You were told “Ohuhu is the Copic slayer! They’re like Copic Markers but better!”
Is it true?
Every Ohuhu Marker has different characteristics based upon its unique ink formula. No matter how great they say the marker is, test results do not lie.
So are Ohuhu markers as great as you’ve heard?
Let’s look at Ohuhu R3 to find out.
WARNING: Ohuhu markers have numbers on the cap but not on the body of the marker. We do not recommend coloring with both caps off due to the risk of accidentally placing the wrong caps on a marker.
Test results: Ohuhu R3 Coral Red
COLORLESS BLENDER WARNING: R3 turns a violent neon orange when touched by colorless blender. As the ink dries again, the orange fades slightly but not completely. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND CORRECTING R3 MISTAKES WITH COLORLESS BLENDER. See the Shattering category below for more info.
REFILL WARNING! At this time, Ohuhu does not sell refills for R3. To date, you must purchase a new marker when your current marker runs dry. See Ohuhu’s current list of refills here.
Temperature: A warm red with subtle orange undertones
Resemblance: Cadmium Red watercolor
Actual Value: N8
Unlike Copic, Ohuhu does not measure value— this is a glaring deficiency which makes finding blending combinations harder than it has to be!
All Copics are measured on a Neutral Gray value scale. The last number on the Copic cap indicates the value. We’re using the Copic scale to measure Ohuhu until Ohuhu releases a reliable value scale.
Cap Accuracy: The plastic on an Ohuhu Honolulu R3 marker is a dull red, lighter than even one coat of R3. Ironically, the cap color is actually closer to the faded version of R3 after lightfast testing.
Copic Substitution: Ohuhu R3 is slightly cooler than Copic’s R27 but otherwise, they are a near match in hue and value.
Note: similar colors rarely behave the same way. From experience I can tell you that Copic R27 is much easier to blend with and as a result, I do not recommend R3 for blending beginners. For comparison, see Copic R27 test results here.
Buildup: R3 reaches a maximum value at 3 coats.
Overinking: We do not recommend using more than 4 coats of R3. As with most Ohuhu markers, four layers looks oversaturated and dull. Additionally, 4 layers of R3 feels slightly tacky to the touch indicating a high amount of dye in the ink blend.
Shattering: I’ve never seen a marker ink react to colorless blender the way R3 did! Normally when I drip colorless blender solution over an ink sample, the color fades slightly. R3 exploded into a bright neon orange color and the dye spread out everywhere!
Due to this extreme reaction, WE DO NOT RECOMMEND CORRECTING R3 MISTAKES WITH COLORLESS BLENDER. Fixing an R3 mistake will cause more damage than the original mistake.
Chromatography testing shows this ink’s behavior when it comes in contact with #0 Colorless Blender (solvent). High shattering colors may leak unexpected color when you make corrections or attempt to blend with any color that has a high solvent to colorant ratio. Shattering is not bad, it’s just something to be aware of.
Staining: As with most red ink colors, R3 is extremely staining color.
With alcohol markers, a staining ink is generally a sign of a low quality ink. Staining inks bond to the paper fibers and are reluctant to release. Staining inks make blending harder than it has to be!
Lift: Forget about it. R3 is incredibly stubborn and stains the paper orange. The ink itself moves very little. Trying to make a correction with colorless blender will cause more damage than the mistake itself. See staining above, this is a sign of a low quality ink.
See staining swatch. Sample was given 6 stripes of #0 Colorless Blender, drying between each stripe. Results indicate how much lifting you can expect.
Lightfast: R3 faded more than any other ink I’ve tested to date. The fade was well over 50% during the test period.
Samples were swatched on X-Press It Blending Card. 1 layer of ink was exposed to windowsill sunlight for 21 days. Approximately 10 hours of sun per day based on weather conditions. Note: we do not recommend displaying original marker art under these conditions.
Ink Color Family: The “R” in R3 indicates that this marker is part of the R red family but Ohuhu classifies a lot of oranges, violets, and pinks also as R. Think of R and “kinda red but maybe not.”
The Ohuhu numbering system is complete garbage and doesn’t always make sense. Some orange and magenta markers are hidden in the R family. Be warned, when it comes to other color families, you can not trust anything you read on an Ohuhu cap.
Cap Numbering: R3 is lighter than both R2 and R4. This is ridiculous, how is a beginner supposed to form blending combinations when the caps make no sense?
As stated above, the Ohuhu numbering system makes no sense. The markers are not arranged in chromatic order so you can not trust the numbers to tell you whether this marker is lighter or darker than other Ohuhu markers with similar numbers.
I’m still early in the Ohuhu testing process. I will add more info to this article as I learn more and when I spot behavioral patterns.
From what I’ve learned so far, I will not be working with Ohuhu markers and I will discourage students from using them in my classes. They’re simply not worth the frustration.
Learn more about R3 Coral Red, a warm red Ohuhu Marker. We swatch and test Ohuhu colors- layering, staining, lift, value, lightfastness, saturation, and cap accuracy. | MarkerNovice.com | How to blend alcohol ink markers.
