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What is a paint marker?
At risk of stating the obvious, it’s a marker pen, filled with paint. But that does perhaps need stating, because some people think it can’t possibly be real paint. It’s true that paint wouldn’t work in a normal marker pen, but the tips of most paint markers are special.
Do they need to be ‘primed’?
Why yes, imaginary question asker, they usually do, so glad you happened to ask such a conveniently leading question. With a few exceptions, paint marker pens have tips that are mounted on springs, and can be pushed up, to release some of the paint onto the tip. This needs to be done carefully, and it’s generally best done on scrap paper, until you get the paint flowing as you want it. Dip the tip down only briefly, or paint can come flooding out.
What type of paint do they use?
That varies - many paint markers use some sort of acrylic paint or oil paint, but some, like the popular Uni POSCA pens use ‘poster paint’, which is water-based pigment ink/paint, and even works well on paper.
Why would I use a paint marker pen instead of just a brush and some paint?
A brush and a can of paint would certainly be more cost-effective for large areas, and most artists would prefer a brush for doing an actual painting. But paint markers can be so much easier for anything detailed, or for drawings, or for writing or marking surfaces no ordinary pen can handle.