Copic Sketch Markers, Earth Essentials: What a Six-Colour Set Buys
No Earth Essentials set of Copic Sketch markers appears among the 4,486 listings behind this site, so there is no verdict here on that box. What the data does settle is the argument that surrounds every small Copic set: quality complaints run at 8% negative, the lowest large-topic rate in this corpus, and value complaints run at 43%.
No Earth Essentials set is among the 4,486 Amazon listings behind this site, so this page will not rate one. Twenty-two Copic Sketch listings are here, and between them they carry enough buyer evidence to answer the question underneath the search, which is whether a small themed Copic set is worth what it costs. Where the drawing markers sit against each other is at the drawing markers buying guide.
The keyword draws 150 searches a month and is a straightforward product lookup. What follows is the range it belongs to.
The Two Numbers That Define Copic
Across the Copic Sketch listings with buyer-topic data here, quality draws 2,009 reports across 21 products with 152 negative, an 8% negative rate. That is the lowest negative rate of any topic with more than a thousand mentions anywhere in this corpus. Value for money draws 1,610 reports across 23 products with 692 negative, 43%.
Those two numbers are not in conflict. They are the same review, written twice. Best markers my daughter has had. Pricey, but a great tool for anyone serious about their art. Highly Recommend, wrote one buyer, containing both halves in a sentence. Another: These can be expensive so I was happy to see Amazon had them for a fair price.
Copic holds 147 products in this catalogue at a median price of $10.19 and a median rating of 4.7. That median is per marker rather than per set, because so many Copic listings are singles, and 4.7 is above the site median of 4.6.
What a Themed Six Buys
A six-colour themed set is a palette decision made for you. Blending only works between neighbouring shades, so six colours that sit next to each other in one family will produce more usable gradients than twelve scattered across the spectrum. That is the whole argument for buying a themed set rather than an assortment, and it is a real one.
It also means the value question is about what happens next. A themed six is a starting point that assumes you will buy singles to extend it, and Copic is built for that: refillable barrels and replaceable nibs mean the pen is a fixture and the ink is the consumable. Colour selection draws 327 reports on the range with 51 negative, a 16% negative rate, which is unusually low and reflects palettes that were chosen rather than assembled.
The Ink Is Still Alcohol
| Marker type | Paper | Whiteboard | Chalkboard | Glass | Wood | Metal | Plastic | Ceramic / mug | Rock / stone | Fabric | Skin | Car window | Cardboard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol Alcohol-carried dye. Blends, but soaks and feathers on absorbent stock. | ◐If… 1,820/mo Feathers and bleeds on anything but marker paper. 1,820 searches a month are people looking for the right stock. | ○No 10/mo Stains melamine permanently. Use a dry erase marker. | ○No no measured demand Porous board absorbs the dye and stains. Use a liquid chalk marker. | ◐If… 90/mo Beads on glass and wipes off with alcohol. Not a glass marker. | ◐If… 170/mo Absorbs into bare wood like a stain. Some people want that. | ○No 60/mo Beads and rubs off. Use an oil-based paint marker. | ◐If… 270/mo Streaks on gloss. Works on primed styrene for models. | ○No no measured demand Beads on the glaze. Use a paint or acrylic marker. | ○No 10/mo Soaks in and dulls. Use an acrylic marker. | ◐If… 900/mo Bleeds into the weave and is not wash-fast. | ○No 900/mo Alcohol dye, not cosmetic grade. Use a body marker. | ○No no measured demand Wipes straight off tempered glass. Use a chalk or washable marker. | ◐If… 10/mo Bleeds heavily unless the board is coated. |
Nothing about the price changes the row. Paper is the alcohol type's largest cell at 1,820 searches a month and it is conditional: feathering and bleeding on anything lighter than marker stock. Wood is conditional at 170, plastic at 270, fabric at 900, glass at 90 and beading. Metal fails at 60, ceramic fails, rock fails at 10, skin fails at 900.
Bleed-through across the type draws 1,207 reports with 985 negative, an 82% negative rate. Copic buyers report it less often than that, and marker paper is the reason rather than the ink: somebody spending this much per pen tends to have bought the stock to go under it. Nice colors and no bleeding. My artist couldn’t wait to open them and try them. He loves them, wrote one.
