ScrawlrTips

Karin Pigment DecoBrush Markers

Featured In /  January '22 ScrawlrBox

We realise you may have never seen or used products like this before so we have put together a few hints, tips and techniques to test out and get the best from these supplies.

These pigment Decobrush markers provide the ultimate creative freedom. They are flexible and versatile brush markers filled with rich acrylic paint. This opaque paint can be used on all kinds of materials, such as paper, metal, glass, plastic, wood, textiles and lots more! It can also be used on dark surfaces and will be just as richly pigmented. These colours can be easily blended until the paint is completely dry to create beautifully smooth gradients and tonal transitions and once dry, the paints become waterproof and permanent.

Things To Try...

~ The basics - storage and usage advice for your Karin Pigment Deco brush pens:

- Before use make sure you shake well (with caps still on). If you find the ink still isn’t truly opaque, give them another shake just before use to make sure the paint has been fully activated. 
- Store your pens horizontally. If possible, these pens will need to be stored with the tip slightly inclined downwards – this will protect the tips from drying out.
 - If you need to clean the tips, briefly dip the tip into clean water. Then paint with it on a sheet of clean paper until the paint flows normally again. Repeat these steps if necessary. 

 ~ These pens are super pigmented, and super versatile and can be used on lots of different surfaces, not just paper. You can try them on metal, glass, plastic, wood, textiles and more! They are also great for use on dark surfaces.

 ~ Important to note though: the brush tip can be prone to fraying if it is used on rough surfaces, so they are best used on smooth surfaces or paper like the pad provided. 

 These pens blend beautifully together. To create a gradient/blend: 
- Apply your first colour and let it set briefly (don’t let it dry completely). 
- Then paint your second colour next to it and bring the paint into the area you would like to create the transition. 
- Carefully mix these colour pigments using the first colour pen, running the front 2-3mm of the brush tip over the second colour. 

~ Get creative! You can mix these pens together to make new colours and play around with tones. All you need is a palette and a brush. 
- swipe the colours you want to mix onto a palette
- blend with a wet brush 

~ Karin Pigment Deco brush pens are permanent when dry, so you can use the Micron fineliner on top of them and it wont disturb the colour beneath. 

~ The Faber-Castell 9000 graphite pencil provide a light graphite to the page. This means any line work underneath should be covered by the opacity of the Karin markers and the fineliner.
 

Artist Advice 

Roots

Keepin’ it cosy!


When I first opened the box of materials I was immediately struck by the autumnal colour scheme of the Decobrush Pens. Retro jumpers also popped into my head, so I wanted to go with a comfy, cosy vibe. I wanted to draw a character that might not necessarily be the first thing you think of when you think of cosy, so the dino it was!

The Decobrush pens blend together absolutely beautifully with their felt brush tips, and the colours are so strong and saturated they only really needed one or two coats to get that bold colour. I created a gradient fading the brown to yellow for the background using a dry brush in certain places, and for the jumper I wanted the blends to be slightly more obvious to replicate the chunky thread of a cosy jumper - I find it easier going from dark to light colours when blending. I imagine these pens would be a great addition to any calligraphers tool kit as they work on a lot of surfaces and wouldn't need layering up to get that strong opaque look. 

I was able to draw over the Decobrush paint easily too with my fine liner to create the leaves in the background which I think really pulled the piece together.

I enjoyed the effect the Micron fine liner had too when layering it over the top of itself with a stitch like pattern, just to add that little bit of extra detail.

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