Sharpie Paint Pens and Alternatives

[ShottyScotty]

My detail freehand kinda sucks with a paintbrush and then I cam across Sharpie Paint Pens and Montana Acrylic markers.

Now, for fine detail, I love pens. Never tried using one on a model because thats crazy. But these are paint and acrylic ultra fine tip markers. Does anyone have experience using these or any alternative? I'd love to get to write actual words on my banners and convincing scribbles on my purity seals.

[Major_Gilbear]

Watch out with using pens on painted models.

 

I did this years ago when I started out as it struck me then as a great quick-n-dirty fix for fiddly details, and like you, I struggled with freehand. However, what I didn't take into account was that some permanent pens bleed into the paint, and even through the paint if you try and over it later. In the end, I had to scrape all the paint off back to plastic and start again. For the record, one of the pens I tried was a Steadtler fineliner, but I don't remember the others (I had a lot of technical drafting pens).

 

Anyway, the thing is this: if you're using pens, try them out first on a model you don't mind stripping, and leaving that model a couple of weeks to see what happens. I know many folks have no issues, and it clearly does depend on the paints and pens in question. But just do a test first!

 

Alternatively, you can try freehanding with better tools. If you're having trouble, I'd bet that you're using a very small brush, thinning your paints but they still go on lumpy, and probably have issues with getting the lines smooth and sharp? If so, you're not alone! There are a few things things you need to pull off freehand that is at least acceptable:

 

1) Use a big brush. Probably the biggest mistake many make, the small brushes allow the paint to start drying in the bristles before you even make any progress on the model. Bigger brushes hold more paint, so it stays wetter longer. The bigger paint capacity also means that you can do more without having to re-dip the brush, and you also risk overloading the brush much less.

 

2) Use a really good brush. Expect to spend £10/$15 on a really good natural sable brush from an Artist's shop, probably around a size 1 or even 2 (I favour size 1). A really good brush will keep a ridiculously sharp point on its own, and will be far more effective than a teeny-tiny brush. I paint highlights on the pupils of 28mm models' eyes with a #1, and that's about the size of a Citadel Large brush! There are many brands, and trying them out in the store in person is always the best option. Raphael, Winsor & Newton and Rosemary are popular brands; I personally use the Winsor & Newton Series 7 range (not the Miniatures brushes, but rather the full-size ones, as they are much sharper and have a better "snap" to the bristles).

 

3) Thin your paints, but not just with water. If you thin paint too much, the acrylic binder that holds the pigment breaks down too far and the paint becomes gritty as it splits. Instead of using just water, try using a little matte medium, some water, and maybe a tiny bit of retarder (less than a drop!). I find that it is best to make up a bottle of "thinner" using distilled water (free if you have a condensing dryer or dehumidifier), matte medium, and retarder, as then you have the correct proportions for what you want, and can just add it to the paint on your palette as need demands.

 

4) In addition to #3 above, if you are looking to use a strong colour to freehand with (black, brown, blue, red...), try adding a drop of suitable ink rather than water to the paint. Adding a drop of black ink to black paint, and a drop or two of the pre-mix in #3 gives you a perfect paint for strong black-lining for example.

 

5) Try not to re-work areas once you've painted them until they are 100% dry (i.e., give it a few hours at least!). You risk "tearing" the surface of what you're painting over if the paint is touch-dry, but not fully-dry. Also, some paints can re-activate if you overpaint them before they are fully dry, and this will taint the colours you apply later. Dark blues, greens and purples in particular are more usually prone to this, and can especially bad if you're trying to paint colours like white over navy blue before the blue is properly dry.

 

Right, I think that's enough text for now! Obviously, there are talented people out there who can freehand with anything, but I feel that if there is an easy and reliable method that greatly improves the chances of nice paintjobs, then it is worth at least trying. I mean, not all of us are natively talented or have the time to dedicate to practising, so using mediums and better tools has easily been the best road to massive improvement for me - maybe it will be for you too? :)

[ShottyScotty]

Thanks a lot for the tips! I was mainly wondering that since the markers I am looking to get dispense acrylic paint rather than ink, I was wondering if it would bleed onto the rest of the model. If all else fails, I guess I gotta learn the basics of freehand! I'll follow your tips to the t