Okay.. a very quick-and-dirty intro..
1. "Markers" have different inks.
PERMANENT markers have an alchohol-based ink.
Pitt Artist markers have India Ink (only one I know of that does)
(others have water-based, so you have to look..)
These inks are (somewhat) translucent, so they need a white primer.
The alchohol-based inks will also 'melt' a previous coat of an
alchohol-based.. sooo.. you can put AB onto India.. or
India onto anything..
Fabrico also makes excellent markers with a built-in brush.
being designed for fabrics, the ink is a bit denser and
less translucent.
2. Markers all have a shaped felt feeder, but have different points.
The Sharpie and Bic brands have dynamite colors but a non-useful
blunt point, so these feeders need replacement with a 'brush-shaped' feeder (I recommend Marvy Le Plume II points. Le Plumes are water-based, so you need to pull the point, soak out the watercolor, and let dry). The Pitts have a very nice brush point already..
Note: you can also carve a "pen-point" on the Sharpies and Bics..
think a triangular shape like a fountain pen..
3. Advantages & Disadvantages:
- cheap and available
- very fast painting, no mixing
- with a Pitt or Le Plume point, you can be VERY exact with where
the color goes. For example, doing the red stripe on the blue trousers
of British Colonials is a cinch. A thin red line, then edge it with blue,
then do the rest of the pants.
- dry-brushing with acrylics is 'as normal' if desired.
The major disadvantages are:
- the points tend to get chewed up on 'rough' metal, getting fuzzy
on the end.. for example, a wolfskin coat is better done with
acrylic and a brush..
- The point is not reallt suited to super-fine work, such as doing eyes..
though you can dot raised buttons with ease.
My recommendation is to pick up some Pitt Artist markers as a start..
if you like the, you'll like the rest..:-)
Jim