Do you enjoy painting, but the thought of cleaning up after always dampens your enthusiasm? Maybe you struggle with mixing paint to the right consistency. Or perhaps just can’t get the precision you need with a brush.
Acrylic paint pens are the solution to these and more issues with the ordinary paintbrush and palette. But which one to use?
What’s the best acrylic paint pen? The best acrylic paint pens have pigment-based acrylic paint for a richer color with better coverage. You should also choose pens with a tip size and shape that suits your needs, or opt for a set with dual or interchangeable tips for versatility.
Why not read on to discover the advantages of using acrylic paint pens. We also tell you the best uses for the paint and point you to the top 5 acrylic paint pen handpicked just for you.
We’ll also explain some reasons why acrylic paint pens are so popular among artists of all ages and skill levels and are a great asset.
What is an Acrylic Paint Pen?
The acrylic paint pen is a ‘no brush’ painting tool where the paint comes encased in a pen with a tip as the paint outlet. So basically, you can get a painting look but by drawing. It’s a blend of both worlds.
How is this different from other watercolor and ink pens? Well, unlike the colored felt tip pens you used in middle school to decorate the cards, or the permanent markers you label boxes with, this pen tip oozes actual acrylic paint.
It is rich in pigment, opaque, coats the top of a surface, and dries solid and permanent. Other pens manufactured using dyes and ink are kind of translucent, work mostly on porous surfaces, bleed, wash off, and fade over time.
Advantages of Acrylic Paint Pens
When it comes to these ‘painting’ pens, there’s a lot of benefits of opting for these handy tools over your typical paint and brush once in a while – or if you’re looking to transition from ink to paint.
- Painting can’t get any simpler as these come premixed and surface ready. The consistency is just right, no need to gamble with the amount of water to add. The pen also gives you full control.
- By eliminating the need for mixing paint, acrylic paint pens offer a mess-free workspace. No accidental spills or cleaning up of dried paint on brushes, palettes, work surfaces, and yourself.
- You’ll have zero wastage since you won’t be squirting more paint than you actually need only to have the leftover dry on a palette.
- This type of paint is so portable and super convenient. You can literally work from anywhere whenever you feel a tinge of inspiration.
- The best acrylic paint pens are versatile. They will bond with a variety of surfaces: metal, wood, plastic, porcelain, chinaware, stone, glass, fabric, etc. They dry rapidly too.
So, What Can You Do With Acrylic Paint Pens?
Acrylic paint pens are used for detailed drawing, layering coats of paint, canvas or paper painting, drawing borders and outlines, doodling, sketching, text illustrations, blending colors while the paint is still wet (considerable expertise needed), and making fine linear and dotted designs.
Some of the projects best executed using acrylic paint pens include:
- Rock (pebble or stone) painting
- Customizing mugs and wine glasses
- Denim artwork
- Designing canvas sneakers and bags
- Wall “graffiti” (you should probably get permission though)
- Painting small toys, beads, a skateboard, vases, phone covers, signposts, and more.
Your creativity is the only limit!
What to Look For in Acrylic Paint Pens
There are a couple of things to consider, when picking acrylic paint pens for some artistic or crafty painting.
First are the tip shape and size. There are four types of tips:
- Fine and extra-fine tips that are pointy and sharp, excellent for intricate detailing.
- Rounded tips, usually medium to thick and perfect for bold outlines, highlights, and filling in.
- Chiseled tips which are ideal for linear and wording art (calligraphy).
- Brush tips which can be used conveniently like the conventional brush.
Go for sets that come with dual, reversible, or interchangeable tips to avoid spending more on an extra set of accessories just to get the variety.
You also need to consider the color used in the paint pen. It is best to avoid dye paints if you are serious about the durability of your projects. They are wash fast and affected by UV light exposure.
True acrylic ink paint pens are a better option. The only issue is that they are translucent, often resulting in a subdued look.
The best acrylic paint pens are pigment-based. They offer rich opaque colors and adequate coverage.
Top 5 Acrylic Paint Pens
And now for the part you have probably been waiting for. Here is our list of the best acrylic paint pens that stood out head and shoulder high above the rest:
Rank | Product | Key Features |
---|---|---|
1. | Posca Acrylic Paint Marker Pens | Reversible tips, matte finish |
2. | Artistro Acrylic Paint Pens | Extra fine tip, highly pigmented |
3. | Arteza Acrylic Paint Marker Pens | Switchable tips, opaque |
4. | Penguin Art Supplies Acrylic Paint Pens | Switchable tips, opaque |
5. | Tooli-Art Acrylic Paint Pens | Dual-tipped, great coverage |
Read on for a more thorough discussion of these fabulous pens.
1. Posca Acrylic Paint Marker Pens
The quality of the Posca acrylic paint markers matches up to all the hype about the brand.
