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A Gallery of My Winsor & Newton Marker Art

This post is all about my first real adventure with the popular Winsor & Newton markers — and my thoughts on how they perform. It’s also my first proper try at painting! I’ve always been a serial doodler, filling the corners of school notebooks and even squeezing sketches between engineering scribbles. But recently, I decided to take it a step further and create something more “official” — art that’s more than just a passing doodle.

The Artwork Gallery

Below you’ll find eight selected works that represent different styles, moods, and themes I’ve explored using Winsor & Newton markers.

A marker drawing of restaurants and storefronts at a vibrant harbor. Two small islands with palm trees, linked by a broken chain under a sunset sky. A colorful butterfly with pink and blue wings resting on a detailed sunflower. A vibrant marker landscape of green rolling hills and a dark mountain under a blue sky. An overhead view of a meadow with a flower, twig, leaf, and stone drawn with markers. A landscape drawing of a forest and mountains with a road winding through yellow fields. A symbolic drawing of a flower in a vase obscuring the view of a church altar from the sacristy. A couple sitting at a table in a high-rise bar overlooking the sea on a cloudy day.

Tools of the Trade

Here’s a peek at my core toolkit — the very tools behind the artworks above. I mainly use:

  • 🖊️ Winsor & Newton Promarkers – for their vibrant tones.
  • ✒️ Faber-Castell E-Motion Fountain Pen – for linework, outlines, and adding structure.
  • 🎨 A set of inks – I sometimes use them on their own, and other times I mix them to create custom colors, like a specific shade of brown.

The combination of markers and ink allows me to create illustrations with a style that I feel is truly unique.

A collection of Winsor & Newton markers, a Faber-Castell fountain pen, and ink bottles

My Creative Process

Most of the artworks you see here were created spontaneously, drawn directly by hand without any preliminary pencil sketches. I just embraced the "happy little accidents," as the great Bob Ross would say. I wasn't focused on the archival properties of my work either, which is why I used simple, A5-sized pages from a basic notebook. Since the inks and markers themselves aren't archival, longevity wasn't on my mind back then—it was all about the act of creating.

While most of these pieces were born from passing inspiration, one of them holds a much deeper, personal meaning. It's the one depicting a view from a sacristy, where the scene is dominated by a rose. In this piece, the flower symbolically covers the entrance to the church and the altar, creating the impression that the rose itself is the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament. As a Catholic, this painting is the closest to my heart.

Reflections and What's Next

Working with Winsor & Newton markers has been a fantastic learning experience. It helped me refine my color intuition and develop a stronger sense of composition. Recently, however, I've started experimenting with gouache and have absolutely fallen in love with it. For me, painting with gouache is a more professional and engaging process, so I'll likely be focusing on that for a while.

That doesn't mean my journey with markers is over, though! I'm very eager to explore archival options, and the Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens are next on my list to try.

Final Verdict: Who Are Winsor & Newton Promarkers For?

So, what's my final take? Winsor & Newton Promarkers are great tools, but they have their specific strengths. They truly shine when used for quick sketches, energetic illustrations, or in art styles that don't rely on perfect, seamless blending.

On the other hand, if your goal is to create smooth gradients or perfectly flat areas of color, you may find them challenging. Achieving that requires a lot of effort and skill, even on the right paper. In short: a high-quality marker, but best suited for artists whose style complements its unique character.