WORKING WITH MARKER

 

While occasionally I'll add a digital background to a handdrawn piece of artwork, such as you see with this Benedict Wong portrait, marker portraits are done entirely by hand using a variety of markers, including brush pens for the line work and Chameleon Pens, which give a nice gradient to skin and cloth. I have a wide range in my collection, including Copic and its knock-off cousins, Faber-Castell, and Prisma. Each brand has its designated uses.

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That said, you can usually tell the difference between marker and paint because often the streaks are visible. Check out Daniel Radcliffe's cheek in the below portrait. Every stroke of the pen is still clear on the page. Personally, I love marker streaks because they show just how handmade the process is and that it wasn't simply done on the computer. Every mark is permanent, and that is something I respect.