[RiverIsis]

Pretty much everything in this thread is right on the money. I invested in copics. What sells them to me over Bics (have them too) is the components of the marker. I don't care what size barrel (original/sketch/Ciao) but I do love the chisel and brush tips. They don't seem to drag on the paper. I know with my Bics there is a "scratchiness".

I like the vibrant colors that I just can't achieve with other markers.

If I were looking at alcohol markers now I would look at Shihan and Spectrum Noir on the artist level and Bic or Sharpie on the everyday user level.

The price difference for Copics is that they are artist quality. Just like if we get an artist quality paper trimmer or a hobby quality. All individual choices that give great results. It is up to the user to determine what works best for them.

BTW you can Airbrush with any marker/ink - I haven't done it but the concept is pretty straight forward.

The second thing with alcohol markers is not all cardstock is created equally. Results may vary. Recently I have purchased a ream of Hammermill Color Laser Gloss Paper that seems really slick and similar to what anime artists use to experiment with my copics. So far I love it.