I’ve been using various types of Acrylic Markers on and off for a few years now, but in the last few months they’ve become a staple in my kit.

A big reason is the new types of markers that are easier to use and offer a great colour range.

I used them a lot during my recent trip to France and here’s an example showing a detail of a sketch I did of Strasbourg Cathedral.

In this article, I’m going to share some of my recent work using two different acrylic markers by Arrtx.

But first… let’s go back a few years to when I fell in love with opaque paint pens…

Back in 2024, I started using Poscas in some mixed media work and loved them… however:

1. they had a limited colour range,
2. they were big and bulky and
3. they were expensive.

They also are a little hard to use, as you have to both shake and pump to get the paint flowing. Sometimes this results in a big puddle of paint gushing out, making a huge mess on your page. On the other hand, Poscas with big chisel or flat tips are great for covering large areas with smooth, uniform colour.

They also worked well over the top of Neocolor II as I could pump more paint and the nibs kept working.

Note: It is generally advisable to use Neocolor II (NCII) as the final layer in mixed media work as they go over nearly anything but their waxiness makes it hard to draw over. NCII tend to clog anything that you use over them, but for some reason I’m always trying to layer over them. (BTW: This is something we constantly discuss inside my Sketching Adventure Community on Patreon!)

Earlier this year I discovered alternative acrylic markers with brush tips that are available in a large range of colours. They also don’t require any shaking or pumping.

I started seeing lots of friends using the Arrtx brand, so I bought myself a large 9o colour set. Here is a photo of my Landscape set and the colours that I carry around with me.

I love this set and used them non-stop during September when I was doing collage work – see here and here.

(Aside: using opaque media meant that collage clicked for me because I was able to mask the colour and texture of the paper)

I also enjoy just using them on their own. The matt opaque colour is so yummy!

Here’s another example from one of my morning sketches.

These markers are cotton-core, which produce a constant flow of acrylic ink using capillary action. They are drier than a Posca (or similar pump-and-shake type of marker), but are still fun to use and much less messy! 

I tried using them for some mixed media work and they work well if they are the first media on the page.

However, if I use them over Neocolor II, the tips clog, and the ink loses opacity. Even after I removed the tip and cleaned it (warm water soak), I still couldn’t get opaque ink flowing again. 

And so I was really excited when Arrtx reached out to me and sent me a set of their Direct Ink markers. They’re somewhere between the cotton-core markers and Poscas: they have non-pump brush tips but a ball bearing in the barrel, so you can shake them to get more ink flow. I think the delivery method is similar to a fountain pen feed (if you know more please let me know in the comments below).

They also have windows in the barrel so you can see when they are out of ink. The windows themselves are not super useful, but you can easily unscrew the white case and see the amount of ink by holding the barrel up to the light.

BTW I downloaded the colour chart here.

At present, the largest set for this type of marker is 60, but this is plenty for me to play with. 

The first thing I did was to put together a set that I could take out with me – and used my selection of the white markers as a guide.

And then I took these out with me for my morning local sketch. Here are a few examples.

So far these markers work well over Neocolor II, but it is a little too early to tell whether they will eventually clog and whether it is possible to clean the nib.

I used the Direct Ink markers for my Old Country Roses sketch.

I’m loving using these markers in my everyday sketching!

Which of these markers do I prefer?

I have enjoyed using both in different ways. Both brush tips work fine for how I make my marks.

I like the colour range of the white markers, the packaging and the design of the pen (they are easier to hold and have a more convenient cap). They work well on their own but aren’t as versatile for mixed-media work. I find it hard to tell if a marker is out of ink or clogged.  They are also easier to use (no need to shake).

The Direct Ink markers suit my mixed media work better. I like that they are wetter and the ink is a little more opaque than the white markers (note: I don’t need these markers to be totally opaque, so this is not a deciding factor for me). I don’t find the pen body as comfortable to hold, and the cap is a little bulky (meaning that I can’t fit as many colours in the same pencil case!)

I love using both these markers, but I don’t like that they are only available in sets, don’t have replacement nibs, and aren’t refillable. I hope these aspects change soon!

If you want to know more about my acrylic marker work, I have been sharing more over in my Sketching Adventure Community on Patreon.