QoR Artist Watercolors in Refillable Paint Markers

**Image 1**: Painted sketch of historic cabin in Trexler Park, Allentown, PA, created while testing a variety of QoR Watercolors in paint markers and brush pens (tools shown in Image 9). Painting is about 6 inches x 7 1/4 inches in size.

Introduction

Many artists use GOLDEN acrylics in markers, but what about QoR Watercolors in refillable paint markers? Since the markers rely on fluid paint, watercolor seems a perfect medium for these tools. QoR Artist Watercolor offers high lightfastness and dissolves into water beautifully, making it perfect for versatile marker techniques. In our testing, we found do-it-yourself watercolor markers can be a convenient and enjoyable way to create paintings and sketches. This article will explain how to fill a paint marker with tube watercolor, briefly touch on types of markers and pens, and introduce some results when these tools are used on various surfaces. The captions under images contain further information on materials and applications used.

Making Your Own Watercolor Markers

image of supplies for testing QoR Watercolor in paint markers and brush pens — **Image 2**: Supplies for testing QoR in paint markers: bottle of distilled water, tubes of QoR Watercolors, paint markers and brush pens filled with diluted QoR or water, small containers for mixing and diluting paint, QoR Synthetic Ox Gall, palette knife for mixing, watercolor paper for testing mixes and markers, paper towels, thrift store plate with a raised edge to hold marker parts, tape and waterproof marker for labeling markers, pipette for adding diluted paint or water. Other items which can be helpful: plastic for protecting work surface, a brush for testing mixes, and disposable gloves.

We found empty paint markers, available at most art supply stores, to be the most straightforward and durable of the tools we tested. Because of this, markers will be featured heavily in this article. Transparent barrels make it easier to judge how much paint you have left in a marker. Watercolor paint will need to be pre-diluted with water in a small flexible container before being poured into the barrel of a disassembled paint marker. When using more than one color in a marker, it can be helpful to pre-blend before diluting so the color of the mix may be tested and more paint added if needed. Remember that QoR is a strong paint, and not a lot of color will be needed for a marker.

image of paint and mixing cup — **Images 3** **& 4**: Two QoR watercolors squeezed out into a small plastic jar. We used more Ultramarine Blue (tube in new label) and less Transparent Pyrrole Orange (in original tube design) since the orange is stronger when mixing. We then mixed the blue and orange together with a clean palette knife. Water should be added once the colors are blended, but a few drops can be added now if it helps with paint mixing.

image of mixing watercolor in cup — **Images 3** **& 4**: Two QoR watercolors squeezed out into a small plastic jar. We used more Ultramarine Blue (tube in new label) and less Transparent Pyrrole Orange (in original tube design) since the orange is stronger when mixing. We then mixed the blue and orange together with a clean palette knife. Water should be added once the colors are blended, but a few drops can be added now if it helps with paint mixing.

Diluting QoR Watercolor For Use in a Paint Marker

Blend water into color gradually, being sure to fully incorporate each addition. When the consistency is diluted to a viscosity no thicker than light cream, use a brush to test the paint on scraps of wet and dry paper.

The ratio of paint to water impacts the strength and transparency of the color and the flow of the paint, just as when painting with a brush. Add more water if the mixture does not seem to flow easily or if the color needs more dilution. Recheck the mixture on dry and wet paper to see if it has the desired translucency, color, and movement.

image of test on wet paper of diluted blend of 2 watercolor paints — **Image 5**: The mixture of QoR Ultramarine Blue & Transparent Pyrrole Orange has been diluted with distilled water & then tested by touching the palette knife to a wet scrap of cold pressed paper to check paint color balance and movement. Distilled water is not necessary, but can help keep things from growing in the diluted paint during long-term storage.

Filling the Paint Marker with QoR Watercolor

When the paint has reached the desired dilution, take the empty marker apart over a surface or container where pieces will not escape. We often use a thrift store plate or a tray.

image of disassembled paint marker — **Image 6**: A disassembled generic bullet nib paint marker on a rimmed plate. The rim keeps pieces from rolling away. Paint markers contain mixing balls which are important for helping to mix the diluted paint before use. As the watercolor feels the pull of gravity, pigments will settle out of the water and multi-pigment mixes may separate into layers within the marker barrel. With vigorous shaking before each use, the mixing balls bounce around and blend the water and paints back together.

