Art pens for modelling use: chrome, grey & sepia

[Weaver]

Art company Molotow have produced a range of 'Liquid Chrome - 20 Years Edition' pens which seem to be really good. It's not just silver ink: the stuff can actually produce a surface you can see reflections in. I saw an artist raving about them on Twitter, so I decided to give them a go, and got one from Ebay for about £7. I notice that Hannants and other hobby retailers are doing them too. You can get 1,2,4 or 5mm nib sizes.

Here's the pen (1mm for me):



Here's a test patch on my Meteor paint-hack:



And here's a close-up. See the reflection?:



Bear in mind that I only did that very roughly and with no practice. I'm sure that if you get more used to the pen, you can get a smoother finish, and or course, preparation and undercoat are a factor. My main use for it will be things like hydraulic struts on 1/72nd models, so see-your-face quality is not the issue, but I'd imagine it's a boon for car/bike modellers or anyone else who does relatively large areas of chrome. I don't see any sign of it reacting with other paints that's it laid on top of, one thing I haven't tried yet is clear coats on top of it.

Here's Molotow's website: https://shop.molotow.com/en/marker-refills.html?product_range=liquid-chrometm

[PR19_Kit]

That looks seriously impressive H, well spotted. 

It could well be the answer to the 'Chrome Bumper' problem with many car models.

[sandiego89]

Thanks for sharing, good find.

-Dave

[The Rat]

Great for oleos.

[zenrat]

Looks pretty good.  How does it stand up to handling?

[Weaver]

Looks pretty good.  How does it stand up to handling?

A rigorous ten-second testing program has just proved that it's possible to rub it to a matt sheen pretty easily and rub it right off in tiny specks. Bear in mind that it was applied in a fairly inconsistent thickness in the test area, and also over a non-ideal undercoat. You might well be advised to clear-coat it it if you're using it on an big or handleable area, and you'd be equally well-advised to test the compatibility of the chrome and the clear coat first, because I haven't.

[zenrat]

Thanks H.

[NARSES2]

Great for oleos.

Very much so.

One wonders what the life span/expectancy is ? Is it going to sit in your mug being used on oleo's for the next 5 years or will it dry out after 6 months ? I'm not being critical, but sometimes art materials aren't designed to have the large "down time" that we models give them ?

Worth getting though. Cheers H 

[jcf]

Molotow manufacturers spray paints etc. used by street artists and other spray paint
artists, I have some friends who use it for their work and it stands up/lasts very well.

I have a couple of the chrome markers.

[PR19_Kit]

Don't they make cocktails too? 

[Weaver]

Don't they make cocktails too? 

If you want me to test that by setting fire to the tip and throwing it at a tank, I can do so, but it'll have to wait until after all the other tests...

[PR19_Kit]

Don't they make cocktails too? 

If you want me to test that by setting fire to the tip and throwing it at a tank, I can do so, but it'll have to wait until after all the other tests...

[NARSES2]

Molotow manufacturers spray paints etc. used by street artists and other spray paint
artists, I have some friends who use it for their work and it stands up/lasts very well.

Thanks Jon 

[Weaver]

I've changed the title of the thread so that it can be used as a general thread for all art-pen finds and tips (by other people too: dive in folks!).

Today I went to the Fred Aldous craft shop in Manchester (est.1886!) mostly for a general nosey around, but I did pick up some interesting fine pens by Derwent Graphik. They're from their Line Marker series and they're pigment ink so they should be all right to use on top of paint (but TEST FIRST as always). They have 0.1mm tips, which aren't the finest you can get (IIRC the finest of any sort in the shop was 0.03mm) but they look fine enough for doing panel lines and the like.

So why are they interesting? Because they're not black, that's why. Black pens can be a bit overpowering when used too much on light-coloured models, but these are available in 'graphite' (a kind of medium grey) and sepia (mid-brown). I've seen coloured fine-liners before, but they're usually bright primary colours, whereas these are subtle and soft: ideal for giving a bit of emphasis to the ailerons on a grey or white plane without making it look like a stained-glass window. It's just a shame they don't do a green one too, but hey-ho...

They aren't expensive either: these were £1.63 each.

Here's Derwent's page on them: https://www.derwentart.com/en/gb/6129/graphik-line-makers

Here's the Fred Aldous page: https://www.fredaldous.co.uk/collections/pens-and-markers/products/graphik-line-maker-pens-derwent

[Thorvic]

Love the liquid Chrome pen, I tried it on leg oleo's wing mirrors and the background behind lights and it works a treat