Paint pens are a refreshing break from the conventional paintbrush and palettes or spray paints. They offer a cleaner, more convenient, and more precise way of executing artwork on various surfaces.
But it is one thing to own just any paint pen and another to own a Posca pen. Posca pens are super popular and likely on every pen artist’s wish list, if not already in their collection.
What are Posca pens? Posca Pens are a multi-surface drawing or painting medium in the form of pens that utilize water-based acrylic paint. They are highly pigmented, opaque, and very versatile.
If you are yet to invest in Posca pens, you probably have questions before committing. Like, is the price justifiable? What makes them unique? What can they do?
Keep reading to learn everything about what Posca pens are, the creative possibilities they open up, and how they compare to other pen brands.
Why Are Posca Pens So Popular?
Out of the myriad of pens and markers out there, Posca pens would undoubtedly win a popularity contest. But why? What makes them so special?
Posca pens are not your ordinary marker pens. What sets them apart is their versatility and unmatched quality of materials, execution, and results.
The pens boast of a smooth and consistent paint flow, superior coverage, clog and leak-proof mechanisms, and durability that is comparable to none.
Here are the best features of Posca pens:
Non-Toxic Water-Based Acrylic Paint
Posca pens are filled with high-quality water-based acrylic paint. It is non-toxic, odorless, and fast-drying. These qualities render them safe for artists of all ages. They are ok to use around the home on stuff we encounter every day worry-free.
You will never have to put up with nauseating fumes, unlike most alcohol and oil-based pens laced with toluene, xylene, and other toxic solvents.
Outstanding Opacity
Ink pens are generally not opaque. And even with some paint pens, you need at least three coats to get close to great coverage.
However, Posca pens outperform the rest when it comes to opacity. The paint has a high pigment ratio with excellent coverage of about 75-90% on the 1st coat. There’s no need to go over your writing or drawing, thus using minimal ink and promoting durability.
Nonetheless, it depends on the color, as some do better than others. White seems to perform the best, especially on dark backgrounds.
Multi-Surface Use
Very few types of pens work well on multiple surfaces, and Poscas are one of them. They save you the hassle of buying specialty pens for the different surfaces you’d like to decorate, write, or draw on.
Posca pens are compatible with virtually every surface type; paper, metal, glass, wood, latex, concrete, ceramics, plastic, and textiles. So one purchase serves all your diverse needs.
Excellent Permanence
A frequently asked question is whether or not Poscas are permanent. Yes, Posca pens are permanent only on porous surfaces like wood, paper, or fabric as it bonds with the fibers. They also have outstanding longevity on non-porous surfaces but are temporary.
By temporary, we do not mean they will accidentally rub off, smear, wipe away, or wash off in the rain. The coat is semi-permanent and will slowly wear off eventually, as with any paint.
Removal has to be intentional because once dry, the paint becomes a tough acrylic film. You must employ one of the various methods of removing acrylic paint from surfaces like scraping and chemical removers.
Spraying a coat of varnish over the artwork, baking the item if possible, and ironing (fabrics) are a few measures that help extend the longevity.
Huge Color Selection
Posca pens are available in 50+ colors, including classic colors, metallics, glitter, fluorescent, and pastels. This is terrific because it minimizes the need for color mixing to get desired tones.
However, no set carries all the colors. Each set is unique and will have 4, 8, 12, 21, 30 colors, etc. You can buy individual Posca pens too, primarily black and white, which artists tend to use heavily.
Tip Style And Size Variety
The choices for the tip style and size are incredible. There’s literally a nib for every job giving you control of your illustration.
The range of five styles in seven sizes include:
- A brush tip you can use for painterly strokes or calligraphy.
- An ultra-fine 0.7mm pin tip for fine lining.
- Three bullet tips; extra fine (PC-1M), fine (PC-3M), and medium (PC-5M) for fine writing, outlining, detailing, drawing, and coloring.
- 8mm Chisel tip (PC-8K) for bold lines and calligraphy.
- A jumbo rectangular 15mm tip for broad coverage.
Posca pen sets are nib specific, so you have to mix sets to get a feel of different nib styles and sizes. Or buy this assorted nib size set to test each one out before making a decision.
The Posca nibs are made of high-quality material and can be cleaned with water when stained from blending. Also, select pen sets have reversible tips.
