapes onto your paper in whatever arrangement you want.

Then you can color the shapes in – give them a little dimension by putting darker color on one side than the other, but don’t stress over perfect blending OR on drawing texture like I had tried. Anything will work. Afterwards, use the mask to sprinkle each gumdrop with the white pigment using a toothbrush. Easy! (You can use other mediums like white gouache or acrylic too.)

You know me, I’m always pushing ideas to the next stage….and for my patrons this week I shared a speed drawing of a jar full of gumdrops! They also got the sketch, so they can try this themselves too. If you’d like to become a patron, you’d be most welcome to join our merry band! Each week I provide a short video – sometimes tutorials, sometimes sneak peeks, sometimes speed drawings or behind the scenes stuff. And I send out hundreds of cards to patrons too, since I know I love happy mail and everyone else must, too! You can join for just $1 a month or make it a little more to get more rewards like coupon codes and art pieces. Join patreon here.

What are your thoughts on these markers?

I know some of you are Copic-committed like me. I’m not jumping ship for these, but they’ve got me curious. Are you considering getting some to try out?

Supplies

• Olo Alcohol Markers
• XPress It Blending Card
• Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleedproof White BLICK • AMZ 
• Old toothbrush