Whatever your age, whatever your level of artistic ability or style, we want you to get the best out of your POSCA Paint Markers. That’s why we’ve put together a handy guide on how to use these fabulous paint pens so you can enjoy them time and time again.
Check out the range
We often get asked about the various POSCA sizes and the difference between them. So here’s a brief run through to help your find the right POSCA nib size for you…
POSCA markers are available in eight nib sizes from the extra fine 0.7mm 1MR to the big and bold 17mm chisel tip.
1: PC-1MR
Slim and smooth, the PC-1MR’s 0.7mm fibre tip is for people who love precision and neatness. Its ultra-fine tip is perfect for defined outlines, delicate detail and neat handwriting. Plus, as the tip is protected by metal, it works really well with stencils.
2: PC-1M
A brilliant all-rounder, the PC-1M’s extra-fine 0.7mm bullet tip makes it excellent for fine detail and small projects such as fiddly decorations, card-making or illustration. Hold it straight on for fine dots and lines, use it at an angle to create expressive strokes and to colour-in.
3: PC-3M
Versatile and vibrant, the PC-3M fine bullet tip can be enjoyed by artists, crafters and customisers alike. The 3M’s neat, steady line and solid colour gives you the power to outline and colour, allowing you to customise, create, decorate or make a mark on anything that inspires you.
4: PC-5M
An all-round classic, the PC-5M medium 1.8-2.5mm bullet tip produces bold lines and is ideal for both colouring and outlines. Comfortable to hold and available in a wide choice of colours, this robust marker is great for all ages and abilities.
5: PC-7M
This is an excellent large format pen, the PC-7M’s large 4.5-5.5mm bullet tip produces neat, precise, expressive lines and perfect large dots. Its soft rounded tip makes it ideal for colouring and large scale drawing. It is the go-to Posca for both professionals and beginners.
6: PC-8K
Efficient and hard working, the PC-8K’s 8mm broad chisel tip draws neat curves and covers large surfaces in a wide range of colours. Great for flat-tints and a ‘Street Art’ favourite, it is also fantastic for large italic-style hand-writing and large format work.
7: PC-17K
The PC-17K extra-broad, 17mm chisel tip is the go-to maker for professionals and artists when creating large-scale artwork. Designed for experts but loved by both pros and amateurs, its XL size tip is incredible on walls and windows, producing a strong, confident line and vivid colour.
8: PCF-350
Innovative and expressive, the brush tip PCF-350 reaches areas that other markers cannot. Painters will enjoy the pleasure of a brush without its disadvantages. Beginners and children can master painterly basics with ease. It’s also ideal for brush script.
See the different nib sizes in action by checking out our explanatory video, which talks you through every single size and how they sit on paper.
Get your POSCAs started
Sometimes people have unwrapped their pens, seen the white nib and thought ‘Ah the pen is broken’. It hasn’t, in fact that’s exactly how a new POSCA pen should look. That’s because, unlike some alcohol based markers, the water-based POSCA pigment lives in the barrel of the pen, not the nib meaning your pen will last longer and your colour can be refreshed every time you use the pen.
To get your pen working simply give it a shake and press the nib down on a piece of scrap paper. See how we do it here…
For the brush tip just shake and press the little button on the end to get the paint to the brush.
Overlay, blend and mix with water
You can do all of the above with POSCA. You can treat your POSCAs just like paint, so when one colour dries you can overlay with details, outlines and highlights.
While your POSCA is fresh and wet, you can blend it with a brush or sponge, or mix with another POSCA. See how we’ve sponged gold POSCA on a vase above. This effect looks amazing on canvas too as you can see below. Here we sponged a range of POSCA colours here, waited for them to dry then wrote in our text with a black POSCA.
You can also work with the pens to mix colours and then work over when dry as we’ve done with this flower image at the start of this section.
Blending and mixing your POSCA colours is easy and produces very effective results. See how done this with a red and yellow 17K to create a simple sunset effect in this video.
Because they are water based, you can also mix your POSCAs with water…
Dilute the pens and colours in water to make a dreamy watercolour look. You can do this by dipping your pens in water or using a brush to drag and dilute the colour. We practiced this technique on canvas, as you can see above, but this effect also works on paper. See how it’s done here…
Try POSCAs on any surface
POSCA paint markers are an excellent multi-surface, creative pen, which is why they are great value; one pen has a multitude of uses. The paint marker contains water-based pigment ink which is lightfast, water resistant and will write on almost any surface.
POSCA pens are also permanent and bleed-proof on paper and card (as it absorbs into the fibres), and can be made permanent on the following:
- – Terracotta – bake at 220°C for 45 minutes, then spray with clear varnish
- – Porcelain – bake at 160°C for 45 minutes, then spray with clear varnish
- – Glass – bake at 160°C for 45 minutes then spray with clear varnish
- – Textiles – iron on reverse
- – Metal, stone, leather, plastic and wood – spray with clear varnish
We’ve made a film going through how great POSCA pens look on a range of surfaces, take a look here.
For more great POSCA ideas check out our PINTEREST BOARDS and YOUTUBE channel.