Where the Enthusiasm Comes From
Enjoyment draws 533 reports across 10 products with 8 negative, a 2% negative rate, which is among the lowest in this catalogue. Colour draws 1,185 with 167, 14%. Buyers describe the pens changing how much they draw rather than how well: These are wonderful in a way that inspires me to draw more. The colors are vibrant and go on smooth. Blending is a breeze.
That is worth taking seriously as a purchase criterion, and it is also the reason the value complaint sits at 43%. A tool that makes somebody draw more is worth a lot to them and nothing at all to somebody who was never going to open the sketchbook twice.
Bleed-through — 1,207 reports, 82% negative, across 17 products
Unfortunately, the markers bleed through the paper, which it specifically states on the paper it is not supposed to do. Very disappointed
Copic Markers PMPADA4 PM Pad A4, 50 Sheets
My daughter who is 13 thought these were great. They do bleed through and are hard to blend because they do dry inconsistently, but for a new artist
Ohuhu Alcohol Markers - AP Certificated 80-color Dual…
4 more verbatim reports
First time using these. Won't buy again. They bleed and there's nothing to indicate what the colors are and don't know which one is the blender
Shuttle Art 61 Colors Alcohol Markers, 60 Colors Dual Tip…
First time using these. Won't buy again. They bleed and there's nothing to indicate what the colors are and don't know which one is the blender
Shuttle Art 101 Colors Alcohol Markers, 100 Colors Dual…
First time using these. Won't buy again. They bleed and there's nothing to indicate what the colors are and don't know which one is the blender
Shuttle Art 30 Colors Skin Tone&Hair Art Markers, Dual…
First time using these. Won't buy again. They bleed and there's nothing to indicate what the colors are and don't know which one is the blender
Shuttle Art 26 Colors Skin Tone&Hair Art Markers, Dual…
Ink drying — 353 reports, 80% negative, across 10 products
Some were dried out. Returned for new set, same thing. Gave up
Copic Sketch 12-Color Set, Refillable Blendable Dual-Tip…
Some were dried out. Returned for new set, same thing. Gave up
Copic Sketch, Alcohol markers, 12pc set Warm Gray (New…
4 more verbatim reports
the initial and replacement from Amazon did not write and were completely dried out
Copic Marker, Copic Drawing Pen F01 Black
swatching there are 18 out of the 120 markers of mine that are completely dried out and 3 that will barely release ink and i did not get a blender
Ohuhu Alcohol Markers Brush Tip -Double Tipped Art Marker…
Great use none were dry which was awesome, I've had them a while and they all still color great I loved the color cards that went with them
Ohuhu Alcohol Markers 216 Colors Brush& Chisel for Adults…
I ordered these for my granddaughters birthday and half of them were dried out when she went to use them. For the price, this is very disappointing
ARTEZA Alcohol Markers – Set of 36 Portrait & Skin Tone…
Bleed — 1,747 reports, 79% negative, across 23 products
excited to use this marker but it's much darker than I expected and it BLEEDS
Copic Ciao Markers, Dark Brown
Prefer these to my Spectrum Noir markers. Yes , they bleed but so do Spectrum Noir and they are twice as expensive. Will definitely order again
Caliart Alcohol Markers 100 Colors Dual Tip Fine & Chisel…
4 more verbatim reports
While they do bleed through the paper, it isnt all that bad
Shuttle Art 121 Colors Alcohol Markers, 120 Colors Dual…
So many colors that are unusable. They do bleed, a lot, but that’s alcohol markers for you. I wish I would have put the $60 towards Ohuhu markers
Caliart 121 Colors Alcohol Markers Dual Tip Art Marker…
They do bleed through pages! We have to stick heavy duty card stock under the sheet of paper they are trying to color on
cloudriver 120 Colors Alcohol Markers, Dual Tip Permanent…
While they do bleed through the paper, it isnt all that bad
Shuttle Art Pastel Alcohol Markers Brush tip, Dual Tip…
Drying out — 1,514 reports, 73% negative, across 20 products
The majority of the markers were leaking and dried out. There’s only about 15-20 markers that are semi-usable
Caliart Alcohol Markers 100 Colors Dual Tip Fine & Chisel…
Some markers were dry and this is an item that has to be boxed and labeled at home
Caliart 121 Colors Alcohol Markers Dual Tip Art Marker…
4 more verbatim reports
Some were dried out. Thought colors would be vibrant like alcohol ink paints
Dual Tip Alcohol Based Art Markers, Lineon 30 Colors…
These would be fantastic markers if they weren’t dried out. Almost half of them are already dried out or I only got one coloring out of them
Shuttle Art 61 Colors Alcohol Markers, 60 Colors Dual Tip…
These would be fantastic markers if they weren’t dried out. Almost half of them are already dried out or I only got one coloring out of them
Shuttle Art 101 Colors Alcohol Markers, 100 Colors Dual…
The only problem was 2 of the markers exploded in the lids and completely dried out. All the tips were smooth and worked good
belleza suprema 101 Colors Alcohol Markers Dual Tips…
Counts are Amazon “Customers say” topic summaries aggregated across every alcohol marker in the corpus. Quotes are printed exactly as buyers wrote them, including typos.
