Artex Acrylic Markers 90 Set: A Sketchbook Spread Put Them to the Test

Introduction

If you have spent any time around sketchbook communities lately, acrylic paint markers are hard to miss, and Artex has built a real following among artists who use them daily. The 90 set is the newest and largest offering, and after filling an entire sketchbook spread with it over several days, the case for it is pretty convincing. The brush nibs are the reason long-time users keep coming back: they are high quality, easy to control, and the colors go on smoothly and evenly every time.

This set was tested the best way art supplies can be tested: with a real project. A full cottagecore-inspired sketchbook spread, filled over roughly four days of relaxed drawing, gave a good sense of how the colors behave, how the coverage holds up, and whether the larger set is actually worth it over the smaller options.

What the 90 Set Includes

The 90 set is notable for its color range. It includes rich saturated hues, plus dedicated sections for skin tones, light colors, dark colors, and a large spread of muted tones. The back of the box lays out every color in the set, which makes picking shades much easier. Compared side by side with the 60 set, the difference is immediately visible: the 90 set adds skin tones up front, a much wider run of greens and blues, an impressive selection of purple shades, and a generous block of yellows and pinks.

The 60 set, which many artists already use constantly, has a slightly jumbled color order simply because it gets used so often, but its lineup is narrower overall. The muted tones in the 90 set are especially appealing, and the bright colors are no slouch either.

Coverage and Pigmentation

Coverage is where these markers genuinely shine. A single swipe goes down smooth, creamy, and heavily pigmented, with no streaking or patchiness. The real test came on textured canvas paper, and the markers held up impressively well there too, with solid coverage even on a rough surface. These are high-adhesion markers, and it shows in practice.

One practical detail worth noting for sketchbook users: pages did not peel up or buckle when using these markers, which is a common worry with wet acrylic media in paper sketchbooks. The brush nib lays color down smoothly enough that layering and detail work both stay controlled.

The Pastel Range Is the Standout

If one thing justifies the 90 set over smaller options, it is the pastels. The pinks, purples, creams, and blues in this set made a soft pastel cat illustration possible, complete with a tiny heart blush, and the cream shade quickly became a favorite of the entire set. The pastel selection here is arguably the best found in any Artex art supply so far.

The set also rewarded looser, more impressionistic techniques. Stippling to mimic layered brush strokes, color borrowing across a spread, and bouncing between areas of a page the way an acrylic painter would all worked beautifully with these markers. Drawing felt closer to making a small painting than to using a typical marker set.

Which Set Should You Buy

Both sets are genuinely good, so the choice comes down to scope. The 60 set is the well-loved daily driver with a solid range and years of proven use. The 90 set builds on that with skin tones, deeper greens and blues, more purples, and that exceptional pastel selection. For beginners, both are approachable and easy to mix, but the broader color range in the 90 set means less guesswork when a scene calls for a specific muted or skin tone.

The markers are affordable relative to their quality, and they are available in many different countries, so check current availability in your region. If you are deciding between them, the 90 set is the stronger pick for anyone who wants maximum color flexibility, while the 60 set remains a great entry point.

Four Days with the Set: Final Impressions

The full spread, a cottage scene with a canal, flower reflections, a pastel cat, a duck, a dog, tulips, and plenty of greenery, took around four days of returning to it here and there. That pace said a lot about the markers: they invite slow, layered work without any frustration. Layering different shades of brown and cream with a touch of purple brought a little dog to life, and the heavily pigmented yellow covered dark water in one clean pass, which is a coverage claim that held up in practice.

The verdict after all that: the 90 set is a favorite among Artex’s lineups. The color selection is phenomenal, the coverage is strong on both smooth and textured paper, the brush nib is excellent, and sketchbook pages stay intact. For anyone shopping for acrylic paint markers, these come highly recommended, and the larger set in particular makes filling a page genuinely fun.

Conclusion

The Artex Acrylic Markers 90 Set delivers on the things that matter most in acrylic markers: rich pigment, smooth application, strong coverage, and a brush nib worth writing home about. The 60 set remains a solid, well-proven alternative at a smaller scope. For artists who want the widest and prettiest color range, especially in pastels, the 90 set is the one to get.