Now it is time to fill the marker. Stir the diluted watercolor one more time, then take the barrel of the disassembled paint marker in one hand and your mixing container holding the diluted paint in the other. Gently squeeze the sides of the mixing jar to create a ‘v’ and pour from that into the barrel of the marker. This can be messy, and it might be good to wear gloves and pour over a sink or covered surface.

Stop pouring a bit before the paint nears the top of the barrel or paint will be squished out when the marker is put back together. Reassemble the marker and rinse any paint from the outside so your hands stay clean when using it. When the barrel is dry, write the date and paint color(s) on a piece of tape and wrap this ‘label’ around the barrel to document what is inside.

image of test on wet paper once empty paint marker is loaded with diluted mixed QoR Watercolor — **Image 7**: The diluted blend of QoR Ultramarine Blue & Transparent Pyrrole Orange has been poured into the barrel of a marker. The marker was then reassembled and the nib loaded by repeatedly pushing the marker nib onto a sacrificial surface. This is called ‘pumping’ the marker, and these paint markers are sometimes called pump markers. The marker was then tested on a larger scrap of wet cold pressed paper. In the image, you can see the first test of the mix on wet paper, and the last test of the mixture (longer paper) once the paint was in the marker. Both of the tests are still wet, which shows how quickly a marker can be filled.

Dilutions and Techniques for Lights and Darks

When adding paint to your marker, consider both the dilution of your mixes and the surface on which you will be painting. We found that when working on a wet surface, less dilution and stronger color can be helpful since the water on the surface further dilutes the paint. When using a marker on dry surfaces, diluting to a less intense and more translucent color will allow for layering applications to intensify color. This is a technique familiar to those who build up layers when painting with watercolor and a brush.

Paint Personalities Can Matter

Individual QoR Watercolor paints move at different speeds and distances when used on a wet surface, and this trait can be exploited when newly filled markers touch wet surfaces. Using granulating and non-granulating paints in the same blend may increase color separation and aesthetic impact. This can be seen in Image 7, where the Transparent Pyrrole Orange moves more quickly than the granulating Ultramarine Blue on the wet surfaces. Whether you plan to work on wet or dry surfaces, we recommend testing small mixes before making diluted watercolor for use in a marker.

Pre-made paint blends or multi-paint markers that have been stored for many months might not separate the same way when used on a wet surface. Image 8 (below) shows the different behavior of a marker of diluted QoR Neutral Tint, which contains three pigments, compared to a marker containing a new mix of QoR Ultramarine Blue and Transparent Pyrrole Orange. In Images 1, 12, 13, and 17 the marker lines and dashes drawn with new two-paint mixes also demonstrate how individual colors move differently over wet surfaces.

**Image 8**: Two generic bullet nib markers containing either diluted QoR Neutral Tint (on lower left) or a diluted blend of QoR Ultramarine Blue & Transparent Pyrrole Orange (top & right); both markers were applied to water-wet hot pressed watercolor paper. A brush was used to apply water to the surface before painting with the markers. QoR Neutral Tint is a pre-made blend of three pigments (PY42, PR122, PB15:3) and the paint offers only very slight separation on a wet surface compared to the color movement with the newly mixed blue (PB29) & orange (PO71).

Types of Nibs for Markers

The most common marker nibs are ‘bullet’ which are rounded or ‘chisel’ which are angled. These come in different sizes and make different types of marks. Some marker companies have replacement nibs which can be interchangeable. Just slip out a nib and replace it with the same or a different style nib of the same size—while holding the marker’s nib end upright or the paint will escape.

In addition, some refillable paint markers have brush-shaped nibs. ‘Brush’ nibs for markers are usually a single flexible form rather than a brush head with actual separate bristles or hairs. We found the brush nib to be the easiest to use for painting and the least likely to bruise still-damp paper, perhaps because it comes closest to acting like a brush. Areas of bruised paper can be seen in Image 8 above; they are the darker thin lines of color inside the wider lines of spreading paint. Image 9 below contains examples of markers and brush pens.

Using Watercolor Paint in Markers and Brush Pens

Because pigment will settle out of water, the markers will need to be shaken to remix the paint fairly regularly. Empty paint markers usually come with mixing balls in their barrels, and when the marker is shaken the ball bounces. This helps keep watercolor in suspension and blends of paint mixed. We were not able to put mixing balls in brush pens containing converters, but we did add them to the diluted paint in the JusArt brush marker-pens which worked well to help mix the paint back into the water.

