Markers, Fineliners, and Felt-Tip Pens: A Self-Study Guide

Print edition: EKSMO (in Russian), in print. Digital edition: in preparation.

About the book

After the success of Felt-Tip Pens and Colored Pencils: A Self-Study Guide (2007) and the self-study guide to colored pencils (2016), readers asked for a separate, in-depth book on working with felt-tipped tools. In 2021 EKSMO published Markers, Fineliners, and Felt-Tip Pens: A Self-Study Guide, which reveals the creative potential of these underrated materials.

Felt-tipped tools (markers, fineliners, and felt-tip pens) have traditionally been seen as helpers for quick sketches or as children's art supplies. Yet they hold enormous artistic potential, thanks to:

Bright, rich inks
The ability to build up many layers
A wide range of effects when colors mix
Precise lines in different widths
The ability to create both line drawings and painterly works

The book offers an expanded set of art techniques, including innovative methods:

Creating gradients and smooth transitions
Layering techniques
Working with different types of nibs
Mixing colors
Creating textures and surface effects
Combining markers with other media
Working on a wet surface
Using different types of paper

Edition history

2007: First publication of Felt-Tip Pens and Colored Pencils: A Self-Study Guide, the first book in Russia to present felt-tip pens as a serious art medium.
2016: An expanded self-study guide to colored pencils, with an in-depth study of pencil techniques, is published in the series "Learn to Paint with Olga Shmatova." It is still being reprinted.
2021: Markers, Fineliners, and Felt-Tip Pens: A Self-Study Guide is published in the same series, devoted entirely to modern techniques with felt-tipped tools. It is still being reprinted.

The success of the 2007 book led to two separate, expanded books, each exploring its own medium in depth. This made it possible to show more fully what both colored pencils and felt-tip pens can do, and to include the author's new techniques for each.

Why markers, fineliners, and felt-tip pens

Technical possibilities:

Bright, rich color in an instant
Crisp, precise lines in different widths
Color built up in layers
Both line and painterly effects
Large areas filled quickly

Practical:

Always ready to use
No extra tools needed
Quick drying
Compact
Easy to carry

A wide range of effects:

Different types of nibs
Many shades and tones
Color mixing
Textures and surface effects
Work in different techniques

Modern options:

Professional-quality alcohol markers
Refillable systems
Replaceable nibs
Special sets for different tasks
Compatibility with digital formats

Versatile uses:

Sketching and quick studies
Illustration
Design
Lettering
Comics and manga
Architectural sketches
Fashion illustration

Creative freedom:

Spontaneity and expressiveness
Capturing ideas quickly
Working anywhere
Experimenting with techniques
Developing a style of your own

Who this book is for

Beginning artists who want to learn modern drawing media
Anyone who wants to create bright illustrations and sketches
Designers and illustrators who want to expand their technical skills
Artists looking for new means of expression
Fans of urban sketching and sketching in general
Anyone who wants to learn techniques for making artwork quickly

What's inside

About the author and the book, p. 6
Art materials, p. 10

Art techniques

Strokes, p. 27
Hatching, p. 30
Toning, p. 34
Layering, p. 38
Gradient, p. 41
Dry and worn-out markers, p. 51
Changing a marker's color, p. 54
Changing a marker's nib, p. 58
White marker, p. 60
Blender, p. 62
Non-absorbent ground, p. 64
Colored ground, p. 66
Textured ground, p. 70
Spattering, p. 72
Stamps, p. 74
Monotype, p. 76
Washing out, p. 78
Markers as paint, p. 81
Brushstrokes. Dry brush, p. 82
Ink. Flat fills, p. 84
Mixed media, p. 86
Stencils and masks, p. 92
Fixing mistakes, p. 94

Let's draw together

Pattern, p. 98
Fairy-tale characters, p. 100
Flower, p. 102
Orchid, p. 104
Water mill in three versions, p. 106

In the book

23 techniques for felt-tipped tools
3 to 10 exercises in each technique chapter
5 complete step-by-step demonstrations of a finished drawing

Features

Clear explanations with examples of student work
Detailed step-by-step illustrations
Technique diagrams with practical tips
Common mistakes and how to fix them
A set of exercises for every technique
Advice from an experienced artist

What you will learn

Skills and techniques for working with markers, fineliners, and felt-tip pens
How to create smooth transitions of color and tone
How to draw fine lines
How to apply semi-transparent layers
Original techniques for markers, fineliners, and felt-tip pens
How to choose materials and tools

Student work

The book features work by the author and her students, credited in the book. At first, Olga Shmatova did not always sign the illustrations, trusting readers to tell professional work from student work on their own.

But the drawings her students made under her guidance turned out so well that even experienced artists could not always say for sure who had made them. That is striking proof that Olga Shmatova's method helps beginners achieve impressive results.

To avoid confusion, later editions began marking student work with a special sign: a white smiley face. This way readers can appreciate the author's skill and give her students' progress its due.

Edition details

Series: "Learn to Paint with Olga Shmatova" (in Russian)
Publisher: EKSMO
ISBN 978-5-699-96858-9
112 illustrated pages
Format: 84×108 1/16
First published: 2021, still being reprinted

The year printed in your copy may differ from the year of first publication, because the publisher updates it with every reprint. You can check which edition you have in the publication details on the last page of the book. The ISBN may also change with a reprint.