If you were to ask just about any artist who has used alcohol based markers before, almost all of them will sing Copic’s praise. Copics (similarly to Prismacolor) are a staple name brand know throughout the art community. But, are they truly worth the praise?
Well, that all depends on the artist and what type of art style you like to emulate. There are some overlapping similarities between Ohuhus and Copics such as the fact that both consist of low-odor, non-toxic alcohol ink. Additionally, both are fast-drying and dual ended. Accompanied with the fact that you both markers have replaceable tips and can be refilled, they’re all-in-all pretty comparable. Or so you would think!
Just because they have similar initial properties doesn’t mean that they preform entirely the same! From what I’ve been able to gather from their websites’ descriptions, along side my own brief experience testing out these markers, Copic’s are a bit more transparent in comparison to Ohuhu’s which has a more opaque color laydown. Surprisingly, there was little information on Ohuhu’s website informing you on what you should expect when using their markers. The only real tidbit of information I was able to gather was the self proclaimed statement from Ohuhu’s website that their pens “never fade over time”.
With fairly little provided information to go off of, I decided to conduct a mini test to see if there are any glaringly large differences between Copics and Ohuhus. Now, I just want to clarify that in this test I just used regular printer paper, and compared the Copic Ciao’s with Ohuhu Honolulu’s, and the Copic Sketch’s with Ohuhu Oahu’s. What I found out is that there are very few noticeable differences between Copic and Ohuhu.
In truth, they preform rather similarly to each other, granted that could depend on certain variables such as the type of paper and colors used in this test. For reference the colors used were: May Green (G170) for the Ohuhu Honolulu, Sapphire (B956) for the Ohuhu Oahu, Honey (Y38) for the Copic Ciao, and Deep Magenta (RV17) for the Copic Sketch. I tried to pick two colors that would contrast with each other, without being darker or lighter in value. Using those colors, here’s a more in-depth look into what I found.
For my first test which consisted of the Copic Ciao’s and the Ohuhu Honolulu’s, I found that Copic’s brush tip was way more flexible in comparison to Ohuhu’s which had a more rigid and sturdy form. I also found that the line made with Copic’s broad end had times where the marker would lay down a bit more ink, causing some areas to be fainter than the rest of the line.
Outside of that, both pens preformed the same. The brush nibs on both pens were around the same size, meaning you can achieve the same type of lines in either pen. A small, but I suppose noteworthy thing thing I found was that Ohuhu’s broad ended nib created a slightly bigger line than Copic’s nib. As for bendability with each other, I found that the Copic pen created a bit of graininess when applied over top of the Ohuhu. Granted that Copic’s know for their transparency, it should come as no surprise that you could still see the harsh green line left from the Ohuhu. On the contrary, Ohuhu was able to slightly absorb some of the orange-yellow color and created a bit of a natural blend between the two.
As for the Copic Sketch’s vs Ohuhu Oahu’s test, most of the same problems I found with Copic were present in this test as well. The line made with Copic’s broad nib was a bit splotchy in some areas, where as Ohuhu was able to get more of a consistent coverage. Unlike with the previous markers, these two have different tips outside of the broad nib. The Ohuhu has a small fine tip, while the Copic has a standard brush tip.
You can create similar lines if you were to use the tip of the brush nib, but other than that these nibs preform completely differently from one another. The brush nib on the Copic (as previously mentioned) is rather flexible, where as the fine nib on the Ohuhu is rather rigid meaning you’ll only be able to do small lines. This nib is more suited for line work, or for smaller areas that require more precision. That of which would be harder to do with Copic’s brush tip which has a tendency to bend.
Outside of the nibs, I also found that neither color was able to blend together super well. Layering the Copic on top of the Ohuhu like I did in my previous test, I found that the colors did not blend very well together. You could still visibly see the lines from where the two overlapped. There wasn’t much of a difference between the two markers that I didn’t note in my first test. This leads me to finally answer my initial question.
So, which is better: Ohuhus or Copics? After all has been said and done, what I’ve come to find is that they’re both very similar. All I can say is that the Ohuhus are perfect for those who want more reliable coverage and opacity in their artwork. Alternatively, Copics are better suited for those who want more transparent buildable colors. If I had to pick a preferred pen between the two, I would go with Ohuhus for their consistent color payoff, and more affordable price point. Of course I’d love to hear your guys opinions on which is better! Do you have a preference between Ohuhus and Copics? Feel free to voice your opinions in the comments!
