What’s your favorite art supply? For me, it is Posca Paint Pens. The Posca pens are acrylic paint just like the paint I use for the background. I use the pens to add my illustrations of flowers, leaves, and marks.
The bolt tip pens are my favorite. They have finer tips as well, but because I use them on canvas, I’ve found that the small tips sometimes get caught on the weave of the canvas and then they splatter a bit.
I’ve tried other brands, like Sharpie, but I like Posca the best. Poscas don’t smear or run if I’m adding a varnish to the finished painting. They’re also very opaque, and I like that for layering objects on the painting.
I keep my pens in a decorative piece of pottery. For one thing, I own so much of my Mom’s pottery and crystal, that I much prefer to use those than something plastic or mass produced. Plus, by having them all together in a pot, I can easily carry them into any room when I create. The pen work can be done anytime, anywhere. It doesn’t have the potential for me getting paint on myself like when I’m using a palette and brushes, so I don’t have to put down a drop cloth and wear paint clothes. I can do it in my lap, in the car, or outside in the sun.
They work great on paper or canvas. The only problem I’ve ever had with them is when I brought them on a plane. I think the pressurization in the cabin effected them, and suddenly a blob of paint would come out. On one flight, paint burst out onto my pants and I had to rush into the bathroom to wash it off. Other than that, they’re awesome. They last a long time, have good coverage, and a variety of colors. You can even blend the colors when the paint is still wet. They’re just so much fun.
