When Twitch.tv introduced the 24/7 Bob Ross painting stream, I instantly fell in love. Bob’s joy in the show, the magnificent paintings, and “beating the devil out of the brushes” made something so simple, so enjoyable.
If Bob were still alive, I believe he would enjoy knowing that his joy and passion were still being watched by hundreds of thousands of people every single day.
A close friend of mine is an enthusiastic painter with a passion for fantasy ideas. His creations and inspiration put into each painting are remarkable, and creating “something” out of “nothing” gives the painting life.
I recently had Ohuhu reach out to me, asking if I would be interested in looking at their alcohol brush markers. Excited about the drawing possibilities, I said yes and, let this be foreshadowing, I’m glad I did.
Founded in 2013, Ohuhu is an online retailer specializing in art markers. With multiple different options, they sent over their 320-colored double-tipped brush and chisel kit. Given that I’m not an artist, I enacted the help from my painting friend to create this overview.
Welcome to my overview of the Ohuhu 320-color Alcohol Marker set.
Design
Painting or even drawing can be a messy hobby to have. There is the worry of paints, liquids, drop cloths, dyes, and then the question of where you put everything after you finish the masterpiece.
Given that you’re about to receive 320 colored markers, it’s a good question on how one should keep track of all of these supplies.
Ohuhu ships the marker set in a hefty and easily transportable nylon zipped bag. Placed in one of six internal pockets, all 320 markers stand securely in the well-designed travel bag.
The black nylon bag is discreet, with only a few screen-printed logos on its front. With its dual-zipper lid and heavy-duty shoulder strap, the marker’s case lets you paint at home, in a field, or virtually anywhere you’d like.
Packaging contents include multiple color swatch cards, a silicone bleed pad, a full color-printed booklet showing each color in its dry form, and a helpful getting started guide. This guide provides valuable tips for new drawers.
Each 320 marker contains two ends with two caps. Each cap on the marker is screen-printed with the name and type of color and dyed the marker’s color. Furthermore, each cap is notched to prevent the marker from rolling away on a table, a genius idea.
Underneath the caps, you’ll find either a Brush tip or a Broad (chisel) tip. These tips are meant to help the drawer create better lines and finer details. If either tip begins to get dull, Ohuhu developed a reversible tip giving your marker a brand-new life.
Given that colors can be blended, the 320-colored set gives the drawer a virtually endless possibility of color options. Below showcases each color included in the set.
Functionality
As mentioned, I passed the markers along to my painting and drawing friend, who has far more experience in this field.
At first, the learning curve can be tricky. Alcohol markers tend to bleed through papers, and their heavy flow of alcohol tends to splatter if you’re not careful. Below you can see here a few accidental drops.
Using thick cardstock paper along with close precision leads to better results. Alcohol marker drawing is a patient hobby, and it’s something that gets better and better every time you start fresh.
The colors of the Ohuhu set are vivid and bright and display great detail once dried on the paper. One notice is that blending wet colors together may lead to a different color over blending a dry color.
It’s recommended to fill out each color swatch that Ohuhu provides. The cap colors of each marker are close but not perfect. Having a constant reference is far more preferred over a close estimate of plastic.
The markers are pressure sensitive. The harder each marker is pressed, the more alcohol that begins to flow, giving one color a lighter or darker appearance.
Ultimately, the colors and markers are pleasant to use and draw with. Getting used to their flow and knowing which tip to use and when can be a learning curve, but it brings a challenge to create “something” out of “nothing”.
My Final Thoughts
As someone who just painted their first piece of artwork back on Mother’s Day, I’m thankful that Ohuhu provided the marker set to learn and experience with.
Drawing, and art in general, lets people express their ideas, feelings, and creations for all to see. In a world where AI is beginning to generate its own imagery, I hope we continue to find value in the individual creations that people create.
Ohuhu offers multiple different packs of their alcohol-based markers. With this review covering the 320-color set, there are also the 104, 216, mid-tones, 120, pastels, and 168-colored sets available on Amazon.
After seeing how many colors you could create with these 320, I’d recommend going big and getting this edition upfront. Priced at $245, I have nothing negative to say about these markers, and they make way for someone to enter the world of drawing; or even a great gift.
