Skip to main content

Get Business Rewards with every order! Get 1 Point for every $10 Spent Find out more in the Rewards section*

Try our
voice search

Posca paint pens Logo

 

Party Down With POSCA Pens & Markers

The World’s Favourite Graffiti-Art Pen

Do you want to go back to the history of Posca pens and markers? Did you know that the world’s oldest known graffiti is a life-sized image of a wild boar that was painted about 45,500 years ago in Indonesia? Well, technically it is a cave painting, but it’s still a fun bit of trivia! Self-expression has been an integral part of the human experience for as long as humans have existed, and the desire to create art on any surface possible is something we have in common with a prehistoric man.

Initially, graffiti was an aspect of hip-hop culture and utilised 3D lettering with bright visuals and colours. Graffiti has often been synonymous with rebellion, anarchism and freedom of expression, sometimes providing social commentary and sometimes just used to leave a territorial mark. The concept of “street art” came about to differentiate the relatively newly popular “public contemporary art” (murals, mosaics, stencils, and paintings) from traditional tagging and graffiti.

This is where the POSCA marker comes in. POSCA markers go hand in hand with street art; they’ve become easily adopted as a favourite tool for street artists due to how easy they are to use and how incredible their graphic effects turn out on all surfaces. Many amateurs and professionals consider this marker pen an indispensable tool for creativity and self-expression.

How to use POSCA pens, markers and pencils & paint pens

POSCA has three main products: the marker, the pen and the pastel. But which tool is best for which surface? Here is a handy guide for you:

Posca Marker– Wood, fabric/textiles, skin, ceramic, glass, paper/cardboard, plastic, metal, mineral (rocks etc) and canvas

PENCIL - Wood, fabric/textiles, skin, paper/cardboard, plastic and canvas

PASTEL - Wood, fabric/textiles, skin, paper/cardboard and canvas

POSCA pens also have some handy instructions on how to use their pens. They are as follows:

  1. Prepare: With an “up and down” motion, shake the marker (make sure the cap is on!) so that you can hear a rattling noise. This means the paint is being combined.
  2. Prime and test: On a scrap piece of paper, press the tip down (a few times if needed) until there is paint on the tip. Try drawing a line on your scrap paper; if you can get a straight neat line, your pen is ready. TIP: have a cloth handy to wipe up spills or absorb extra paint from the marker tip.
  3. Re-prime: While using your marker, the paint might stop flowing as well. You can fix this by “re-priming” the pen. Shake it again (with the cap on!) and test it on the scrap paper.
  4. Clean: If you need to, you can clean the marker tip under a tap as often as you need to. If it gets super dry, leave it to soak overnight in water.
  5. Replace: If the tip is damaged, you have two options: you can either flip it around (if you have a reversible tip) or you can replace it (if you have a replaceable tip). Reversible tips: Posca markers and pens PC-3M and PC-5M Replaceable tips: PC-1MC, PC-3M, PC-5M, PC-7M, PC-8K, PC-17K.
  6. Store: Your marker can be kept any way up as long as the cap is on tight! However, if you’re using the brush-tipped pen, it should be stored horizontally.  See our wide range of markers and highlighters here.

There are fun techniques that you can try with a POSCO marker that you just can’t do with a regular marker. Here are four techniques to have a play around with:

  1. Mixing: If your Posca paint pen is wet, different colours can be mixed on the working surface by blending with a paintbrush to produce a huge range of colours. If you accidentally stain the tip with another colour, simply clean it in water and prime it again.
  2. Layering: The paint used in POSCA pens is ideal for layering, as it is both thick and opaque. Even better, you can layer light over dark as well as dark over light. The paint dries fast so you can do your layers quickly without any smudges.
  3. Blowing: This is a fun technique that gives you the “speckled” look that you find with spray paint. All you need to do is blow on the tip of the pen when it’s filled with paint (just don’t blow too hard!) The best tips to use for this technique are the broad tips.
  4. Gradient: Another fantastic feature of POSCA paint pens is that it is water-soluble. This means that it can be thinned to create a “gradient” effect.  Make sure you do this before the paint dries and experiment with different amounts of water to achieve the desired effect.

If you’re still feeling uncertain about how to use your POSCA markers or maybe you need some inspiration to get started, check out some of the tutorials on YouTube. This is a great place to start and will help you get comfortable with this new medium. Check our full range of paint markers from other brands here.

Recommended Products and art supplies from Posca pens in Australia

UNI Posca Paint Marker PC-5M Bullet Medium 2.5mm Assorted Pack of 4

This bullet-tip pen is a good place to start for beginners but also appeals to all artists and creative professionals (architects, graphic designers etc) hobbyists and home decorators. The Posca marker PC-5M has generally been the go-to brand for skaters/surfers who wants to decorate their boards without the paint fading or peeling. This pen is super easy to use and can work well on most surfaces as the paint is completely opaque. It comes in black, yellow, green and red.

Features in most posca range in our art supplies:

  • Neat and precise lines

  • Water based paint markers

  • Fade resistant & non toxicnon toxic

  • Virtually any surface

  • Precise lines

  • Vibrant colours

  • high pigment

  • bullet tip

UNI POSCA MARKER 8mm Chisel Assorted Pack of 8

If you’re looking for a classic, broad-tip graffiti pen, the Posca markers 8mm poster could be your answer. The wide chisel-tip of the PC-8K is ideal for drawing curves and filling in large surface areas. The broad tip also facilitates calligraphy-style writing, giving you more room for creativity. This pen is available in a wide variety of colours and can be used on any surface. You can draw on walls, furniture, fences, fabric/textiles, windows, mirrors, clothes and skateboards – the only limit is your imagination! Even better, the tip can be conveniently removed and washed if it’s dry or gets stained with other marker colours, and once it reaches the end of its life it can be easily replaced with a new tip, extending the life of your marker.

  • permanent markers
  • produces a neat effects and precise lines
  • high pigment
  • pc 5m-pc 3m
  • colouring books
  • uni posca markers
  • non toxic
  • water based
We use our own and 3rd party cookies on the site to improve your experience and for personalized advertising. By clicking accept, you consent to our use of cookies, or change your preferences here.
Accept Decline