out of the
toolbox
Montana Acrylic
Markers
These markers come in fi ne
(2mm) and extra fi ne (0.7mm).
They are paint markers that hold
water-based, highly pigmented, light-
fast acrylic paint and come in 14
different colors, including metallic
silver, gold, and copper. They also
make fl uorescent acrylic markers.
Montana Empty Markers
(available in 0.7mm, 2mm, and
15mm) are markers you buy empty
and fi ll with Montana’s paint refi lls
(which come in 180ml or 25ml
containers). They have a shaker ball
inside that helps keep the pigment
and base mixed together. A pump-
valve system pushes the paint into
the felt tip.
The fi rst time you use them, you
have to pump them by pushing them
down repeatedly on a scrap piece of
fabric. It can take a while to get the
paint fl owing to the tip. Because they
are clear plastic, you can easily see
when your ink is running out and
refi ll it.
Montana recommends using their
brand’s paint refi lls, but I wondered
how they would work with other
kinds of ink, especially acrylic inks
like Liquitex® Acrylic Inks, and
Daler Rowney FW Artists Inks and
their Pearlescent Inks.
In my experiments, these
products worked as well as the
Montana refi lls. I found that with
any of the inks, the pens leaked a bit,
sometimes causing puddles on my
work. (fi gure 1) Once I used up the
ink in the felt tips, I had to release
more ink by pumping the tips. I kept
a scrap piece of fabric nearby to do
this.The fi rst time you fi ll one of
these pens, it’s smart to take it apart
carefully and place the parts out on
your work surface in order. There
is a cap section that keeps the ink
in the chamber and you have to
remove it by sliding a fi ngernail or
knife point under it and popping it
out. When you do this, make sure
you don’t lose the metal shaker ball.
(I was working near my sink, and
forgot this and the ball ended up in
my garbage disposal; it was not easy,
fast, or pleasant to get it out!)“Net of Wonder” (detail) • 30" x 50"fi gure 1