Custom Marker Sketchbook for Classroom use

Made a few 6" X 9"  booklets using pages from a Canson XL Marker pad, folded them in halves, and stapled it with a cardstock cover to make some marker sketchbooks for upcoming track out classes at the Art Center.

Usually I dedicate the first few pages of a sketchbook for color reference charts. Prismacolor double ended markers lay down bright sample swatches that do not bleed through the 18 lb marker paper, but they are still visible through the translucent sheet which is suitable for tracing tasks. You can easily slip some line art underneath, and copy the image with a marker-proof pen like a Sakura Pigma Sensei drawing pen for coloring later.

The Chartpak AD markers look quite bold on this paper, but they give off a much stronger chemical solvent smell while being applied.

Sample cartoon portrait colored with the Chartpak AD markers. The sleek paper surface allows for quick and smooth uniform coverage.

Sharpie Pen and Crayola crayons: a couple of inexpensive sketching supplies available locally

Some of the discounted supplies found on recent trips to Office Depot: large 11" x 14" Mead sketchbooks and oversize 14" x 17" Foray Marker pads for $3 each that I plan to use for in-class drawing demonstrations. They will come in handy when the limited range of expression of dry erase markers becomes an obstacle to the clear exposition of drawing tips and techniques.
It had been a while since I actually tried using Crayola crayons for anything, but decided to test a box of 24 crayons on the Mead sketchbook paper as a potential inexpensive coloring tool for the cartooning classes. While the colors appearance on the paper is nowhere near as saturated as that of the Caran D'Ache Neocolor I wax crayons, I have to admit that for 30 cents this compact set is a pretty good value for the quick-sketching of early rough color studies.
Comparing the line quality and writing performance of several pigment liner pens of similar nib size (around 0.3 mm in diameter) on Foray marker paper, no significant difference was apparent at first glance. Unlike most of the specialized pigment liners shown, the Sharpie Pen is a fairly common find at local retailers and office supplies stores while costing the least of this bunch.
While marketed primarily as a precision writing tool, I find the Sharpie Pen quite suitable for doodling with ink. The nib feels strong and glides smoothly on both marker paper and regular copy paper leaving dark uniform lines with no bleed through. Despite some online reviews warning of poor durability (mainly paint chipping off the barrel and loosening up of the plastic cap after posting it on the back of the pen), the Sharpie Pen seems promising as a sketching tool given its initial performance and recently lowered price (found the 2-pack for $2.50 at a local Walmart Supercenter store). I just plan to either use it at home or carry it securely in pencil cases that would prevent rubbing against other tools that might cause the dreaded paint chipping. When posting the cap on the back of the pen while in-use, avoid using excessive force and do not push the soft plastic cap all the way down to prevent it from getting loose prematurely.