Arrtx Oros Markers
Learn why Arrtx Oros Markers are a fabulous option if you’re seeking affordable Copic alternatives!
Arrtx kindly sent me their set of 80 dual-tipped brush-and-chisel alcohol markers (Amazon affiliate link) for me to use and review. Read on to learn more about these budget alcohol markers, see some artwork that I made using these markers, and find out whether they’re the right markers for you!
Arrtx Brush-Tip Alcohol Markers
Arrtx Oros markers come in a handy carrying case, as shown above. The lid of the case folds back to prop the markers up on your desk, which is super handy! Plus, there are individual slots for each marker, which makes it really easy to keep your markers organized. 😍
Arrtx Oros Markers are double-ended, with a brush tip on one end and a chisel tip on the other. The brush tip is excellent for blending, and the fine point is ideal for coloring in tiny spaces. The chisel tip is great for coloring in large areas quickly, as well as creating quick sketches and studies.
The barrel is a comfortable rounded triangular shape. Normally I prefer alcohol markers with oval-shaped barrels because they’re slimmer, but I found the Arrtx Oros barrel to be quite comfortable to use, even for hours at a time!
Arrtx Oros Marker Sets
Arrtx Markers come in several different sets. How many Arrtx Markers are there?
Arrtx Oros Markers are available in 242 colors:
Set of 80 (the ones they sent me)
Set of 90
Set of 36 Skin Tone Colors
Set of 12 Skin Tone Colors
Set of 24 Pastel Colors
You can find all of the Arrtx Oros alcohol marker sets on Amazon. (As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases).
If you want to collect all of the Arrtx Oros colors, you need to purchase all of the sets listed above.
In addition to these sets, Arrtx also offers sets such as “Floral Colors” and “Blue Tone”, but they contain markers that are already included in all of the sets listed above.
Which set to buy?
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I recommend starting with either their set of 80 markers or 90 markers, because both sets include a wide range of colors that are perfect for a variety of artistic needs. Then if you decide you really like these markers, you can go ahead and purchase the remaining sets to complete your collection and expand your range of colors.
If you’re having trouble deciding between the 80-set and the 90-set, note that the 90-set contains a lot more grays (cool grays, warm grays, blue grays and green grays). If having a bunch of grays is important to you, then go with the 90-set. Otherwise, either set is probably a good bet!
In my opinion, the 80-set contains a delightful array of colors. I haven’t tried the 90-set, but the colors seem to be quite good in that set as well.
Colors in the Arrtx Oros 80-Set
Arrtx Oros marker sets come with a blank color chart that you can fill in, which is really handy. Below you can see how all these colors in the 80-set look when swatched on the paper:
Overall, I’m really happy with the colors in the 80-set! There’s an excellent mix of colors from across the rainbow, plus some grays and a really rich, deep black. Some colors are really vivid while others are more pastel. I love that some colors are fluorescent!
In this set of markers, I only wish that there was at least one or two medium purple colors. The purples in this set make a big leap from light purple (left) to dark purple (right), and with no in-between color, I wasn’t able to create a smooth transition from light to dark.
Some of the colors are also a bit too similar—for example, several of the reds are quite similar, as well as some of the greens. Overall it didn’t bother me too much, because it means that when one of those colors runs out, I’ll still have a similar color that I can reach for.
Similar Greens
Similar Reds
Performance of Arrtx Oros Markers
By now you’re probably wondering how well these markers work, so let’s dive in! 😍 Below you can see some examples of artwork that I created using colors from the Arrtx Oros Markers 80-Set.
Below is a dragonfly from my Think Happy Coloring Book. I was delighted with the luminescent blends that I was able to create with this set of colors!
Dragonfly coloring page from Thaneeya McArdle’s Think Happy Coloring Book, colored in with Arrtx Oros Markers (as well as dots added with Posca paint pens)
To color in the dragonfly, I colored directly onto the coloring page from the book. Sometimes using alcohol markers on coloring book paper can be hit or miss, depending on the paper type in that particular book. A common problem when using any brand of alcohol markers in coloring books is feathering, which is when the ink spreads farther than you want it to, resulting in color “feathering” out past the black lines.
I’m thrilled to report that the paper in my Think Happy Coloring Book accepted the ink from the alcohol markers incredibly well, as you can see for yourself! I hardly experienced any feathering, even when applying multiple layers for blending. You can certainly spot a bunch of areas in the artwork above where the colors do go beyond the black lines, but for the most part, that was mostly due to me, rather than anything inherent in the alcohol markers themselves.
Let’s move on to another example. The cat below is a page from my set of 27 printable Happy Hodgepodge Coloring Pages:
Cat coloring page from Thaneeya McArdle's set of 27 printable Happy Hodgepodge Coloring Pages, colored in with Arrtx Oros Markers (minor eye details added with Prismacolor Premier colored pencils, and dots added with Posca paint pens)
I used the black Arrtx Oros Marker to color in the background, which makes the colors on the cat (and other design elements) really pop! I love that the Arrtx Oros black is a deep and rich black. (In contrast, some blacks from other brands can be a bit more “pale”.) When coloring in the background, I used the brush nib to color in right next to the designs, and used the chisel nib to color in the larger areas.
