Hey friends, welcome back! It’s no secret that Crayola has been making some moves lately to break into the adult coloring market, and today we’re taking a close look at their newest release — brush tip acrylic paint markers. Now, I’ll be honest with you right from the start: I’ve been a little underwhelmed by some of their recent products, and I had a feeling these might follow the same pattern. But I always like to give things a fair shot before passing judgment, so I put them through their paces and tested them alongside some of my favorite acrylic markers on the market. Let’s just say the results were… telling!

Video Description

Based on some of their recent product releases, it appears that Crayola is attempting to enter the adult coloring market. So far, I’m not very impressed. Their latest release of brush tip acrylic markers is a perfect example. Watch me put them to the test to see if they can compete with the many other acrylic markers flooding the market, including Ohuhu, Arrtx, JusArt and more. Spoiler alert–don’t buy them.

===COLORING BLISS PRODUCTS===

Simple Bliss Halloween Coloring Cards
Packs A & B: https://www.coloringbliss.com/product/coloring-cards-halloween-packs-ab/
Pack A: https://www.coloringbliss.com/product/coloring-cards-halloween-pack-a/
Pack B: https://www.coloringbliss.com/product/coloring-cards-halloween-pack-b/

Simple Bliss Halloween Coloring Book
Printed Version: https://www.coloringbliss.com/product/simple-bliss-volume-2-halloween/
Digital Download Version: https://www.coloringbliss.com/product/simple-bliss-volume-2-digital-version/

See All of Our Coloring Cards
https://www.coloringbliss.com/new-coloring-cards/

===LINKS===

JusArt 48 Colors Acrylic Paint Markers
https://amzn.to/46Bv4Oa

Crayola Brush Tip Acrylic Paint Markers
https://amzn.to/4gCpLmc

Vortex Mixer (Marker Shaker)
https://amzn.to/4jQorxx

===RECOMMENDED VIDEOS===

Making Sense of ACRYLIC MARKERS [Which Ones Are Right for You?] https://youtu.be/GH3D4XbVvNU?si=CTXRF-Jk7x6l3vMe

Best ACRYLIC MARKERS on Amazon for Coloring [Acrylic Marker Battle] https://youtu.be/l0MLmVI0K0w?si=uq1TRCEjJYFYnh-6

===CHAPTER MARKERS===

00:00:00 – Welcome & Introduction
00:00:40 – Unboxing
00:06:16 – Swatching
00:08:17 – Testing
00:19:10 – Testing Results
00:21:22 – New Halloween Coloring Cards
00:26:42 – How to Use the Card Stand
00:28:05 – Coloring
00:32:26 – My Recommendation

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Transcript

Can Crayola Compete with the Big Boys? Acrylic Marker Review

Hello, everyone! My name is Jennifer Stay, and this is Coloring Bliss. Today we’re going to find out if Crayola can compete with the big boys. Can their new acrylic markers hold up against brands like Ohuhu, Karin, and Just Art? This is their humble little contribution — 10 markers at a price that made me raise an eyebrow. Are they worth the cost? We’re going to test them, swatch them, and color with them. By the end of this video, you’ll know whether I recommend purchasing the Crayola Brush Tip Paint Markers.

The Testing Worksheet

To see how the Crayola acrylic markers stack up against other brands, we’re going to use my acrylic markers testing worksheet, which includes seven different tests covering a wide range of situations.

Step one is swatching all 10 colors. I have two swatch charts ready — one printed on white with black lines so we can see how opaque the ink is, and one printed on black. This gives us two different ways to evaluate each color.

Opening the Package

I just received this from my Amazon order and haven’t opened it yet, so this is completely fresh. The box simply says “Brush Tip Paint Markers — 10 Acrylic Markers” and includes one swatch card. The packaging focuses heavily on multi-surface use, and there’s a note that these are recommended for ages 14 and up. They’re made in Vietnam — just a humble little cardboard box.

