A new creatieve crush: acrylic brushmarkers!

You may be wondering: why are acrylic markers a new crush? Acrylic markers have been around for much longer, haven't they? Think of brands such as Posca, Molotow and edding. That's right! And I've worked a lot with those brands, but I always found myself not using these in my sketchbook as much as I did other materials.

That has changed with the arrival of acrylic brush markers! In other words: an acrylic marker with a brush tip, as known from waterbased brushpens and alcohol markers. That's why I'm diving into this creative newcomer for you. In this blog, you'll find reviews of different brands and...a fun new masterclass.

Brush tip: small detail, big effect

What makes working with acrylic brush markers different from working with ‘regular’ acrylic markers? Personally, I really like that you are (literally and figuratively) more flexible! Small details, large areas or something in between? You can now use one marker instead of having to switch between different pens. 

I also find blending with brush markers much easier. With regular markers, I am more inclined to work in flat areas, because blending with a round tip is simply less smooth. That ‘flat’ style doesn't quite suit my personal drawing style. Resulting in me not picking acrylic markers as much as other markers. With a brush tip you can vary the amount of pressure you apply, so you have the choice between more or less ink flow from your tip. All these advantages led to me using acrylic brush markers a lot more!

Brushmarker battle: which brand wins?

I tested several brands of acrylic brush markers for this blog. In my opinion, there is no single best brand, because price, available sets and colors are also important factors. That's why I've listed all the pros and cons for you below, from lowest to highest price (converted to price per marker). This way, you can decide for yourself which marker fits your budget!

There are a lot more brands out there, but I think the markers in these blog are a good start. Plus all the markers in this review can be ordered in the Netherlands via Be Creative Shop—and I still prefer to shop locally over sponsoring a company like Amazon 😉. One major disadvantage? Most of these brands can only be ordered in sets at the moment. The Posca brush markers are currently the only ones in this review that are available open stock.

*Prices mentioned date from September 2025 and may have changed by the time you read this blog.

MIYA Dual Nib Acrylic Markers - a great starterset MIYA is the manufacturer behind the well-known HIMI gouache sets, but they have more affordable art supplies in their collection. These dual acrylic markers have both a brush tip and a regular bullet tip.

They come in a two layered box that clicks together and a handle on the lid. Quite handy for on the go! It is sometimes difficult though to quickly grab the markers, as there isn't much space surrounding them.

This is one of the more flexible nibs, allowing you to work on a larger scale. I also noticed that the tip started to fray quite quickly. Though this does happens with more brands. It's makes smaller details or thin lines more difficult to achieve over time. 

The big plus of this set? The markers provide good coverage, even on colored paper. I needed fewer layers for a full result and the colors are nice and bright. The markers have a somewhat shiny finish (where Arrtx and Posca are more matte for example). I didn't find this disturbing, but it's good to know. For the low price they come in, this is a great starter set. They also have sets with 36 and 48 colors available.

• MIYA 24 set | €12,95 = 0,54 ct per marker

• MIYA 48 set €23,95 = 0,50 per marker
  

Ohuhu (well known for their amazing alcohol markers) offers several types of acrylic markers. Both with and without brush nibs plus various sets per type. So it takes a bit of browsing to unravel the difference per set. I tested two of their brush sets. Plus point for Ohuhu: both sets come with decent swatch cards on black and white paper.

Ohuhu dual Acrylic Paint Markers - affordable, but not a personal favorite Like MIYA, these dual markers come with two nibs: a brush tip and a bullet tip. Although this is an okay set, I was the least enthusiastic compared to all other sets.

The set comes in a sturdy box with two layers. But the first layer is actually slightly too tight for the markers where the second layer is just slightly too big. The markers are placed in the box without any inlay, so it's difficult to keep them in color order. The colors are also a bit duller, especially on colored paper. It's as if there's just a tiny too much white mixed in with every color. In short; they are fine hobby markers. But they're not as opaque as the previous MIYA markers or the other set I tested from Ohuhu. Therefore personally I wouldn't favor this set above other options.

• Ohuhu dual tip 36 set | €20,95 = 0,58 ct per marker

  
  

Ohuhu brush Nahuku Acrylic Markers - YES, more colors of these markers please!

This is a set that got me excited on several accounts. The Nahuku acrylic brush markers come in a nice looking case that zips open and lays flat. It makes it easy to quickly take markers out as well as easily put them back in order. I also love the look and feel of these markers. As a bonus there's a transparent part to see how full or empty your marker is. These markers need regularly shaking to ensure the pigments are evenly mixed.

