MOLINE CREATIVE
  • Home
  • Consulting
    • Online Offerings
    • Meeting Facilitation
    • National Park Service
  • Training
    • mC Workshops
    • Upcoming Workshops
  • Drawing
    • Visual Notes
    • Portfolio
    • Sci Comm
  • Giving
    • Free Joy
    • Contagious Creativity Awards
    • Past Awardees
  • About
    • Moline Creative & Co.
    • Clients
    • mC Sticker App
    • Blog
  • Home
  • Consulting
    • Online Offerings
    • Meeting Facilitation
    • National Park Service
  • Training
    • mC Workshops
    • Upcoming Workshops
  • Drawing
    • Visual Notes
    • Portfolio
    • Sci Comm
  • Giving
    • Free Joy
    • Contagious Creativity Awards
    • Past Awardees
  • About
    • Moline Creative & Co.
    • Clients
    • mC Sticker App
    • Blog
Search

My favorite Markers for visual notes

12/26/2018

0 Comments

 
Visual notes help a listener remember what a speaker says and also seem to help an audience track the flow of a presentation (more on this in an online workshop I am developing now).  Drawing visual notes is a first step to developing a visual practice.  When people see me work live, they often ask what materials I use for visual note-taking and graphic facilitation.  This is a quick resource for people getting started with visual notes.
Picture
I love taking visual notes in a sketchbook or journal while I watch TED talks online, listen to live lectures, or have coffee with friends.  I typically write text and draw doodles in black marker and then add splashes of color here and there.  My style and materials are constantly evolving as I gain practice and learn what works, but this is what I am doing now.

Black outlines. I go back and forth between several black markers. I haven't found the best ink-nib combination, so I oscillate among four types of markers.
  • My favorite black marker for sketch notes is the Marvy Memories Artist Pigmented Marker (bullet nib) by Uchida.  You can find it at Michaels stores or order it directly from Uchida.  It also comes in a calligraphy nib.  The Zig Memory System Writer is similar.  Both are pigment-based markers with different size nibs on either end.  These markers don't smear when I color over them with water-based ink.  However, the nibs get flat spots and dry out even before the marker is out of ink.
  • My second favorite is the Neuland Outliner.  I love the Outliner ink.  I don't love the 1.0 mm nib on the small Outliner marker.  So I sometimes get empty markers (0.8 mm nib) and fill them with Outliner ink.  The Outliner ink also sometimes dries out and gets flat spots on the nibs.
  • Sharpies work well (last a long time, don't get flat spots, and don't smear) but I think they are too toxic to use in public or anywhere except outdoors. 
Picture
Colorful markers.  I have two types of markers that I like for coloring my personal visual notes. I used to use a fine nib (~0.5 mm Triplus Fineliner pens from Staedler) to draw colorful sketches alongside my written notes, but my style has changed over the years. I usually color and add shadows with a brush nib marker because it allows me to quickly add a lot of color.
  • My current favorite sketch note pens are Tombow Dual Brush pens.  They have a brush nib on one end and a bullet nib on the other.  I have a big pen case full of these markers, but really only use a few regularly.  I suggest you get a good gray for shadows (I like N55) and a few other colors for highlights. 
  • My other favorite coloring markers for coloring are Neuland FineOnes with a brush nib.  I like that they are refillable, but I'm not handy with a brush tip, so they don't give me the option of sometimes drawing or writing with the other end of the marker.  I use gray, turquoise, orange, and lime green the most.  I mixed a few shades of beige and brown for people, but Neuland has just come out with a FRIENDS line of people tones.
0 Comments

So. Many. Markers!

6/19/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
I have really tried a lot of markers (and pens)!  The main things to consider when choosing markers are: nibs, smearability, toxicity, and cost.  You may also want to consider the sustainability of the markers (some that I discuss are refillable).  First, I will describe the characteristics of excellent drawing tools.  Second, I’ll break my recommendations into two categories: black markers for outlines and colorful markers for fills and shadows.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PERFECT PEN

Nib thickness / shape.  I like to use a bullet nib for the black outlines in my visual notes.  You can also find small markers with a calligraphy nib or a brush nib.  Large markers have brush tip, chisel / wedge nib, and bullet nib.  To be honest, I struggle with nibs.  I draw relatively large, so I want something for sketch notes that is relatively fine (0.7-0.8 mm would be ideal for me) but not too fine.  Other sketchnoters like to use fine nibs and you can buy a SketchOne set (made by Staedler) from Neuland that has a variety of nibs (0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 mm).  You’re going to have to experiment with nibs.  I use chisel nibs for writing on wall charts and usually use brush nibs for color fills and shadows.
Picture
Picture
Smearability.  I like to draw black outlines and then quickly add shadows and color fills.  Because I like to work quickly, the black outlines are not always dry when I add color.  If I add yellow on top of black, I can sometimes get some wicked smears that make everything look murky.  There are several types of black markers, but a few common ones are alcohol-based ink, water-based ink, and pigment ink.  My experience is that the alcohol-based ink (i.e. Sharpie, Bic Marking Pen, Prismacolor, Copic markers) smear the least, water-based markers smear the most, and pigment-based markers are in the middle.  I did an extensive black pen test to find the least smeary black marker.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Toxicity.  While the alcohol-based markers are fantastic in the variety of nibs and non-smear categories, they are terribly stinky and feel toxic to me.  They also bleed through the page.  I occasionally use Sharpies to draw sketch notes, but not often because they make me nauseous after about 15 minutes.  I gave all of my Prismacolor markers away because I couldn’t even tolerate them for 10 minutes.   If you can tolerate the stink (or work in a well-ventilated space), graphic designers and illustrators LOVE Copics and Prismacolor markers.
 
