Review by Tina Koyama
For the past couple of years, my favorite everyday-carry sketchbooks have been colorful Uglybooks (my review at the Desk is here. Uglybooks now also offers perfect-bound editions; see my personal blog for a review of those).
I’ve experimented with various media, and one of the best is acrylic paint markers. You need strong, vibrant colors to hold their own against those bright pages, and opaque paint markers fill the bill.
Unfortunately, I have an ongoing love/hate relationship with Uni Posca and other paint markers, which have the annoying habit of blobbing and clogging easily. I thought I’d see how Pilot Juice Paint Markers stack up (8 for $9.50 and other sets; individual colors for $3.60 each).
One big difference between paint markers and other markers is that the former can also be used on nonporous surfaces like plastic, glass and metal. I tried writing on a glass jar, and the paint flows smoothly and easily, just like on paper. These would be fun to use in craft projects.
One thing to be aware of, though, is that the tip that can withstand writing on those hard surfaces is somewhat abrasive. If you apply multiple strokes in the same area while the paint is still wet, it can damage the paper’s surface.
The water- and pigment-based paint is both waterproof and bleed-resistant. Unlike toxic, solvent-based inks that stink intolerably, Pilot Juice has no odor. Best of all, its opacity can’t be beat, making the colors pop beautifully on colored papers. (Swatches below made in Uglybooks sketchbook.)
Most paint markers, including Pilot Juice, require fairly extensive prep and maintenance compared to other markers. First, it must be shaken vigorously and at length, especially when the pen is new. An agitator helps to keep the paint mixed. (You’ll know when you haven’t shaken enough if the paint comes out transparent instead of opaque.) To get the paint flowing, prime the tip several times on scratch paper by pushing vigorously several times.
Beware: The initial release is likely to be a big blob. If you need to shake again and then prime again, be sure to replace the cap before shaking. (Tip: The contents is acrylic paint; it will not wash out of clothing, no matter how much you curse the pen. Ask me how I know.)
In my test swatches, I primed the tip just a bit as I was applying the yellow, and it blobbed out faster than I wanted. It dried completely, but if you look at it closely, you’ll see that the surface of the thick blob cracked. To avoid this, it’s important to prime the pen on scratch paper first (which I know I should do, but in urban sketching situations, as well as for swatching, I am too lazy to do it, and then I regret the results. Live and don’t learn).
In the sketch examples below, I’ve used a variety of pens and markers. The pink and yellow markers are Pilot Juices. I love how brilliant they are on equally brilliant pages!
I haven’t experienced clogging with the Pilots, though that may be a factor of the “extra fine” bullet tip size, which is slim enough to write with but not slim enough to clog continually (which I’ve experienced with Posca’s “ultra fine point”). If you don’t mind the maintenance (and heed the warnings), these paint markers are super fun for both sketching and writing.
Tina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.