Let’s talk price. This set of 10 costs $14.99. Under $20 is fine, but when you break it down, that’s $1.50 per marker — and that’s really high. It’s actually triple the cost of another brand I’ll show you a little later. We’ll see if they can compete.

First Look at the Markers

The swatch card was taped to the plastic inside. Now, please tell me there are color names on these markers…

[sighs and gasps]

Nothing. No number, no name. Just the word “Crayola” on the barrel — styled to look like a Crayola crayon, which is a clever design touch. The marker says to shake it well before use, and that same instruction is repeated in a few different languages. There’s a nice cap with a clip, and it posts on the back end, which is great. The markers use a direct-ink valve system, which I love, and there’s a beautiful brush tip on the end that we’ll test shortly.

I’m genuinely disappointed that there are no color names on these. This is Crayola — a brand famous for their clever, creative color names on pencils and crayons. Not even a number? It gives me the feeling they’re just dipping a toe into the acrylic marker market to see if it’s worth expanding. My first piece of advice to them: adult colorists want color names and/or numbers on their tools. That’s a significant oversight.

Organizing the Colors

I’m going to arrange them in color order: yellow, orange (a yellowish color), red, red-violet, purple, blue, green, black, and white. Before we swatch, we need to shake all of these markers. I’m using my vortex mixer for this — I’ll put a link in the description. It’s an Amazon tool that works beautifully for shaking up acrylic markers, especially when they’re brand new and you have no idea how long they’ve been sitting. The paint inside tends to separate, so a good shake is essential.

One thing Crayola did right: there’s a small window on each marker so you can see the actual paint color inside, rather than relying on the cap color. That’s a smart, helpful detail — and as we’ll see, the cap color isn’t always accurate.

Swatching the 10 Colors

[Swatching begins]

While you’re watching me swatch, I want to mention that if you’re just starting to explore the world of acrylic markers, I’ve filmed two videos that will help you get oriented. One covers the different types of acrylic markers, valve systems, priming, and all the important details. The other is a big acrylic marker battle where I tested several brands head-to-head and ranked them. Links to both are in the video description.

First Impressions After Swatching

I can already see a few problems. First, the yellow is actually a yellow-green — not a true yellow. In a small set of 10 where you’re relying on mixing to create additional shades, not having a true yellow is really discouraging. The red looks flat and uninspiring, and what’s labeled as orange… isn’t really orange.

So right off the bat, I’m unhappy with three colors. On the positive side, I love the red-violet, the purple, the blue, and the green. The black is fine — it dried a little slowly, which was odd — and the white is decent.

Crayola, you can do better. A true yellow, a proper red, and a real orange are essential in any basic set.

Answering the Swatch Questions

• Does the ink color match the cap color? No — especially the yellow, and the red is off as well.
• Good color palette? No.
• Logical numbering system? No.
• Do the markers feel juicy? Yes — that’s a genuine positive. They felt very juicy while swatching.

Step Two: Nib Test

For this test, I’m using the blue marker. I’ll do some up-and-down strokes, varying pressure to see how the brush tip performs — light pressure on the upstroke, heavy on the downstroke.

That’s a strange-feeling nib. It’s flexing as it should, but something feels off — like it might not hold up well over time. I’m going to reserve full judgment until I actually color with them. I’ll also do some different line weights, flicks, dots, and a squiggly line. The nib test leaves me on the fence. I think coloring will tell us more.

Step Three: Permanence Test

Most acrylic markers are prized for drying permanent — the box doesn’t say it explicitly, but it’s a standard feature of the medium. I’m filling in half of several rectangles with green, orange, and red, and I’ll return after they’ve had plenty of time to dry.

Step Four: Fill Test

One of my favorite ways to use acrylic markers is filling in solid color backgrounds on coloring cards. This test evaluates how well these markers handle that task. I’ll fill the entire rectangle with a first coat, then apply a second coat to the right-hand side only. This shows us streakiness, shine, ease of application, and overall coverage.

