Every so often, a new hobby product comes along that gets a lot of attention, and lately, paint pens for miniatures seem to be everywhere. I decided to give them a fair try to see what all the fuss was about. This isn’t a sponsored video; I bought all three sets myself for an honest, unscientific comparison. The three types I tested were Army Painter Speed Paint Markers, AK Real Colour Markers, and AK Playmarkers. To keep things consistent, I applied all of them onto an old 28mm fantasy miniature that had been base-coated white. I wasn’t aiming for a masterpiece — just a sense of how they behave in real use.
Each brand had its own quirks. The Army Painter Speed Paint Markers offered the expected semi-transparent finish, but dried so quickly that the paint couldn’t settle into recesses as intended. The result? A slightly streaky, uneven look.
The AK Playmarkers use a brush-style nib made of nylon, which felt more natural to handle, but the paint itself was quite runny. Combined with the large nib, it made precise control difficult — not ideal for small-scale detail work.
Finally, the AK Real Colour Markers provided much stronger, opaque coverage. Unfortunately, the chunky felt nib made fine detail almost impossible, especially in tight areas of the miniature.
In short, while all three pens have interesting features, none of them felt like a real alternative to a standard paintbrush. The humble brush still offers far more control, subtlety, and versatility. Of course, this is just my personal first impression. My technique might not be the ideal way to use these pens, and I know some hobbyists swear by them. So, if you’ve tried any of these paint markers and found success, I’d love to hear from you!
Watch the full video for the side-by-side comparison and let me know your thoughts in the comments.
I find they work well for Large terrain pieces where the level of control a brush offers is not necessary and the speed and precision is a good match for the challenges.
ReplyDeleteHaving never used a paint pen, this is a useful assessment. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteBought some cheapies of ebay and have just started to use them on bits and pieces and so far have found them really useful, I may go for some dearer ones, they are handy for little bits and pieces but you still can't beat the brush, handy to have in the arsenal for sure!
ReplyDeleteI have a few cheap ones which come in for certain fiddly bits
ReplyDeleteI haven't used mine on a model yet, but I would envision only using them for finer detail (eg to help with heraldry) rather than over larger areas of the figure. First impression on card is okay. Just another tool in the box.
ReplyDeleteI've used them for things like shield designs, give a bit more control than a brush for me. They are a handy addition to normal brushes
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