| Product | Tip | Pack | Rating | Ratings | Price | Per pen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohuhu Ohuhu Alcohol Markers 48 Colors Brush& Chisel for Adults Cozy… | Chisel | 48 | 4.8 | 17,006 | $49.99 | $1.04 |
| Ohuhu Ohuhu Alcohol Markers 40 Colors Chisel Fine AP Certified for… | Chisel | 42 | 4.7 | 15,224 | $25.49 | $0.61 |
| Caliart Caliart Alcohol Markers 41 Colors Fine & Chisel Dual Tip… | Chisel | 41 | 4.7 | 13,893 | $23.99 | $0.59 |
| Shuttle Art Shuttle Art 51 Colors Alcohol Markers, 50 Colors Dual Tip Art… | Mixed | 51 | 4.6 | 13,281 | $25.99 | $0.51 |
| Shuttle Art Shuttle Art 61 Colors Alcohol Markers, 60 Colors Dual Tip Art… | Mixed | 61 | 4.5 | 10,373 | $25.99 | $0.43 |
| Caliart Caliart Alcohol Markers 100 Colors Dual Tip Fine & Chisel Art… | Chisel | 100 | 4.6 | 10,190 | $35.99 | $0.36 |
Buying Around the Missing Box
If a specific themed set is unavailable, buy singles in one family rather than a wider assortment from a different maker. Six neighbouring earth tones bought individually cost more than a boxed six and less than a boxed twelve that contains three you will use. The brand case in full is at copic markers, the type comparison at alcohol markers, and the paper that has to go under any of them at paper for markers.
Frequently Asked
What is a themed six-colour Copic set?
A curated palette rather than a different marker. Six neighbouring shades chosen so they blend into each other cleanly, sold as a starting point. The ink, the nibs and the barrel are the same as any other Copic Sketch, and so is the refill system.
Why are Copic markers so expensive?
Because they are built to be refilled and re-nibbed rather than replaced. Value for money is the range's largest complaint at 1,610 reports across 23 products with 692 negative, a 43% negative rate, and quality is its strongest at 2,009 reports and 8% negative.
Are Copic markers worth it for a beginner?
The buyer reports split by whether the person intends to keep drawing. One wrote that they are pricey but a great tool for anyone serious about their art. If the sketchbook gets used weekly the refills pay for themselves; if it does not, a cheaper alcohol set is the honest choice.
Do Copic markers bleed through paper?
They are alcohol markers, so yes on ordinary stock. Across the alcohol type, bleed-through draws 1,207 reports with 985 negative, an 82% negative rate. Copic buyers report less of it than the type average, and marker paper is why.
How much does a Copic cost per marker?
Copic holds 147 products here at a median price of $10.19, which is a per-marker median because so many listings are singles. Its median rating is 4.7, above the site median of 4.6, and the brand carries 122,663 ratings in total.
What should a first Copic purchase be?
A small themed set in one colour family rather than a wide assortment, because blending needs neighbours. Six shades that sit next to each other do more than twelve that do not, which is the entire logic behind sets like Earth Essentials.