Arrtx Sketch Marker 90 Set Review: Brush and Fine Nib Combo for Marker Artists

Introduction

Arrtx has built its marker range around one clear idea: give artists the nib combinations they actually use. After the Alp, which pairs a chisel nib with a fine nib, and the Oros, which pairs a brush nib with a chisel nib, the new Sketch Marker 90 set finally lands on what many would call the ultimate combination: a brush nib and a fine nib in one barrel. For artists who sketch, outline, and fill large areas without ever touching a chisel nib, this is the set that finally covers both ends of the workflow.

Who This Set Is For

The brush and fine nib pairing is aimed squarely at illustrators, fan artists, and manga artists who want precise line work alongside expressive broad strokes. The fine nib handles outlines and hard-to-reach areas, while the brush nib fills larger zones with a stroke quality that many artists prefer to a chisel. If you have never gotten on with chisel nibs, or you simply want both tips to be useful every time you pick the marker up, this set makes a strong case for itself.

Packaging and Storage

Arrtx continues a habit it applies across its product range: the box is the storage. The lid folds around and underneath, propping the case at an angle on your desk so you can see and select colors easily without lifting everything out. There is also a small leather carry handle on the side, held by studs, so it lifts up for transport and lies flush against the box when you put it away. It is a genuinely practical design that saves you from buying a separate marker case.

Palette and Color Selection

This 90-color set is labeled 90 B, which suggests more palette variations are planned. That context matters when judging the color spread, because a couple of gaps feel like deliberate room for a companion set rather than oversights.

The strength of the palette lies in its flesh tones and pastels. The flesh tone range is genuinely outstanding for fan art and manga work, and the generous run of pale and pastel tones is something many marker sets skip entirely, even though those lighter shades are essential for smooth blending. The blues and purples are well spread, there are some lovely deep greens, and the gray families are thoughtfully organized: cool grays from 0.5 up to 8, three green grays, and warm grays from 1 to 9 with a couple of steps skipped in between, which is fine because adjacent warm grays still blend cleanly. A colorless blender and a black round out the set.

The main weakness is the reds. Several reds sit very close together, there is no properly dark red in the set, and two earth tones near the top are almost identical. If a future 90 A or 90 C set arrives with deeper reds, this becomes much less of an issue, but as the palette stands today, artists who rely on rich dark reds may want to supplement separately.

Blending Performance

In use, the markers lay down color with a satisfyingly juicy flow, and blending between adjacent tones is straightforward. Working light to dark, flicking each stroke outward so the next color has a lighter layer to merge into, the transitions come out seamless with no visible line where two shades meet. The pastel tones earn their place here, giving you gentle steps between saturated shades rather than forcing abrupt jumps.

The key is preparation: lay your markers out in blending order before you start, because you move back and forth between them quickly. Once that rhythm is established, the ink behaves predictably and the brush nib rewards a light touch.

Line Quality with the Fine Nib

The fine nib is where these markers quietly stand out. Some fine nibs pull too much ink, so lines bleed wider and pool into a dot where you start and lift off. The Arrtx fine nib produces a clean, straight line with no overflow at either end, and a lighter hand gets an even finer result. Used on its side, the nib can also lay down a thicker stroke.

This matters for artists who prefer to outline their artwork in the local color rather than a black fineliner. With matching brush and fine tips of the same color in one barrel, you can fill a shape and tidy its outline with the same marker, leaving no dark border at all. Just keep in mind that clean line work depends on the right paper.

Paper Choice Matters

The swatch chart and the finished artwork shown alongside this set were both done on Strathmore 300 series Bristol Smooth, and the results speak for themselves. For more demanding pieces, the Strathmore 400 series Bristol Smooth or the 500 series Bristol Plate, which is 100 percent cotton and slightly smoother, take the ink beautifully. On the right surface, the fine nib stays crisp and the brush nib blends without feathering.

Long-Term Consistency

One point worth highlighting about Arrtx as a brand is consistency. Across its marker history, from the Oros to the Alp and now the Sketch Marker, ink saturation and flow have stayed the same. There has been no visible drift in quality or formulation, which is exactly the kind of reliability artists look for after seeing other brands change their ingredients over time and lose user confidence as a result.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The palette gaps are the main caveat. If deep, dark reds are central to your work, check whether the shades on offer meet your needs before committing, or plan to fill that gap with a few singles. The chisel-first crowd should also note that this set does not include one; the Alp and Oros ranges remain the better fit for that nib style.

Buying Advice

For fan art, manga, and general illustration, this set is an easy recommendation. The flesh tones alone justify it, the pastel range makes blending easier, and the brush-plus-fine combination means every tip in the case does work you will actually use. Pair it with a smooth Bristol paper and it delivers a genuinely polished marker experience from the first stroke.

Conclusion

The Arrtx Sketch Marker 90 set delivers dependable ink flow, clean fine lines, easy blending, and a palette built around the tones illustrators reach for most. The reds could use more depth, but the outstanding flesh tones, pastel coverage, and clever storage case make this a confident choice for anyone entering marker art or upgrading a starter collection.