How to Choose Your First Alcohol Marker Set
Start with your project, then choose the tips and palette. This guide helps you compare everyday sets with pastel and skin-tone options without buying by colour count alone.
Choose in this order: project, tip combination, palette, then set size. A focused pastel or skin-tone palette is a different purchase from an everyday colour assortment.
Your first alcohol-marker set should make you want to sit down and draw. The right choice is not automatically the smallest box or the largest colour count. It is the combination of tips, colours and total spend that suits the projects you are ready to try.
Use this order: project, tip combination, palette, then set size. It keeps the decision focused and gives every part of your budget a purpose.
1. Name your first few projects
Write down three things you would like to make: perhaps a character illustration, a colouring page and a small landscape. If the subjects vary, compare general palettes first. If nearly every idea is a portrait study or a deliberately pale illustration, a specialist palette may deserve a closer look.
Try to be specific. “I want to practise portraits” gives you a useful way to review a colour chart. “I want lots of colours” does not tell you which colours you will use.
2. Choose the tip pairing before the colour count
In the examples available at Artfolk, Honolulu B pairs brush and fine tips, Honolulu's linked pastel option pairs brush and chisel, and Oahu pairs fine and chisel. Pick the pairing for the way you expect to work, then compare sizes within it.
If you are unsure, use our marker tip guide to narrow the choice before adding more sets to your shortlist.
3. Compare everyday sets by how much choice you want
The table below is Artfolk's shopping guidance, not a manufacturer ranking or a claim that one size produces better artwork. Prices and availability are shown on the linked product pages.
| Set | Why shortlist it? | Your deciding question |
|---|---|---|
| 72 colours | A smaller everyday option within this comparison | Would I rather learn one manageable selection first? |
| 104+1 set / 120 colours | A middle shortlist between the smaller and larger options | Which actual colour chart better matches my subjects? |
| 216 colours | A larger collection to organise and explore | Do I want the extra choice now? |
| 320 colours | The largest Honolulu B set in this comparison | Does this still leave room for paper and a practical workspace? |
Do not read this as an upgrade ladder. Buying a smaller set now and a larger one later may introduce overlap. Compare the exact colour charts before combining sets; the number on the case alone cannot tell you how many new shades you will gain.
4. Keep specialist palettes in a separate comparison
Pastel palettes and portrait and skin-tone palettes serve a more focused colour choice. They are worth considering when that direction is intentional, or when you already know what is missing from your current collection.
A 48-colour specialist set and a 72-colour everyday set are not simply two sizes of the same purchase. Put their charts beside your project ideas. Which one contains the colours you actually need, and which would leave you looking for an additional set?
5. Budget for a complete working setup
Set aside part of your budget for suitable marker paper. Then decide whether separate drawing pens are useful for your planned line art. They are an optional addition, not something every beginner must buy.
For example, a marker set plus a pad may be a more useful first purchase for you than a larger set alone. That is a budget choice: compare the complete basket, not only the marker price.
Before you choose
- I know what I want to draw first.
- I have checked the tip combination on the exact listing.
- I understand whether the palette is general or specialist.
- I have reviewed the colour chart and any potential overlap.
- My budget includes the paper I need.
Frequently asked questions
Are 72 colours enough to start?
They can be a practical starting point if the palette matches your projects. A useful way to decide is to choose a few planned subjects and check the chart, rather than treating a minimum colour count as a requirement.
Should I choose 104+1 or 120?
Compare the exact contents, palette and current price on each listing. Do not assume the second set is simply the first with extra shades, or interpret “+1” without checking the contents.
Does buying 320 colours mean I have every Ohuhu colour?
No such assumption should be made. Here, 320 refers to the named set in this comparison, not a promise that it contains the entire brand's colour catalogue.
Can a pastel or skin-tone set be my first set?
Yes, if your planned work specifically calls for that palette. If you want to explore many unrelated subjects, compare a general set alongside it before deciding.
Compare Artfolk's alcohol-marker sets, or start with illustration and colouring if you prefer to browse by creative goal.
References: Ohuhu's Honolulu range for set options and official tip descriptions. The buying checklist and set-size guidance are Artfolk's editorial recommendations.