Paint markers are often “pump” style markers, which means the filled marker should be held vertically and the nib pushed down and released repeatedly onto a sacrificial surface. This action “pumps” color into the nib, and when the nib is full of paint it is ready for use. As the marker is used, the paint intensity in the nib reduces. This may be beneficial, as it allows varied intensity of color with the same marker. The marker can be shaken and then pumped at any time to recharge the nib with more intense color. All of the paint markers in this article are pump-style markers.

QoR Watercolor in the brush markers and pens used in our tests

Below we will show a range of filled paint markers and brush pens, the types of marks they make, and a sketch we created with these. We filled six of the tools with diluted QoR watercolor and one with water. Among the uses for a water marker are softening edges, dampening a surface area so paint spreads during application, lifting paint, and even further diluting the paint by touching the nib of the water marker to the nib of a paint marker to draw some of the color into the water nib. The diluted color then can be applied to the surface with the water marker.

image of the paint makers and brush pens used for test study of cabin, tools are filled with diluted QoR Watercolor or water — **Image 9**: Filled markers and brush pens tested (Image 10) and tested further through the creation of a painted sketch (Image 1).

Brush pens and markers in Image 9, listed from left to right:

Calligraphy pen with converter and brush nib containing diluted QoR Payne’s Gray (PBk7, PB15:3, PV19) (less regular flow and more delicate applications; a bit finicky but worked well )
JusArt brand brush pen containing diluted QoR Van Dyke Brown (PBr6) (worked well)
JusArt brand brush pen containing diluted QoR Nickel Azo Yellow (PY150) (drippy)
Molotow brand paint marker with brush nib, containing diluted QoR Ultramarine Blue (PB29) (worked well, but over time pumping the marker will damage the nib)
Generic paint marker with chisel nib containing diluted QoR Hookers Green (PY150, PB60, PR122) (worked well for mark making)
Generic paint marker with chisel nib containing diluted QoR Sap Green (PR101, PY150, PB36) (worked well for mark making)
Generic paint pen with chisel nib containing water (not used in image10)

**Image 10**: Application tests done in studio using tools shown in Image 9, done on Fabriano Artistico Extra White Cold Pressed watercolor paper, 140lb/300gsm. Images 9 and 10 show the tools and colors used for the painted sketch in Image 1. Test surface is about 5 1/4 x 11 inches in size.
**Top row**: Brush pen or marker used in angled horizontal marks to create area of color. The overlap lines with the chisel nibs is clear in the two green-filled markers on the right, and less clear in the blue brush nib marker in the center. The gray, brown, and yellow brush pens do not show overlap stroke lines. Once the first layer was dry enough, a second layer was applied the same way.
**Middle row**: Vertical area and lines for definition and precision
**Bottom row**: Vertical application onto wet paper (paper wet with a brush in the studio)

Paint Pens and Calligraphy Pens Containing Converters

As you could tell in the testing above, we also experimented with a few inexpensive paint pens and calligraphy pens with brush heads and converters (rather than cartridges). Converters are mechanisms in the barrels that allow the pen to suck up colorant. Since these are made for ink, watercolors with small pigment sizes like those in modern organics like Quinacridone and Phthalo might be less likely to clog the mechanisms.

The mechanics of these pens can be delicate and might not hold up to repeated cleaning and refilling with watercolor. Of those we tested, one worked well, one was finicky but a joy to use, one leaked, and one refused to refill after the initial load of paint had been exhausted. As with a brush holding water in traditional watercolor techniques, a water brush can soften edges, lift color, and dampen areas of the surface as needed. We found inexpensive pens containing converters work well for this need and were not as prone to leaking and dripping as the soft walled ‘water brush’ options.

Storing and Revitalizing Older Markers Containing Watercolor Paint

If markers filled with watercolor are stored a while, the stronger color might overwhelm colors with less mixing power. This may influence the mix’s color and behavior. Pigments can also be reluctant to mix back into solution after storage, no matter how strongly the mixing balls bounce.