While that dries, we’ll move on.

Step Five: Water Brush Test

This is one of my favorite techniques — using a water brush with acrylic markers to create a wash effect. I’ll fill in the left side of the rectangle and use a clean water brush to pull the paint out across the surface. I want to see if this technique is possible with these markers and how it looks once dry. I’ll repeat this three more times.

Step Six: Mixed Media Test

I’m coloring in three circles with three different colors. While those dry, we’ll move to step seven.

Step Seven: Covering Lines

Many colorists use acrylic markers for color-by-number books or to alter illustrations — and for that, you need to be able to cover black lines and printed numbers. This test shows how many layers it takes to achieve full coverage. I’ll apply the first layer now and come back with additional coats.

Back to Step Four: Second Coat

Now that the first fill coat has had time to dry, I’m adding the second coat to the right-hand side. Once that dries, I’ll evaluate.

Back to Step Three: Permanence Results

I’m going over each swatch 10 times with a wet brush to see if any color lifts.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Very impressive. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Didn’t budge at all. The permanence on these markers is genuinely impressive.

Back to Step Six: Mixed Media Results

I used my Womer color pencils in green, blue, and pink to layer on top of the dried acrylic paint, creating a sphere effect. The results were mixed. The green and pink worked reasonably well, but layering over the blue was noticeably rough — almost as if the paint had dried with a chunky texture. I added a white gel pen highlight on top, and that worked just fine. The issue seems specific to the blue.

Back to Step Seven: Covering Lines — Additional Layers

Second layer results: The blue covered the lines completely in just two coats — that’s average and perfectly acceptable. The red and yellow still need more work.

Third layer: The red is officially covered in three layers — also reasonable.

Fourth layer: The yellow is covered in four layers.

Fifth layer: The white needed five layers to fully cover the lines. Four is typical for white markers, so this one is slightly less opaque than others I’ve tested. That said, all four colors did eventually cover the lines successfully.

Step Four: Evaluating the Fill Test

Moving the paper in the light — the finish is matte. I much prefer a matte finish from acrylic paint markers. I like to add shine intentionally, whether that’s glitter, metallic accents, or a topcoat — not have it baked into the standard paint layer. So the matte finish is a genuine win.

Ease of application was average. No warping or effect on the paper. As for the nib, I’ve landed on a description: the nib bends rather than flexes. There’s a difference. Flexing feels controlled and springy; bending feels like it might give out. I’m noting that in my worksheet.

Steve’s Assessment

My husband Steve came over to weigh in on the colors.

Steve: Yeah, the yellow and the orange are kind of weird.

Jennifer: I’m so disappointed. This is Crayola. They should know how to nail 10 basic essential colors.

Steve: The violet, blue, and green are all really good though.

Jennifer: They really are pretty.

Steve: And the red-violet is a nice pink-red.

Jennifer: Yeah. The red is okay, but that orange… were they trying to make a brown? Do you think that’s actually a brown?

Steve: Yeah, I think that might be their brown.

Jennifer: Oh! So that is a brown! Okay, that explains it. And then the yellow is just…

Steve: Terrible.

Jennifer: Yes. And I can’t mix a proper orange because the yellow is actually a yellow-green.

Steve: If the yellow and the orange were a little better, it would actually be a pretty good set.

Jennifer: Exactly.

Final Scores

Steve and I went through and scored the markers on the worksheet. The total came to 8 out of 12. I went back to check my original acrylic marker battle records, and if these markers had been included, they would have placed 12th or 13th — not in the top five, not even in the top 10.

Based on everything so far, my advice is to skip the Crayola markers. But I want to do one more test: coloring with them. That said, it’s going to be a challenge because without a true yellow, mixing a proper orange is impossible — and orange is kind of essential for what I have in mind.