The markers have a nice tip and the ink flow is juicy, resulting in easier blending. These markers again have a slightly shiny finish when applied in multiple layers, similar to MIYA markers. They also provide good opaque coverage (one of the best of all sets), which was particularly noticeable on colored paper!

The only downside so far? Currently there are only 24 colors available 🤣 This is a bit limiting when drawing. So I really hope they release larger sets in the future!* *A little update after this blog was published: a 48-piece set will be available soon! I've already added it to my wish list 😉

• Ohuhu brush 24 set | €25,95 = €1,08 per marker

  
  

Arrtx markers - great marker with lots of colors!

These markers are available in various sets. I tested the 60B set, which consists of sixty lighter colors. Smaller sets are also available, and now there even is a set of 120 colors. In total, there are even more colors, but (unfortunately) there is no set that includes all shades yet. That's quite a challenge for my full set syndrome 🤣. Want to see more? Here you will find an overview of all colors per set.

I have mixed feelings about the packaging. The box is sturdy and the design looks nice on your desk. But the markers stand upright in compartments that are actually too big, which makes them wobble around quite a bit. And because it is generally recommended to store markers horizontally, I lay down the box in my cupboard after use, just to be on the safe side. 

I took a selection of colors from the Arrtx set with me on my last holiday and was very enthusiastic then. I still am, but now I've compared more brand, I do notice that the markers are a bit more transparent. This means you need more layers for an opaque finish, especially on colored paper. And because I've been using them for a while now, my favorite colors start to run out. It's a pity you can't replace them individually.

Overall these Arrtx markers give a matte finish and dry quickly. Which can be an advantage in your sketchbook, but it does make blending more difficult at the same time. Resulting in often layering colors on top of each other rather than blending them together.

The tip of the Arrtx is sturdy. I did notice the nib is starting to fray on the colors I use often. I suspect that this will eventually happen with most markers, especially if you work on coarser paper, as I did in my travel journal. The brush tip also sometimes feels a bit drier than, for example, the Ohuhu Nahuku and Karin Markers. Arrtx also has the so-called Simptap marker. You activate these markers by clicking on the top, which apparently reduces wear on the tip—but I haven't tested those markers yet.

The big advantage of Arrtx? They have a wide range of colors available! I love it when you don't have to blend colors when you don't want to, but instead use many different shades together and side by side. With Arrtx—especially with the larger sets—you've come the right place! The price per marker is between €1.13 and €0.88. The larger the set, the cheaper each marker is.

• Arrtx 30 sets €33,50 = €1,13 ct per marker

• Arrtx 60A of 60B set €57,50 = € 0,96 ct per marker

• Arrtx 120 set  €105,50 = €0,88 ct per marker

Karin Markers Pigment Decobrush

- lovely sets, but with serious competition nowadays

The Polish company Karin Markers has been around for quite some time: it was founded in 1989. A few years ago, they became more internationally known with their ‘Pigment Deco Brush’. I met them at a trade fair and received this beautiful collection of markers from them. 

A small disclaimer for this review: I hadn't used these markers in a while. As a result, they were initially very watery. This often happens with acrylic markers when they haven't been used for a while. The comparison with the other brands in this blog (of which I have brand new sets) is therefore not entirely equal. 

After shaking them (a lot) and swatching them again, many of the light colors remained clearly more transparent in consistency. Dark colors often performed better. But just like with the Arrtx markers, they really need multiple layers to provide good coverage—especially on colored paper.

Still, the Karin Pigment markers just have a way of making me happy. The marker has a pleasant shape that feels nice in your hand. The wide selection gives you many beautiful colors to choose from—and that always scores points with me. The colors that did work well after activation are nice and juicy, which I love. The tip is the most flexible of all the markers tested, allowing you to work with both very thin and very thick lines. By the way, if you want to go even more flexible: they now offer the Pigment Real Brush variant which has a super soft brush tip (think soft like a watercolor brush).

There are several sets of 12 colors available, with themes such as ‘Nature’ or ‘Passion’, as well as larger sets. The packaging of the bigger collection initially has a 5 star vibe. A well designed sturdy box containing various sets as ‘drawers’. It looks beautiful on your desk! 😍 But a minor drawback if you buy one of these larger sets? This packaging also makes the markers less ‘accessible’. Each time you want to start drawing, you have to take out the separate sets, resulting in your desk quickly becoming cluttered with all the boxes.