Effects
The paint in Posca pens can be manipulated to achieve various effects before it dries onto the surface. Being water-based, it dissolves readily with water. Therefore, you can use a waterlogged paintbrush to sweep across a fresh drawing and achieve watercolor effects.
Color gradation is also possible as the colors are mixable and blendable. A brush can help soften distinct lines. You could also layer one color on top of another once dry or on top of other mediums like acrylic paint or watercolors.
It may be hard to imagine, but you could also create a sprayed paint effect using Posca pens. This effect is achieved by blowing the paint-loaded tip to splatter the paint.
It is worth noting that these effects may be more successful on one type of surface than another.
What Projects Can You Do With Posca Pens?
You can find uses for Posca pens in almost any setup, as long as you have the best nib for the job and your creative juices are flowing. Though the ideas are seemingly endless, here are a few fantastic ones.
- Journaling and lettering in scrapbooks, DIY cards, placards, props, tags, labels, and posters.
- Murals, drawings, graffiti, and street art on walls in the home or outdoors.
- Drawing and painting on paper and canvas. Also, for mixed media work like outlining and highlighting pastel drawings, watercolor, and acrylic paintings.
- Mandala art and adult coloring.
- Decorating wine glasses, terracotta pots, planters, china, mugs, phone cases, skateboards, surfboards, etc.
- Window art, signage, and menu boards that pop in bistros and stores.
- Customizing denim, bags, caps, and shoes.
- Rock painting.
These make up only a tiny fraction of what you can achieve with Posca pens. So feel free to experiment and find out what more they can and cannot do.
How To Use Posca Pens
A common question among first-time Posca pens users is why their Posca pens don’t work right out of the box.
Your Posca pens may not be working properly because you didn’t get them activated right. And since Posca is a Japanese brand, instructions may not necessarily come in English.
When you receive Posca pens for the very first time, the tips are white with no pigment. You must activate the pen to get a paint flow for it to draw.
If you don’t do it well, you might encounter problems with line consistency and pigment saturation. The results could be streaky, watery, or nothing at all.
How to activate Posca pens correctly:
- You begin by shaking the pen vigorously for 10 seconds. It should be tightly capped while you do this.
- You should also feel and hear the micro balls within the barrel rattle as they collide with each other or the walls.
- Next, press the tip gently but firmly on a scrap piece of paper ten times. You should see the paint slowly soaking the tip. If not, repeat the 3-step process.
Sometimes, the tip may dry out if the pen is not tightly capped or remains unused for a long time. You can follow this same process to revive the Posca pen. It takes longer to activate a dried tip from previous use than a fresh tip from a newly unwrapped pen.
Other times, your Posca pen may not be working because the ink may have run out. In this case, you have to replace them as the pens are not refillable.
Fore more information, check out this video from Kasey Golden on YouTube.
How Do Posca Pens Compare To Others?
There are a couple of highly recognized marker pen names out there. And you are probably wondering how they stack up when compared with Posca pens.
Are there cheaper or even better alternatives to Posca pens? Here is a quick comparison chart.
Posca | Copic | Molotow | Sharpie | Arteza | Artistro | |
Opacity rating | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
Ink type | Water-based acrylic paint | Alcohol-based ink | Water-based acrylic paint | Oil-based paint | Water-based acrylic paint | Water-based acrylic paint |
Colors available | 50+ | 300+ | 50 | <10 | 40+ | 50 |
Nib variety | 7 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Surface compatibility | Multi-Surface | Paper | Multi-surface | Multi-Surface | Multi-Surface | Multi-Surface |
Price | $$$$ | $$$$$ | $$$$ | $$$ | $$$ | $$ |
Posca Pens Vs. Copic Markers
Copic markers are among the elite of marker pens. They are popular and effective drawing tools.
The brand comes in an impressive color range of 300+ colors far beyond what Posca pens have. Copic pens are also available in multiple nib styles similar to Posca pens.
Another advantage Copic markers have over Posca pens is that they are refillable. Refillable pens are cheaper in the long run.
The difference is that Copic markers are alcohol-based ink pens while Posca pens are water-based paint pens. Consequently, Copic marker pens cannot provide the same coverage as Posca pens. Paint is superior in coverage to alcohol ink.
In addition, Posca pens beat Copic markers on versatility as the latter works best on paper surfaces only.
