I don’t remember where I first saw these paint markers, but they really intrigued me. Usually, I prefer a fine tip on my paint pens, but the promise of being able to make crisp circles and paint large really piqued my interest. I ordered some from Amazon and couldn’t wait to try them!
At the time I purchased them, the black one was $18.67 and the white one was $17.60, plus tax. That puts them on the pricey side for me, especially if I wanted to collect them all. They come in eight colors: Black, white, red, pink, green, blue, light blue, and yellow. These markers come with a round sponge, tip that is quite large, rather than the bullet tip that my other Posca pens come with. The tip is about ¾ inch, or 19 mm, in diameter.
I found that these markers were very easy to activate. All it took was one touch to a piece of scrap paper and the paint was flowing! In fact, when I opened them for the first time, I could already see paint on the sponge applicator.
They have a learning curve, that’s for sure. Pressure is important for these juicy makers! I tested them out on some mixed media postcards that I hadn’t finished. My first tries were technique failures! I pressed too hard and left them on the surface for too long; the paint pooled and then ran when I picked them up. Because I was using a paper that had already warped, it was hard to keep the circles as crisp as I would have liked. I did notice in the first sample that the white paint cracked when it dried where it was heavy. Cool effect, but maybe not what you want.
For a second try, I taped the postcards down since they had curled (It was mixed media paper. The compositions that made it as postcards are sewn to a lightweight cardboard, like a cereal or cracker box). I used a much lighter touch and noticed that the markers didn’t leave as much paint. There was still some cracking where the white was heavy and some dripping where the paint had pooled, and my Darling Husband picked up the postcard to look at it closer.
According to the uni Posca website, these paints are quick-drying, and I find that to be true of the regular sized pens. These took 10-15 minutes for the circles to dry; the stripes did dry more quickly.
Uni Posca claims that you can use these on over 50 surfaces, including glass, metal, wood, leather, and ceramic. I know they provided great coverage on my postcards. While they went over paint and texture, they also went over some kind of art crayon well, although you can see that the pink of the circles did start to seep into the paint, discoloring it very slightly. To be honest, I’m not sure I’d have noticed that if I wasn’t looking closely.
I didn’t try these markers on a big composition, but I can see using them on a postcard master sheet as a layer. I also didn’t test them on a vertical surface. According to the pictures on the website, if you use them vertically, they are likely to run and drip, which can have a great effect. The website says that they are perfect for graffiti and street art, as well as fine art and illustration.
Are they worth almost $20 a marker? That’s a tough one. There are things I love about them – both the black and white are very opaque, and the circles are so crisp! – but for the kind of art I do, I’m not sure they’ll be worth the investment for me. I certainly won’t be running out and buying all the colors. But if you paint large and like drips, I can see where they’d be a wonderful addition to your mark making tool kit.
Just be forewarned – they do have a learning curve, as I mentioned. They are very pressure sensitive and very juicy! I’d recommend playing with them for a while before using them on a piece of art you are trying to make into something specific.
