If you have ever wanted to create that fun, eye-catching sticker effect with your alcohol markers, you are going to love today’s tutorial!
I’m sharing how I colored this look step-by-step using my Ohuhu markers, and I demonstrated the full technique in my new book Fashion Vibes. It is such a simple way to make your art pop, and once you try it, you’ll want to add a sticker-style outline to everything you color!
How to Create a Sticker Effect Using Alcohol Markers
If you love the look of bold, colorful stickers, you’re going to have so much fun with this easy coloring technique!
Today I’m showing you how to create a sticker effect using alcohol markers, step-by-step. I demonstrated this style in one of our new coloring books, Fashion Vibes, and I used my Ohuhu markers — including the new rubber tip set — for smooth, vibrant results.
For more info about alcohol markers, check out our in depth guide.
About the Sticker Effect
The sticker effect is all about making your artwork pop right off the page. It gives your colored drawings a fun outlined look, almost like you cut them out and turned them into actual stickers! The trick is adding a soft gray or shadow color around your objects and keeping the edges clean and bold. It’s a great way to make simple line art look extra eye-catching and polished without needing any advanced shading techniques.
Materials I Used
For this project, I used my Ohuhu markers, one of my go-to choices for alcohol marker art. I used the new Ohuhu rubber brush tip markers, which are amazing because they give you so much control and a really soft, even blend.
The flexible rubber tip is perfect for coloring smooth areas like the wide spaces in the Fashion Vibes book, and it made layering and outlining super easy for this sticker effect.
I also used a light gray Ohuhu marker to create the drop shadow around the objects, and a pencil,black fine liner and white gel pen for adding some details.
To add the notebook page lines behind your stickers, you will also want a ruler or a straight edge to draw the lines.
About the Book: Fashion Vibes
The coloring pages I used for this tutorial come from my brand-new book Fashion Vibes, which is available to buy now on Amazon.
This book is packed with bold, stylish designs that are perfect for practicing fun techniques like the sticker effect. The line art is clean and easy to color, with big open spaces that make blending and outlining so much easier, especially if you’re new to alcohol markers or just want a relaxing project.
It’s the perfect book for both beginners and anyone who loves coloring fashion-themed pages!
Sticker Effect Coloring Tutorial
Follow along with these easy steps to learn exactly how I created the bold and playful sticker effect using Ohuhu alcohol markers in my Fashion Vibes coloring book. You’ll see how adding simple shadows and bright colors can completely transform a page into something that looks ready to peel right off like a real sticker!
Materials
- Alcohol markers such as Ohuhu
- Black fine liner pen
- White gel pen
- Pencil
- Ruler
Instructions
- Start with the Line Art
Choose a bold, simple design. I used a page from Fashion Vibes with a cute sweatshirt, pants, and sneakers. Outline these objects first in pencil
- Then go over these outlines with a black fine liner to create your individual sticker shapes.
- Sketch in Your Shadow
Use a very light gray marker to lightly trace around the outside of the objects. This will form the ‘sticker border’ look and give your artwork that pop-out effect. Choose one side to do this, like a drop shadow rather than around the entire sticker.
- Color the Main Objects
Begin filling in your designs! I started with the shoes, coloring them red with a darker red for the stripes and a small star on the tongue.
- Fill in Other Details
Next, I colored the sweatshirt using pastel shades — a teal green for the main part and soft purple for the sleeves and waistband, keeping the heart details inside the smiley face nice and bright.
- The colors for the sweatshirt are as shown,from the new Ohuhu set
- Add Fun Details
To give the pants more personality, I lightly sketched patches like a peace sign, a heart with an arrow, and a lightning bolt before coloring them in.
- Shade the Pants - I colored the jeans in a smooth mid-tone blue, layering to get a soft, even texture.
For all your objects, add one layer of shadow on the same sides your stickers drop shadow, using the same color marker as the first layer. - Detail the Patches
I filled in the patches with bright colors and added tiny stitch lines around each one to make them look like embroidered patches sewn onto the pants, using the black fine liner and white gel pen.
- Background (Optional)
You can leave your background plain, or you can add a simple lined notebook background like I did to give it even more of a playful sticker vibe! To do this, use a ruler or straight edge to draw straight lines horozontally, and one vertical line around the margin.
- Go over these with alcohol marker in the colors of notebook paper
- You can also add writing or doodles to the background as you prefer.
This sticker coloring technique also makes an awesome art activity to try with kids! Because the steps are simple and the results look so impressive, it’s a great way to boost their creativity and confidence. Plus, using bright colors and bold outlines makes it easier for younger artists to stay inside the lines and have fun designing their own sticker-style masterpieces.
If you want to try this fun sticker effect for yourself, Fashion Vibes is the perfect book to start with! The bold, simple designs are ideal for practicing this technique, and you can grab your copy now on Amazon.
More Coloring Inspiration
If you enjoyed this sticker effect tutorial, be sure to check out even more coloring ideas! Here are some other fun tutorials and some of our favorite coloring books that are perfect for trying out new techniques and getting creative.
- Rainbow Plaid Pixel Heart Art
- Coco Wyo Coloring Books
- Vivi Tinta Coloring Books
- The Best Alcohol Markers for Beginners
If you enjoyed this tutorial, I’d love it if you shared this blog post with your coloring friends! It really helps more people find fun ideas like this and keeps the creativity going.
You can also follow our colouring board on pinterest.
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.