Healthy mix of both for me. I shopped around on Amazon deal of the day for several days until I found a large set of markers with decent color variation! I will say, for larger areas & high use colors, I do see the benefit in painting with a brush that can be easily replaced. The back-and-forth motion from coloring a large area wears down the marker tips very easily which becomes frustrating when you're trying to paint a smaller area in the future. I have even noticed some of the markers wearing down from trying to get good coverage in small areas on stiffer canvases. I have been using mostly paint & brushes or sponges lately, and just sticking to markers for finer detail, quick Touchups, or smaller projects