Alcohol markers give the perfect, quick colour coverage when it comes to illustrating jewellery and the rich and warm allure of metal. They perfectly offer a format to create depth and dimension in client sketches and industry artwork with ease.

While they require a bit of time to master, those that use them know the benefits outweigh the initial hesitation.

I’ve spent years experimenting with markers to find the best brand and colours in my jewellery design and illustration work. So to help you get results I’ve taken the guess work out of colour selection and compiled a list.

I have outlined marker colours for metal tones (below) that I think work to give you the most professional and realistic colour when illustrating metal with alcohol markers.

While I recommend you explore colour choices and tailor this to suit your jewellery illustration style and the type of work you undertake I have included a basic list that I refer to in most of my metal tone illustrations. Feel free to use this as a base list and make adjustments so you get the most out of this amazing medium.

White Gold

C1 (Cool Gray No. 1)
C3 (Cool Gray No. 3)
C5 (Cool Gray No. 5)
C7 (cool Grsy No 7)

Platinum

N0 (Neutral Gray No. 0)
N2 (Neutral Gray No. 2)
N4 (Neutral Gray No. 4)
N6 (Neutral Gray No. 6)

Yellow Gold

Y21 (Buttercup Yellow)
E55 (light Camel)
E35 (Chamois)
E79 (cashew)

Rose Gold

R11 (pale cherry pink
E13 (Light suntan)
E25 (Lipstick Natural)
V99 (Aubergine)

I would recommend starting with at least one marker in a light tone and a mid tone to add dimension to your illustrations. Remember one maker can be layered and pushed to allow for versatility and efficiency without having to purchase 500 markers.