Coloring Time: Simple Bliss Halloween Cards

Let me show you what I want to color! Here at Coloring Bliss, we just released our Simple Bliss Halloween collection in coloring card format, and I’m so excited. Last year we introduced 100 images in book format — I had my copy printed on black paper — and now those same images are available as individual cards.

(Boom of thunder in the background — we’ve been having monsoon weather here in Utah, which is very unusual! Our land is so dry it doesn’t know what to do with all this rain, and we’ve had flooding across the state. Sorry for the reaction!)

About the Simple Bliss cards:

• Size: approximately 4¼” × 4¼” with rounded corners for a luxurious feel
• Paper: 120 lb. cardstock — thick, beautiful, and compatible with acrylic markers and virtually any other medium
• Available in Pack A and Pack B for Halloween, as well as other themes including spring, summer, mandalas, and flowers

Pricing:

• One pack: $19.99
• Pack A + Pack B together: $34.99
• Book format: starting at $26.49 (depending on paper choice)

Bonus gifts with every order:

• An acrylic display stand (you can opt out if you already have plenty)
• A free set of Bliss Blank Art Cards — a $10 value — 50 blank cards made from the same beautiful paper, perfect for swatching, technique testing, or any art application

All illustrations are hand-drawn by real artists — no AI. Our talented Coloring Bliss artist Anastasia drew all 100 images in this collection, and I’m so grateful for her work.

The whole concept behind Simple Bliss cards is that they’re wonderful little illustrations you can finish in about 20 to 30 minutes — a perfect way to experiment, relax, and have fun without committing hours to a large coloring page.

Coloring with the Crayola Markers

Since I don’t have a usable orange, I’m skipping the pumpkin and choosing a different card. I’m going with the trick-or-treat image — it uses a variety of colors and will give the markers a real workout.

I’ll start with what I know: the broom handle needs to look like wood, so I’m using the brown. Without a dark brown for shading, I’m relying on the water brush technique — pulling the color out to create a subtle gradient. I’ll add just a touch of black in a couple of spots and drag it across with the water brush to suggest grain and shadow. That works nicely.

For the lettering, I’m going with green and purple alternating — very Halloween! The broom and the lettering both look lovely. But the little flame… all I had was the yellow-green, which looks wrong. My little spider lost its detail at that small scale. And the brown in the center of the word “or” bothers me — I might switch to the orange-brown for that section and call it done.

Honestly, I’m not having fun. These markers are too limited, and the color gaps are too significant.

Coming Soon: Autumn Cards

If you love the autumn season, I have a fun surprise coming — an autumn-themed Simple Bliss card collection is being drawn right now. Keep an eye out over the next week or two! Make sure you’re subscribed as a free member at ColoringBliss.com so you receive our emails and know the moment the autumn cards are available.

Final Verdict

The finished card is… what it is. I was very limited, and it shows. I’m not a fan.

My recommendation: Pass on the Crayola Brush Tip Paint Markers.

Here’s the cost comparison that makes this an easy decision:

For a third of the per-marker cost, you get the Just Art 48-set — one of the winners from my big acrylic marker battle — in a nice carrying case with 48 beautiful colors that perform wonderfully. Just Art has expanded into several different lines, so there’s a lot to explore. I’ll put a link in the description.

A Note to Crayola

If you’re listening — I genuinely think you can do better. You have the brand recognition and the expertise. To compete with Ohuhu, Just Art, Karin, and the other strong brands in this market, you need:

• True, accurate colors — especially a real yellow, a real red, and a real orange
• Color names and/or numbers on every marker
• A larger set — 10 is not enough
• A lower price point — $1.50 per marker is too high

Fix those things, and the conversation changes entirely.

Thank you so much for watching! I hope this review helped you make a smart purchasing decision. Skip the Crayola markers, explore the better options out there, and as always — have a wonderful, colorful, blissful day. Bye, everyone! Happy pre-Halloween! 🎃