However, Copic does produce paint pens that are bleed-proof, waterproof, and blendable. They are also highly pigmented.
Posca Pens Vs. Molotow Paint Pens
Molotow is a brand of highly regarded art tools, and their paint pens are just as remarkable as Posca pens.
They are water-based acrylic paint pens and of matching quality in consistency and results. Molotow pens come in sets and are available in 50 colors which is within the same range as Posca.
Another similarity is that the Molotow pens are multi-surface use pens with various nibs. These nibs are also replaceable and in many sizes and styles. A notable feature of Molotow pens is their clear barrels. The pens display the amount of paint left to avoid nasty surprises.
Also, unlike Posca pens, Molotow pens are refillable with paint. So you do not need to buy a new set every time one primary color like white or black runs out.
Performance-wise, the two are at par, with Posca pens winning narrowly in opacity. The consistency and coverage of both pens are superb.
The Molotow pens are professional-grade paint pens and hit the mark as one of the best alternative paint pens to Posca pens. Posca pens are slightly cheaper, though.
Posca Pens Vs. Arteza Paint Markers
Arteza’s acrylic paint marker sets quickly caught many artists’ attention. Arteza has more color variety than Posca pens’ largest set, the 29-piece Uni Posca Paint Marker Full Range Bundle Set.
You not only get more colors but also at a lower price than Posca. There are smaller sets as well, but no individual colors.
Nibs can be a fine point, rounded or chiseled, though the tip sizes aren’t as differentiated as Posca. You also get a pack of replacement tips attached to the Arteza acrylic paint pen set.
The Arteza ink, like Posca pens’, is brilliant water-based acrylic paint. Contrarily, it doesn’t provide complete coverage on the first coat, which places Posca pens some notches higher in quality.
They are a fantastic set for newbie artists or students trying to get their foot into paint pens before committing to the pricier Posca pens.
Posca Pens Vs. Sharpie Paint Pens
Sharpies are probably the most ubiquitous marker pens brand. But did you know they actually make paint pens? Unlike Posca, Sharpie paint pens are oil-based in a pink banded barrel and different from their regular poster markers.
The oil-based paint sharpie is the best version of the brand’s pens in permanence, pigmentation, and versatility. Therefore, it is a worthy challenge for the Posca pens.
Despite being oil-based and containing solvents, the sharpie paint pens are odorless. They also work on virtually any surface but take much longer to activate than Posca. The tips and colors are not as flattering as Posca pens either.
The oil-based sharpie sets have primary colors red, blue, and yellow, plus black and white and metallic gold and silver sets. The tips are fine and extra-fine points.
If the oil base, fewer colors, and narrow tip variety don’t bother you, Sharpie is an option. Its performance is comparable to Posca and can be an alternative or used alongside them.
Posca Pens Vs. Artistro Paint Pens
Artistro paint pens are another trendy product that rapidly exploded in popularity. It can be a cheaper alternative to Posca pens.
It is also made of water-based paint though it is a bit thinner and slightly less saturated than Posca pens. Consequently, it takes several coats to be opaque and longer to dry since its consistency is more fluid.
Still, it has a gorgeous color range of around 50 colors, just like Posca. The nibs sizes are only three compared to 7 for Posca, but the quality is great, maybe even better, and doesn’t fray easily.
Another advantage is knowing how much ink is left via the see-through barrel. Artistro paint pens also write on all surfaces.
Posca pens are definitely superior to Artistro performance-wise. Still, they are suitable starter paint pens you can get for half the price of Posca. As you can see, there are options out there, though none of them is the exact quality of Posca pens in terms of performance.
Not to mean the other pens are inferior. In fact, Posca pens could improve on a few things found in the other paint pens, like refillability and clear barrels. And any of these brands can be amazing when used in combination with Posca pens.
We believe this informational article has been of immense help in understanding what Posca pens are. It should now be clear why Posca pens remain unrivaled as artists’ most preferred paint pens.
Let’s quickly recap its best features:
- Water-based, non-toxic acrylic paint
- Multi-surface use
- Bright pigments
- Outstanding coverage
- Vast tip range
- Comprehensive color range.
- Permanent/semi-permanent
- Durable
Hopefully, your buying decision will now be an informed one, and you’ll make the best use of your Posca pens. Happy pen painting.
Up Next: Best Papers For Posca Pens