It contains vibrant, highly pigmented opaque paints that dry quickly with a matt finish. The paint is tested to adhere to up to 50 surfaces giving artists and crafts hobbyists infinite application possibilities.
We particularly loved that it has a reversible medium bullet tip. You can switch between a 1.8 and 2.5mm for outlines and filling in, respectively – or for a variety of looks.
To enhance a smooth flow of paint, Posca utilizes mixing balls technology suspended within the barrels. You won’t have to deal with globs of paint or clamps.
They are low-odor nontoxic paint marker pens perfect for all ages and skill levels.
The one downside is that a set only comes in only 8 basic colors. So you might have to mix colors or purchase a different set for metallics or special colors, which is pricey.
Overall, this posca set is a professional artist-grade among the best acrylic paint pens, you can get your hands on. It is worth every extra dollar.
2. Artistro Acrylic Paint Pens
You probably have always wished for some extra white and black colors in any paint set. That’s what you get with Artistro acrylic paint pens. You asked and they listened.
Each pack comes with 28 vibrant paints and an extra white and black pen for a total of 30. The pens have a 0.7mm fine tip for the most detailed and precise illustrations.
The paint is certified non-toxic by the ASTM and EN standards and can be safely used by young budding artists too. There’s no odor while painting with it, either, which is a great bonus.
Once you purchase your set and follow all instructions for priming the pens to the latter, you will enjoy a smooth, straight, even flow. The trick is in the shaking and pumping.
With the broad range of colors in a set and a reversible tip, you need not look elsewhere to supplement it.
3. Arteza Acrylic Paint Marker Pens
An art supplies review wouldn’t be quite complete without the name Arteza and here’s why this set of acrylic paint pens deserve a sweet spot in our top 5 list.
For starters, it has an amazing color selection, bold, and bright. There are three metallic paint pens too for a complete palette.
The high-quality paint is rich with pigment for opaque coverage, is smooth, and flows effortlessly.
We love that there is a range of medium to fine replacement pointy and chisel-shaped tips for when you accidentally damage the original one, get it clogged, or just need different thicknesses.
Another feature that shows Arteza truly cares about its customers is the see-through of a barrel that helps you monitor the amount left. There couldn’t be a worse buzz kill than suddenly running out of paint in the middle of a project.
The paint is certified nontoxic and has long-lasting holding power.
It is stable enough to resist yellowing, fading, or, washing off. You can even bake your painted stuff for enhanced durability! (Just make sure your material is oven-safe.)
If you are after a comprehensive acrylic paint pen set, Arteza is a great buy for the price.
4. Penguin Art Supplies Acrylic Paint Pens
For a couple of dollars less than pricier brands, you can get so much more than you would expect from this Penguin set.
The acrylic paint pens come with a reversible tip. You can swap between a 5mm rounded end and a finer 3mm chiseled tip.
The set has such a unique and vast color selection that you need not look elsewhere: 28 hues and tones to choose from including a metallic gold silver.
The paint itself is decent quality, adheres to porous and nonporous surfaces well, and will not fade over time due to anti-UV yellowing technology.
It flows real easy, some scrap paper to handle the excess comes handy. It is also non-toxic for a fun time for the whole family. We also love that the paint comes in a convenient zippered carrying pouch for portability and keeping things organized.
One downside though, is how messy your fingers may get while switching the tip. Though cleaning up with water or baby oil effectively cleans stained hands or surfaces. Also, you have to shake the pens and prime every little while to make it come out opaque as the pigment separates quickly from the water.
Still, it is one of the best acrylic paint pen sets from a price point considering you get a reversible tip, an impressive range of colors, a bag, and decent mid-range quality paint.
5. Tooli-Art Acrylic Paint Pens
Working on a shoestring budget? That doesn’t mean you have to lower the bar. You can get this Tooli-Art set for excellent quality paint at an affordable price.
There are 18 essential colors with a little of everything; bold and beautiful primary and secondary colors, muted colors, neutrals, and metallics too.
It boasts of a 0.7mm extra fine tip for those crucial intricate details. It is crafted from nylon for added strength and won’t fray easily.
The multi-surface paint maintains a stable bond, provides acceptable coverage, and will not dull after long term exposure to light.
We loved that Tooli-art has a wide variety of sets. So you can always upgrade to the 30 color set, fine and medium tip sets, or supplement with a metallic set, black and white set, or earth colors depending on your needs.
What is the Best Way to Store Acrylic Pens?
The best way to store acrylic paint pens is to keep them horizontal. Leaving them upright makes mixing of the suspension difficult during subsequent uses as the pigment settles at the bottom. It also leads to blockage of the valve system.
Do not let the thought of a pen mislead you into disregarding the capabilities of acrylic paint pens as a paint option. You’ll be fascinated at what they can accomplish!
They are a go-to for beginner and professional artists (and hobbyists!) alike and one of the best-kept secrets to the finer details of their masterpieces. They’re an excellent addition to a painter’s tool collection.
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