That's why I've changed the order of the markers, so that they are color coordinated. And I now store them in transparent drawer trays (got mine from the HEMA, but they are unfortunately sold out). I immediately noticed I tend to grab the markers more often now! I know, it's a first world problem to have so many markers and I'm a nerd when it comes to organization 🤣

Conclusion: this is a beautiful set of markers with lovely colors. But due to the more transparant finish and higher price, Karin Markers now has some serious competition.

Karin Markers Decobrush 12 sets  €43,80 = €3,65 per marker

Karin Markers Decobrush 84 set  €306,60 = €3,64 per marker

Posca Brush - professional top performer, but it comes at a price...

What a lot of people don't know is that Posca has had a brush marker in its range for years: the PCF-350. This has a soft, flexible brush tip, which feels like you're working with a paintbrush (like the Karin Marker Real Brush). Posca markets this flexible brush marker as ‘suitable for calligraphy’. Personally I didn't like drawing with that one, because I prefer nibs that are easier to control. So I was delighted that Posca finally launched a firm tipped brush marker with their PC-5BR!

The tip is slightly shorter and thicker, with fine pointed tip at the same time. As with regular Posca markers, you have to press the tip of the marker a few times (after shaking) to get the ink flow going. I carefully pushed on the side of the tip  as much as possible, so that it wouldn't fray the tip immediately. With this fine end of the tip, I could even write down the numbers of the markers to precision! I am curious to see how long this tip will last it's shape.

My first impression when I put the marker to paper? Excellent coverage! The difference was particularly noticeable in my blue sketchbook: one layer was often enough, where other brands definitely required more layers to achieve the same result. Posca really beats other brands on this point.

I did notice that you shouldn't go over the same layer too quickly, as the paper starts to crumble more rapidly than with other brands. Perhaps this is because the Posca marker has a wetter ink flow than other brands. For the best coverage, it is better to let layers dry in between—unless you want to start blending. Overall I found the markers easy to work with, exactly as you would expect from a professional brand like Posca. 

So, any disadvantages? Yeah, the biggest disadvantage by far is the price. At €4.99 per marker, it is well above that of its competitors. And in the Netherlands, there is no set available (yet) at a more affordable price. For 16 colors, your bank account will be €79 lighter... On the other hand Posca is the only brand of acrylic brush markers offering colors open stock so far.

Another downside? Only 16 colors have been released so far. Personally, I think that's a missed opportunity—especially when you consider that their total range has 66 colors. I love it when I have more than just the basic colors at my disposal. If they release a larger, more affordable set in the future, that would definitely be a plus!

Posca brush - per marker €4,99 

So how about the paper?

Acrylic brush markers can be used on many different types of paper. With regular acrylic markers, I often found a lot of paper crumbling easily. But so far, I've found that this happens much less with acrylic brush markers. It does vary slightly depending on the brand, so it's a matter of trying it for yourself!

Paper that is not too coarse or porous works best. That's because these demands more from your tips and your ink. Therefor I prefer to work on smoother paper, such as Bristol papier (which is also suitable for alcohol markers and water-based brush pens). If you like working in sketchbooks, the ones from Ohuhu are also great for this. Hotpressed watercolor paper or mixed media paper with a slightly smoother finish could also be an option. Or go for paper that is specifically designed for acrylic markers like this paper from edding.

Another great thing to do is to work on colored paper, such as this blue notebook from Nuuna. It does require more layers to achieve full coverage, but I think the result is really cool! After seeing my work, Nuuna also sent me this notebook, with 10 different colors of paper. The paper is slightly smoother than the blue notebook and works very well with markers!

How to get the most out of your marker? With the Acrylic Brushmarkers Masterclass!

Do you have a set of these new brush beauties at home? Aren't you quite sure how to work with them yet? Or are you just in the mood for some great tutorial videos to start drawing with right away? Then I have something fun for you. I've just launched the online Acrylic Brushmarkers Masterclass! Sorry for my English speaking readers: it is in Dutch 🇳🇱

For only €29, you'll learn various techniques, get plenty of inspiration from my sketchbooks, draw along with step-by-step videos, and receive 4 bonus templates! 

PS Want to buy new materials?

The links in this blog are affiliate links. If you shop using these links, it won't cost you anything extra and I'll receive a small percentage of the sale. I use this income to test more materials, write blogs, and create courses. So it's a win-win! Will you support me via these links? Thank you in advance 💙