In these examples, you can see that the Arrtx Oros colors are super-vibrant! 😍 I know I’m going to have a lot of fun using these markers!
Are Arrtx Markers good?
Arrtx Oros Markers are really wonderful to work with! The first thing I noticed when I used them was that the markers are nice and “juicy”, meaning loaded with ink. The colors flowed really well from the nibs onto the paper, which made them a dream to work with—especially for blending!
This handy carrying case is included in the cost!
The nib quality was great for both ends, the chisels and the brush nibs. So far I haven’t experienced any nib fraying, which can sometimes happen with cheap brush-nib alcohol markers. After dozens of hours of using this marker set, the fine points of the brush nibs have held up well.
Another factor in favor of Arrtx Oros markers is that they are really comfortable to use. I like the barrel shape and texture.
One thing I noticed about the Arrtx Oros markers is that the caps are very tight. Most of the time, I was able to get the caps off fairly easily, but for a few markers, it was a bit of a struggle. On the one hand, a tight cap indicates a nice solid seal, which means that it’s very unlikely that the marker would ever dry out. That’s a good thing! On the other hand, the tight seal, combined with the rounded shape of the triangular barrel, meant it was sometimes it hard to open certain markers. I only experienced this with 3 or 4 markers out of the set of 80, so overall it’s not a big deal. Just something to keep in mind if you have any issues with grip strength. If you have any difficulty removing the caps of these markers, you can try using a twisting motion, which worked for me.
Are Arrtx Markers worth it?
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly brand of brush-nib alcohol markers, then Arrtx Oros Markers are definitely worth it! The cost is very low compared to their high-end competitors, such as Copic and Prismacolor.
Arrtx is a good brand for beginners, students, people on a budget, and professionals seeking a portable set of markers. As a professional artist, I own the entire set of 358 Copic Sketch Markers, but they live in a permanent place on my art desk, so they’re not very portable at all. What I love about these Arrtx Oros Markers is that the handy carrying case makes it so easy to transport these markers outside of my studio! For example, I colored the examples on this page while sitting in my lanai and enjoying the nice weather!
The only downsides to Arrtx Markers is that they are not (currently) refillable and they are not available individually (open stock). They’re only available in sets, and sometimes the sets can be hard to find in stock online. Also, Arrtx doesn’t offer replacement nibs at this time. In the future, they may offer ink refills and replacement nibs, but not now.
If you use alcohol markers as a hobby, then these factors may not be a hindrance to you at all, because they’re an excellent set for people who are brand-new to alcohol markers! If you start your alcohol marker collection with Arrtx and you discover that you really love using alcohol markers, then when a color runs out, you can always replace it with an individual marker from a professional brand (like Copic, Blick or Prismacolor) that offers markers for sale open stock.
In summary: Arrtx Oros Markers are a wonderful choice for people seeking cheap Copic alternatives!
How do you blend Arrtx Markers?
Arrtx Markers blend just like any other brush-tip alcohol marker. If you’re a beginner, you can learn the basics in my easy step-by-step tutorial on how to use alcohol markers!
Then when you’re ready for more in-depth instruction, check out my detailed alcohol marker tutorials where you can follow along as I color in artworks from start to finish!
Free Alcohol Markers Course
I’ve also created a FREE 90-minute video course that demonstrates alcohol marker blending techniques step-by-step! Printable line art is included, so you can follow along with me as I show you the steps to coloring in this luminescent butterfly!
In my Free Alcohol Markers Course, you’ll get an up-close look at my process from various angles, so you can see exactly what I’m doing as you follow along at home!
Ultimate Guide to Using Alcohol Markers
Once you have your new alcohol markers, you’ll want to learn how to use them to create gorgeous works of art! This is where my Ultimate Guide to Using Alcohol Markers comes in! 😍
I created this course to help beginner artists like you learn how to make the most out of your alcohol markers. You’ll go from beginner to advances as you learn various alcohol marker blending techniques—as well as blending theory, so you’ll know which colors to blend together! Plus, I provide tons of goodies (50+ pages of downloadable resources!) to help you on your artistic journey!
Then, I’ll walk you step-by-step through the process of coloring in the 3 artworks below. Printable line art is included, so you can follow along at home, at your own pace!
Click below to watch the trailer to see everything you’ll get in my Ultimate Guide to Using Alcohol Markers!
Learn more about Alcohol Markers!
Learn an easy alcohol marker blending technique in this easy step-by-step alcohol marker tutorial for beginners!
If you’re interested in Copic Markers but can’t afford them, check out my recommendations for best Copic alternatives.
Follow along with my detailed alcohol marker tutorials to learn how to create colorful works of art with alcohol markers!
If you’re looking for budget-friendly alcohol markers with fine tips instead of brush tips, check out my detailed review of Arrtx Alp Markers.
If you’re interested in using markers for coloring and making art, check out my in-depth guide to art markers which will help you understand the different types, learn what they can do, and decide which ones you want to try!
Check my top 5 favorite alcohol marker brands, with recommendations for every budget!
Browse my gallery of alcohol marker art and get inspired by the possibilities of what you can achieve with this fun medium!
If you’re into coloring, you might enjoy my brief article on Tips for Using Alcohol Markers in Coloring Books.
