POSCA Pen Tutorial: Everything You Need to Know

Discover how to make your artwork pop with POSCA pens, with Polina Oshu

POSCA pens are water-based paint markers with endless creative possibilities. You can apply them to almost any surface, and they have a range of different nibs and colors to choose from. But where do you begin?

Russian illustrator and designer Polina Oshu finds POSCA pens ideal for her bold, colorful patterns. She uses these pens to create beautiful floral and abstract artwork which has appeared on M&S Food packaging, LUSH Handmade Cosmetics, and Jucy Judy clothing collections.

In this tutorial, Polina will show you her nifty tricks on how to get the most out of your POSCA pens.

Everything You Need to Know About Posca Pens

1. Activate your pen

To activate your pen, first you have to shake it. You will hear the distinctive sound of the ball in the tube, which is mixing the paint.

2. Start drawing

If you are using a new pen, you need to press down on the nib just until it fills with paint. If your pen runs out of paint whilst you are drawing, just press down on the nib again.

3. Storage

Posca pens don’t require any special kind of storage. Just make sure to remember the lid, since they dry out easily.

4. How to use the extra fine (0.7mm) tip?

This is ideal for strong, confident lines and details.

5. How to use the fine (0.9mm-1.3mm) or medium (1.8mm-2.5mm) tip?

These are great for drawing lines and coloring in.

6. How to use the broad (8mm) tip?

This is best used for coloring in large spaces, backgrounds, and creating calligraphic lines.

Did you enjoy this tutorial? If you want to overcome your fear of the blank page and create bold, botanical patterns, check out Polina Oshu’s online course, Botanical Patterns in a Sketchbook: Conquer the Blank Page.

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- Drawing Tutorial: Posca Pen Techniques for Beginners
- Drawing Tutorial: 3 Simple Exercises to Free Your Creativity
- The Art of Sketching: Transform Your Doodles into Art, a course by Mattias Adolfsson
- Drawing for Beginners: Level 1, a course by Puño