Sharpie is synonymous with rockin' markers. The wide variety of tips, combined with Sharpies amazing ink, produces some of the best loved markers ever invented. From metal to glass, fabric to paper, Sharpies are the go-to marker many people reach for when they need permanent ink. This has become especially true since Sharpie expanded their color line around 2002 - so there are now approximately 67 colors, 5 neon colors, and 3 metallics. That is a pretty enormous color expansion since the inception of the plain black in 1964. Sharpie has done their best to make sure they offer just about every pen style one could want - the regular thin barrel (ultra fine), the fine tip that has a slightly thicker (but very smooth) barrel, retractable, twin tip, super, mini, and the list goes on. There are also several different tips you can choose, depending on the width of the line desired...ultra fine, chisel, fine, and now BRUSH! (Please note that I will not touch on all the various "types" of markers offered by Sharpie in this review, but it is helpful to keep in mind that Sharpie is available in tons of forms - highlighters, markers, wax pencils, pens, paint pens and markers, industrial....and the list goes on. There is even a stainless steel version!)
As a self-proclaimed pen freak, I was anxious to try Sharpies brush tip markers - I have a range of brush tip-type pens or markers, whatever term you want to use. Prismacolor, Marvy Uchida, Sargent Art, Tombow, Posca, Faber-Castell...the list goes on. And on. And on some more. Brush tips are not my favorite tips to use, but I do find they hold an important place in my art. For example, I would much rather use a brush marker (on most projects) than to drag out the paint and a paintbrush - many times it's possible to get similar results from a brush marker. I also like the interesting strokes you can get from brush tips, so I occasionally use them in my writing. Of course, some are better for writing purposes than others. The tips that don't spring back are a pain, as are the brush nibs that have a single stray hair, and the ones that release way too much ink.
I haven't found Sharpie markers to have the issues that other markers have, no matter what tip I'm using. Their brush-tip is nice and tight - none of the sections of the nib hang loose or stick out, leaving stray marks. When writing, the tip "bounces" back to its original shape (after pushing it on paper to write) - and I found this to be true no matter how long I wrote with each one. I have noticed that if I color with pretty good pressure (so I'm utilizing the wider part of the tip), the tip does slightly degrade over time. I also enjoyed the resistance these offer - sorry, I can't think of another name for it. I like how they stay nice and thin at the tip, making it perfect for getting into small, detailed spaces. The beauty of brush tips - especially Sharpies - is that with a small pressure change of the hand, the overall look is completely different. I love that one marker can go from a thin tip, to a much thicker tip - all depending on how hard you press. I have noticed that many "cheap" brushes don't bounce back very well or very quickly once you've used them for a little while. Although the Sharpie brand falls into an affordable category, it performs much better than some higher priced markers - totally slays most brush tips (dare I say markers in general?) that fall into similar - and lower - price points.
The ink these brush tips lay down is just as luscious and bold as it is with other Sharpie markers. This ink is fadeproof and "water-resistant", although in my brain I tend to think of them as "waterproof", since something like rain (or other small, quick exposures to water) hasn't ever affected my Sharpie-created projects. I'm not suggesting you dunk your newly created, favorite Sharpie masterpiece in a bathtub of water, but it's good to know that if you have to run to the car in a downpour - and you have your Sharpie creation in hand - it won't be ruined. I can't promise the same for the paper you used (wrinkles and buckles), but the ink should be alright.
With the twelve pack you get a nice variety of colors, from the original basic colors to a few of the brighter colors - you will be hard pressed to notice you need a color that isn't included. ("Where's the Techno Blue color?" isn't likely to cross your mind. That said, including a lighter/brighter purple - in line with the lime and turquoise hues - would have significantly increased my color-love for this set.) The only thing I don't care for about the ink? The tips of lighter colors can sometimes pick up the darker colors used first. The ink in these brush-tips dries just as fast as the ink in the other Sharpie pen/marker varieties, but that doesn't always stop the color-pick-up I referenced a sentence ago. (This seems to be more of an issue on plastics than it does on paper, but I have encountered this issue on paper, as well.) When the tip picks up another color everything gets muddy - and many times you don't realize the other color has attached itself until you've placed the tip back on your project, and the muddy color makes a sudden streak - which causes me to shriek! That's never a good feeling, so it's one thing I watch out for when changing colors. (Checking becomes habit once you've ruined something you've spent hours creating.)
I have noticed these seem to feather, or bleed, more than some of the more expensive brands do. (For example, compared to Prismacolor brush tips, I find the Sharpie brush tips bleeds noticeably more.) Very absorbent papers make this issue worse, so I would use a paper that contains a sizable amount of sizing. (Haha) These brush tips work awesomely well with the "Color Me" line of coloring books. They also work well on the mixed media paper I use (Strathmore) and a joy to use on watercolor paper, although depending on the fibers of the paper will, again, dictate the amount of feathering.
Overall, I like these brush tip markers. They maintain the same level of quality we've all come to expect from Sharpie. HOWEVER, I believe it's important to remember the limitations of Sharpies - they are not created to be fine art markers. Without even thinking about it, I tend to abuse my Sharpies more than my fine brush tip markers. It totally isn't a conscious thing - I guess I'm just used to grabbing a Sharpie for so many different applications that these are no different. Using a light pressure, these are acceptable to write with and can create some awesome details, lines, flourishes, etc on the letters you draw. There are so many applications for these, bbbuuuutttt I won't be getting rid of my other Sharpie pens - with any nib - in favor of these. These have an important place in my art repertoire, but they won't/don't replace either my fine brush tip markers, or my other Sharpies. I will use these a lot while creating things I normally use Sharpies for (which is just about anything!) - they provide a totally different line than is possible with any of the other Sharpie tips.
Are these as great as Sharpies typically are? Yes. The ink is just as bright, bold, and brilliant. It's fun (and useful) to use one pen to make fine and wide lines just by varying your hand pressure - which is something you just can't do with a fine marker. Even a chisel tip won't produce similar results. If you like Sharpies and appreciate brush tip markers, you will undoubtedly love these. If you are looking for a brush nib to create fine art, I would most likely skip these and head for a "fine art" marker. For everyday use? These ROCK! For drawing interesting designs on fabric? These are a WINNER! For creating detailed compositions on paper intended for fine art? I'd definitely do a test first to check feathering. I'm glad I have these and think the price I paid was very fair - 12 markers for around $13 is hard to beat, especially when free shipping is included.
I didn't mean for this to be so long, but I told you...I am a pen/marker FIEND! If there is anything I didn't cover, or you have any additional questions, I am happy to answer them. Just leave a comment and I will respond quickly. Thanks for reading - I hope this helped you make an informed decision about the Sharpie Brush-Tip Permanent Markers.
| Manufacturer | Sanford |
|---|---|
| Brand | SHARPIE |
| Item Weight | 5.9 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 0.68 x 8.75 x 7.62 inches |
| Item model number | 1810704 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color | Assorted |
| Material Type | Plastic |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Size | 12-Count |
| Point Type | Medium |
| Line Size | 1.0-1.9mm |
| Ink Color | Blue,Black |
| Tip Type | brush tip |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 1810704 |