Sustainability.  Most markers are disposable.  You throw them away when they run low.  Some markers are refillable, but these are rare.  Water-based markers are probably the most environmentally friendly option because they are non-toxic.  The downside of water-based inks is that they are not as archival as other markers (they fade in sunlight). 
 
Cost.  If you are drawing sketch notes, you probably won’t go through markers so fast that cost is going to be a big issue.  I draw about 50 square feet of sketch notes each month and I go through about 1 black marker and 1 color marker each month (on average).  However, if you draw a lot of large wall charts, it adds up.  You can shop around to find the best deals on markers and pens (because different places have different sales at different times).  I buy markers at my local art stores and also shop at DickBlick.com JetPens.com Neuland.com and Amazon.com. 

PERFECT PEN RECOMMENDATIONS: WALL CHARTS

Black outlines. My go-to markers for black lines on wall charts are Neuland Outliners. Period.  They are just amazing markers.  I love that they are refillable and non-toxic and don't smear.  Honestly, I do not know how they do it, but the Outliner ink is amazing. It reminds me of India Ink (and may be!).
  • FineOne Outliner.  This has a 1.0 mm nib and I use it rarely on wall charts. Sometimes I use it to write commentary in small letters. I also occasionally use it to add fine details. 
  • NoOne Outliner.  The "number one" comes in a few nibs.  I like the wedge / chisel nib for writing text.  I use the round (bullet) nib for drawing doodles.  Sometimes I mix it up and use both.
  • BigOne Outliner.  This is a huge marker and great for titles and borders.  I also use colorful BigOnes for shadows and coloring in large block letters.
Picture
Colorful markers.  I alternate among a few types of markers for wall charts, but will only discuss a few here.  If you don't want to order fancy markers, you can get a lot done with three types of water-based markers that are available at most office supply stores: Crayola Multicultural Markers (for coloring people), Sharpie Flip Chart Markers, and Mr. Sketch (a.k.a. smelly markers).  The Sharpies and Mr. Sketch are easy to find in bullet nibs, but search for chisel nibs because I have seen them.
  • Charter Markers from the Grove (red marker in back below).  These markers are water-based, have big wedge nibs, and are juicy!  The ink flows from these guys like no other marker I've found.  They are relatively expensive and the black ink smears like crazy, but I love them for times when I am writing in color.  They are also great for coloring large swaths of paper.
  • Neuland markers.  I like the ArtMarkers best for coloring in sections of a chart, but the BigOnes are also handy for drawing shadows, connectors, boxes.  I don't use my colorful NoOnes that much (red marker in front below), but other visual practitioners love them.  As far as the colors go, I would start by ordering a few basic colors (either red, blue, green, gray OR turquoise, pink, lime, yellow, gray) and seeing how you like them.  I bought a color set (#6) as soon as I got started, and I have never refilled most of the markers.  We all have our favorite color palettes and it might take you a little while to find yours. 
Picture
Everyone has personal preferences when it comes to art and office supplies.  Try a few things out and let me know how it goes!
0 Comments

    Categories

    All
    Conscious Capitalism
    Grand Canyon
    Learning Styles
    Markers & Materials
    Nonprofit
    Pechakucha
    Recommended Reading
    Science And Art
    Sketch Your Science
    Visual Communication
    Visual Note Taking
    Visual Process Tools
    Whiteboard Animation
    Workshops

    Picture

    Angie B. Moline

    Dr. Moline is an ecologist and visual process facilitator who draws pictures to help clients think.  She is currently on a quest to understand why live drawings are so compelling and how to make them as sticky as possible in order to improve communication, understanding, and memory.  Follow here journey here!

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
© 2017-2021 Moline Creative
p.o. box 1606, Flagstaff, Arizona
86002 USA
  • Home
  • Consulting
    • Online Offerings
    • Meeting Facilitation
    • National Park Service
  • Training
    • mC Workshops
    • Upcoming Workshops
  • Drawing
    • Visual Notes
    • Portfolio
    • Sci Comm
  • Giving
    • Free Joy
    • Contagious Creativity Awards
    • Past Awardees
  • About
    • Moline Creative & Co.
    • Clients
    • mC Sticker App
    • Blog