When an old mixture refuses to cooperate, it may be possible to rescue the marker’s contents. We revitalized QoR markers containing blends of Ultramarine Blue and either Quinacridone Magenta or Transparent Pyrrole Orange after a year without use. We did this by carefully opening the older watercolor marker, adding a little water and a drop or two of QoR Synthetic Ox Gall, closing the marker back up, and vigorously shaking to allow the paint to remix into the water. Synthetic Ox Gall is a surfactant that breaks surface tension and helps recalcitrant ingredients interact more politely.

After our amendments, the resulting older paint blend flowed from the marker and over wet and dry surfaces with no reluctance. However, in both cases the two colors in the marker no longer separated on wet surfaces like they did initially. In addition, the modern pigments, Quinacridone Magenta or Transparent Pyrrole Orange, came to dominate over the Ultramarine Blue with which they were mixed. What had been a vibrant purple or a chromatic black was now either a reddish purple or a rusty brown.

When all else fails, simply clean the marker or pen and start with a fresh dilution.

Cleaning a Used Marker Containing QoR

A key advantage over acrylic paints in markers is that watercolor can be washed away no matter how long it has dried. This makes it possible to disassemble, empty, clean, and refill a QoR Watercolor marker, even a forgotten one that has been stored for years. We recommend wearing gloves since the process can be messy. Take care when cleaning–if the barrel is turned upside down over a sink not only will the paint go down the drain, so will the mixing balls!

Watercolor lingering in a used nib can be removed by soaking the nib in water or by filling the rinsed marker with water and using it to draw water lines on a piece of absorbent scrap paper. Remember when cleaning that, just as with brushes, some watercolor paints will stain. Nibs might be clean even if they look like they contain paint. A little of this is visible in the gray stains on the water marker nib in Image 9. For ease of marker use, it is good practice to clean the markers out completely now and then rather than store filled markers for a long period of time.

Surfaces to Explore with QoR Markers

Watercolor in markers offers a way to experiment without pressure, and can open the door to creating on watercolor grounds and synthetic papers like YUPO. Wet and dry synthetic surfaces will behave differently under a marker than watercolor paper does. That difference may allow the freedom to explore without expectations about results. Be aware that rough surfaces can be hard on nibs and brush hairs.

image of test painting trees with 2 QoR Watercolor paints in a single marker applied to wet cold pressed paper — **Image 11**: Diluted blend of QoR Cobalt Green (PG26) *& Perylene Crimson *(PR179*)* with a drop of Synthetic Ox Gall in a generic bullet nib marker, used on wet cold pressed paper. Cobalt Green was reluctant to blend back into paint once in the marker, so the Synthetic Ox Gall was added afterwards to encourage friendlier behavior. The darker lines are where the nib bruised the damp paper, and Cobalt Green settled into and around those areas. Dark areas are small paint puddles where the marker nib was pumped on the surface to increase the paint load being transferred. Cobalt Green is granulating, and its pigment does not move as much as the modern pigment in Perylene Crimson. Painting is about 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches in size.

image of test painting trees with 2 QoR Watercolor paints in a single marker applied to wet YUPO paper — **Image 12**: Created with the same marker and techniques (lines and pump puddles) as in Image 11, this time used on wet medium weight YUPO. Since YUPO is non-absorbent, the water lingered and puddled on the surface longer and encouraged more movement of the watercolors than seen with the use of watercolor paper in Image 11. Painting is about 5 3/4 x 7 3/4 inches in size.

Why Use Watercolor in a Paint Marker?

It is fun and tidy! Using blends of QoR in markers to draw on wet surfaces can be highly enjoyable. Despite the linear application, once on the wet surface the paint will move in unexpected ways just as happens with traditional wet-in-wet watercolor painting. Soft and feathered edges expand with more water on the surface, and drawing again onto the wet surface will darken areas. Tilting the surface is likely to make the water and paint move with gravity.

On dry surfaces, the paint will act like a blend of traditional brush application and marker. Markers can be used to fill areas with color, delineate lines, glaze to intensify color and create darks, and easily make repeated marks. A marker containing only water can soften painted edges just like a wet brush is used in traditional painting. Small bullet tip markers might also be helpful to ‘paint’ signatures. The brush-tip markers and pens are closer to an actual brush application, and handle areas of color with more delicacy.

We found the chisel tip markers worked especially well for repeated foliage texture (see Image 1 above). However, evenly applied areas of color on paper were harder to create with both chisel and bullet tip nibs since there is a tendency for the hardness of the nib to bruise the paper when layering over wet paint (see Images 8, 10, and 11 above). This is not an issue on Watercolor Grounds or synthetic papers, which have less sensitive surfaces even when wet.

