I loved one set, but not the other.
My niece recently gifted me a couple art supplies I've never used before. I thought I'd share my brief thoughts on both sets from an amateur artist's perspective.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
Monaco Professional Drawing Pens
After using the drawing pens from the same brand, I had high hopes for the watercolor brush pens! That is, until I unpackaged the contents.
The drawing pens set came with the following:
7 bullet tip pens
1 brush pen
2 chisel tip pens
I have never heard of this brand before, so I went ahead and set low expectations for the drawing pens. I used a 100 GSM sketchbook for an ink test (swatch) and happy hedgehog drawing.
Nowhere on the package did it state whether these were archival or water-based inks. It did state that the pens were good to use with watercolors. I was both curious and skeptical of the ink quality.
The pens wrote as smoothly as a high-quality pen. The ink did not smear when I rubbed my palm across it as I wrote or drew something onto the page. The various tips and thicknesses made drawing a lot of fun for me as an amateur artist. I can also see myself using one of the thicker bullet tip pens to write journal/diary entries.
Unfortunately, the ink did smear when water was applied to it whether it was left to dry for a few seconds or a few minutes. The smearing to be noticeable, but it did not make something unrecognizable. For example, I could read written words, but I would also see what looked like a smeared shadow over it.
I would not recommend using these pens before a wet medium like watercolors. If you want to use ink before paint as many artists often do with urban sketching, I recommend checking out other brand's archival ink pens like Micron.
I was able to use these pens on top dried watercolor paintings with no smearing. These drawing pens could easily be used to write a sentiment over a watercolor background or to outline a subject in a watercolor painting.
While using the chisel tip pens, some of the ink bled through to the next page. It was minimal and did not bother me, but it may bother some people.
Each pen from this set showed through (shadowed) on the back side of the paper (100 GSM). This would not bother some people, but I would not be writing on the back side with the amount of visible shadow. Fortunately, I did not have any shadowing in my 120 GSM dotted notebook I use for journaling.
Overall, I loved these drawing pens! I wished I could paint over the ink without smearing it, but otherwise I would continue using these pens for ink drawings and journal writing.
Monaco Watercolor Brush Pens
The watercolor brush pens set came with the following:
1 water brush
7 colored watercolor brush pens
After using the drawing pens from the same brand, I had high hopes for the watercolor brush pens! That is, until I unpackaged the contents.
The water brush shot water out from the base of the bristles when I squeezed the barrel to saturate it. This surprised me since I have never had a water brush do this before. When the water shot out of the water brush, I noticed there were several loose bristles not attached to the tip. My first impressions of this water brush were not positive.
As I painted with this water brush, I quickly learned that I could not control the amount of water that flowed through the tip. Usually, you control the flow of water by gently squeezing the barrel. When you do not squeeze the barrel for more water, the bristles are damp at most.
This water brush, on the other hand, allowed the water to continuously flow when held with the tip facing down. I would dab the bristles onto a dry paper towel to get rid of excess water, but more water flowed through as soon as I held it with the tip facing down. It did not take long for my sheet of paper towel to become oversaturated.
The water brush may be useful for covering large areas with water. Backgrounds could be painted quickly with this water brush. However, it is not useful for smaller areas or finer details. I would not recommend the water brush that came with the watercolor brush pens set to new or experience artists.
Unlike the drawing pens I discussed earlier, the watercolor brush pen barrels were thin and lightweight. They felt like they were made of paper and not plastic. While eco-friendly products are great for the environment, these barrels did not feel like they were sturdy or reliable for long-term use. I have used eco-friendly products that felt like better quality than these brush pen barrels.
I tried peeling the barrel with no success. This was a good thing as it proved me wrong about the quality. I appreciated the lighter weight knowing it would not disintegrate so easily. Hopefully, these brush pens are reliable for long-term use, assuming I would use these again one day.
I swatched the colors onto a 300 GSM sheet of watercolor paper. A few of the brush pens seemed dry when I brushed it onto the page. With a little dab of water on the page or to the tips, all brush pens were juicy and flowed onto the page well. They also blended well with one another.
After the paint dried completely, the colors were easily reactivated with a little bit of water added over it. This was helpful with correcting mistakes, but later proved to be an issue for me.
The tips/bristles were soft and flexible. While this is not a con, I was not used to it since many of the brush pens and alcohol ink brush markers I use regularly have firmer tips/bristles. My inexperience likely led to my inability to create thin, sharp lines with these brush pens.
However, I encountered two issues that annoyed me while painting a couple Nintendo characters. The first issue dealt with an unwanted effect referred to as 'cauliflower.' This is where the paint appears to separate from itself creating jagged lines where there should not be any.
I was able to fix the 'cauliflower' effects by applying more paint and water over an entire area. This was annoying when I wanted to add shadows later. I could not add paint and water to one small area. I often had to paint over an entire area, like Mario's hat or Toad's face, to prevent the unwanted effect from forming. In other words, these brush pens work best for wet-on-wet and not for wet-on-dry painting techniques.
The other issue that annoyed me dealt with the colors bleeding into one another. While painting, I periodically used a heat gun to dry the paint before adding more to the page. This method worked with other brands of watercolors I have used, but not with the Monaco brand.
Despite the paint feeling dry to the touch, colors bled into one another if I brush next to or over an already painted area. Maybe I should have left a sliver of space between painted areas I didn't want colors to bleed into, but I have never had to do so before.
For example, I used my heat gun to dry Mario's red shirt. I later painted Mario's overalls blue, but the blue quickly bled into the red of the shirt. I tried to fix it, but my attempt only made it worse.
Overall, I believe these watercolor brush pens will work well for most student or beginner artists. I am referring to brand new artists, not amateurs like myself who have used watercolors before and still have lots to learn.
Would I use these again? I may use these to practice building my brush lettering skills, but not for watercolor painting. There are other student/beginner grade watercolor brush pens that may be a better option like Michaels' Artist's Loft Watercolor Dual Tip Brush Markers.
My Thoughts
In conclusion, I loved the professional drawing pens and hated the watercolor brush pens. Neither were professional grade quality despite what one of the packaging stated. However, they are worth giving a try if you are looking for student/beginner quality art supplies.
I will continue to use the drawing pens regularly. Despite the mild smearing when water is applied to the ink, the ink doesn't smear while writing. This pen set may be a good choice for left-handed writers.
While I may never use the watercolor brush pens set with water brush ever again, I would recommend this for new student and beginner artists. It is possible that my limited experience with watercolor brush pens and markers contributed to my poor experience and view of this product.
Like with any product review, I recommend checking out what others have to say about the same product before deciding if you want to try it out for yourself. Who knows? You may love the Monaco Watercolor Brush Pens set a whole lot more than I did!
What's Next?
Next Tuesday, I'll share my journal design theme for June 2022. Check back then to see how it turned out!
Comment below to share your opinion about Monaco brand products or other brands you recommend amateurs should try out.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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