Things I've used my Posca paint markers on thus far.
I've used Uni Posca paint markers for about 3 weeks. I received them as a gift from my Dad after he watched me struggle painting a few external hard drives. Now I can see why these are many artists' go-to paint markers.
Continue reading to see my thoughts and experiences on using Posca paint markers on a few different surfaces.
My First Time Using Posca
A lot of blogs I've read and YouTube videos I've watched suggest swatching colors first and foremost to see what they look like once dried. I normally do that with new paints and alcohol ink markers. It's a neat first step to using any new colors.
Except when I received the Posca paint markers, I just messed up using a removable spray paint on an old external hard drive and was getting ready to peel the paint off. Instead, I thought it was a perfect surface to test out my new markers on.
I understand the hype surrounding Posca paint markers. After preparing the markers for use by shaking them, I primed them directly onto the surface I intended to use it on. Unlike other paint markers I've used in the past, I didn't have to re-prime the markers once with this design.
The tips were very juicy. The ink flowed onto the surface smoothly. In this design, I only applied multiple coats of white and yellow. All other colors were only applied once.
On Paper
After finishing my first design, which I've yet to peel off my external hard drive, I swatched the colors in my sketchbook. The colors after they dried closely resembled the marker cap colors.
I then went online and reviewed The [Posca] Guide. If you plan on using Posca paint markers for the first time, I'd recommend reviewing this guide. I especially liked how it identifies different surfaces I could use Posca paint markers on.
My sketchbook paper is not recommended for wet media. Application of the marker tore at the paper's surface, especially when I overlaid colors. It wasn't that bad in my opinion. To me, it was like the bits and pieces you get after using an eraser to get rid of a pencil mark mistake you made. The colors were still vibrant, and I was able to test a few different effects suggested in the guide.
Mixing or blending the colors are easy while the base color is wet. Like blending alcohol ink markers, you'd need to work with layering the colors quickly to achieve a decent blend. However, I couldn't get a super smooth blend with just the Posca paint markers as I would with my higher quality alcohol ink markers.
On Plastic
I used the Posca paint markers directly on my plastic phone case, the same case I tried an Acrylic Pour on Phone Case. Of course, I cleaned the case and let it dry before applying the Posca colors.
Unlike the external hard drive I designed previously, I needed to apply multiple coats of all but the blue color used in the phone case's design. The white and blue colors seemed to take longer than all other colors to dry. However, each coat only took minutes to dry.
I sprayed Krylon Kamar Varnish to protect the design and let it sit for 24 hours before handling. The case was tacky to the touch for a few days, but the main design on the back and edges of the case is still intact.
I encountered no issues with using my Posca paint markers on my HP Sprocket 200 printer. All colors required a couple coats, but otherwise I was happy with the final design. I walked away at times to let the colors dry, but it only took minutes for it to dry.
I also sprayed the same varnish to protect this design and let it sit for 24 hours before handling. Unlike the phone case, the printer was never tacky to the touch. The design is still intact, even after it's been placed in drawers with other small tech devices.
On Fabric
The travel carrying case I repurposed as my Switch Lite case is either nylon or rayon. I don't know, but I do know that it was surprisingly easy to apply the Posca colors to the material surface.
The P. Blue (or whatever blue-like color I used) required multiple coats. Unlike the previous designs I used the Posca paint markers for, this design needed 30 minutes to an hour in between coats before applying another coat. I needed to leave the case alone to dry for about 24 hours before it was dry to the touch.
I didn't use anything over the design to protect it. I wasn't sure what I should use, but figured I'm not going to need to wash it anytime soon since I'm not going anywhere for a while.
On Silicone Rubber-Like Plastic
Application on my newest phone case was smooth and easy. The design required multiple coats of all colors excluding the blues and black.
I sprayed Krylon Kamar Varnish to protect the design and let it sit for 24 hours before handling. The case was tacky to the touch for about a day before it started peeling off the case.
The varnish peeled off some of the Posca color underneath, ruining my Stitch design. I used a scrubbing pad to remove the varnish, cleaned the surface, and recreated my Stitch design.
Because not all the Posca color of the first design came off, I attempted to mask it by applying a pink background color before recreating Stitch and his doodles. Unfortunately, my second attempt resulted in a bumpy surface texture, probably because of the amount of Posca colors used during this and the previous design attempt.
This time around I applied Mod Podge. Like the varnish, I let it sit for 24 hours before handling. The case was tacky to the touch for several days, often sticking to any desktop or tabletop surface I placed it on. It also stuck to my flat wireless charger a few times.
The Mod Podge is slowly starting to peel like the varnish did, and it's also peeling some of the Posca with it. Fortunately, it's only happening around the edges of the Posca background I added the second time around. The main design is still intact. I'm curious to see how long the design will last. I'd be maybe a few more weeks before I finally peel it all off and start over again.
My Thoughts
I like using Posca paint markers. I have the PC-5M tips which provide great coverage over large areas. However, I wish I had smaller tips, like a PC-1M or PC-3M to outline my designs or fill-in smaller areas the larger tip can't fill.
What's Next?
I'll continue using Posca paint markers on other surfaces. I'm curious to see what'll happen and how long it'll last. Login and Sign up to share your thoughts and experiences with using Uni Posca or other paint markers.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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