Beyond the studio

If you plan to use watercolor markers on location, we recommend having at least one brush-style marker or brush pen containing plain water, and of course markers in the colors you might wish to use. It can take some planning when first approaching using watercolor markers on location, and there will be less color flexibility with markers than when using a travel palette. This might be a great time to explore a limited palette of colors—or even a monochromatic palette (Images 13, 14, 15 below).

image of foggy day, test of diluted QoR Payne's Gray Watercolor and a marker filled with water applied to a wet QoR Watercolor Ground surface — **Image 13**: Mid-morning hills and fog study, created with a generic chisel nib paint marker containing diluted QoR Payne’s Gray and a generic chisel nib paint marker containing only water. The absorbent surface of QoR Watercolor Ground was made very wet with the water marker, and lines immediately drawn into the water with the Payne’s Gray marker. More water was applied as needed. The water pulled the paint outward in diffused veils, and the Payne’s Gray was applied again repeatedly onto the wet surface for darker areas. The surface was kept as horizontal as possible to keep gravity from influencing the paint movement. To show how techniques can change results, Images 13, 14, and 15 were all created with the same paint marker and water marker. Painting is about 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches in size.

image of darker foggy day, test of diluted QoR Payne's Gray Watercolor and a marker filled with water applied to a wet QoR Watercolor Ground surface — **Image 14**: Early morning fog study, diluted QoR Payne’s Gray in generic chisel nib paint marker plus a generic chisel nib paint marker containing only water (used to saturate the surface) on QoR Cold Press Ground. Watercolor marks were drawn & redrawn with the marker & paint allowed to move on the wet surface. The board was kept as horizontal as possible. Painting is about 4 x 6 inches in size.

image of snowy fields in afternoon, test of diluted QoR Payne's Gray Watercolor and a marker filled with water applied to a dry QoR Cold Press Ground surface — ***Image*** 15: Snowy fields study, diluted QoR Payne’s Gray in generic chisel nib paint marker plus a generic chisel nib paint marker containing only water (used to soften edges and dilute the marker’s color) on a dry QoR Cold Press Ground surface. The edges of the chisel nib can be used to make a variety of flat marks, lines, and texture. The color in the nib will gradually weaken with use until the marker is pumped again. This gradation of color strength and layering were used to vary the grays on the surface. The texture of the Cold Press Ground also allowed easy creation of broken areas of color by drawing the chisel nib over the surface at an angle. Painting is about 3 3/4 x 5 3/4 inches in size.

Finally, when working on location, markers are easy to transport and less obvious than a travel palette of paint. We challenge you to give QoR Artist Watercolors in refillable paint markers a try!

image of a painting test of QoR in markers applied over a wet surface of a cold press watercolor paper with a stripe each of QoR Watercolor Ground, QoR Light Dimensional Ground, and QoR Cold Press Ground. Each maker contained 2 watercolors whose colors separated on the wet surface. — **Image 16**: Two generic bullet nib markers, one containing a diluted blend of QoR Ultramarine Blue & Transparent Pyrrole Orange & one containing a diluted blend of Ultramarine Blue & Quinacridone Magenta. Both markers were used to draw on a wet surface kept horizontal. The substrate is cold pressed watercolor paper with vertical stripes of watercolor grounds. The surface goes from the left to right: paper, QoR Watercolor Ground, paper, QoR Light Dimensional Ground (in the center), paper, QoR Cold Press Ground, paper. All three grounds were applied with an offset palette knife and allowed to dry completely before application of water and paint. The paper is Arches Bright White Cold Pressed watercolor paper, 140lb/300gsm. A brush was used to create a wet surface, and the paint was allowed to move and separate on its own over the wet surface. The dry result highlights the different interactions between the watercolor, water, and the textures and absorbency of the substrates. Watercolor Grounds and watercolor paper interact with diluted watercolor in different ways.

About Cathy Jennings

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GOLDEN Materials Specialist, painter of landscapes. BA Smith College, MFA University of Pennsylvania, PhD Texas Tech University. Prior to GOLDEN: various teaching positions across the USA, including Associate Professor and Chair of Art, Eastern New Mexico University. http://cjenningsgallery.com/