Arrtx metallic acrylic markers come in 12 shades in this set. These are brush tipped, waterbased markers that dry down to a waterproof finish, just like the Simptap markers I previously reviewed. However, unlike the Simptap markers, these don’t require shaking or pressing any valves.
The set comes in a sturdy box, making this a nice gift that presents very well.
Swatches of Arrtx Metallic Acrylic Markers
This is the most baffling, because the official Arrtx website had the correct shade swatches. The printed sticker labels and on the back of the package showed very different colours from the actual markers. I was able to match 6 of the shades, but even then, half of them are very pale versions of what was printed.
By the way, none of the markers had the shade names on the barrel or the cap, so I suspect the printed labels/stickers were done after the production of the markers.
Although the printed stickers and swatches on the packaging don’t match the actual shades, the caps on the markers do! This is better, in my opinion, than the caps not matching the actual shades. So instead of going by the stickers and printed swatches, just go by the caps to use the shades you want.
Moreover, the actual shades are more pastels than the vivid colours on the printed swatches.
Painting on Rocks
Since this is a set of metallic colours, I find the best use for them is as accent colours.
For the first rock, which I painted with Arrtx Simptap acrylic markers, I used J8 to paint over the pink parts, and J26 on the bow:
Similarly, I painted the metallic acrylic colours over Simptap on the second rock:
The metallic acrylic markers had no trouble on the rough surface of the rocks or over existing acrylic paint. They went on easily and did not dry as quickly as the Simptap markers, giving you enough time to blend the paints out.
Painting on Wood
I primed the wood with Daniel Smith watercolour ground first, let dry for 24 hours, before I painted with Rosa Gallery watercolour. After that, I used JP1, JP2 and J3 as accent colours. On dark backgrounds, these metallic colours really pop!
Painting on Mixed Media Paper
I find that on white paper, the metallic acrylic paints don’t pop as much as on darker paper. For the painting above, I used Strathmore toned blue mixed media paper, which isn’t dark but does the trick.
By the way, the flow of the paint and the brush tip work beautifully. I much prefer this set of markers to Simptap because you do not need to shake these and the paint flow was excellent. Since the paints do not dry as quickly as Simptap markers, you get some play time to blend the paints before they set and leave streaks.
On black paper, these metallic paints really pop! These markers do not disrupt the watercolour paints underneath, making them perfect as accents and finishing touches.
Painting on 100% Cotton Rag
For the above painting, I used watercolour and bleed proof white on Shizen 100% cotton rag. The rest was Arrtx metallic acrylic markers.
Painting on Glass
Since Arrtx metallic acrylic markers claim to have excellent effect on non-absorbent surfaces, I put them to the test on glass. You can see for yourself:
I used the markers on a small spice glass bottle and the paints went on without problems.
I also took a picture of the other side of the glass to show the opacity of the paints.
Overall Review of Arrtx Metallic Acrylic Markers
These are great markers! They are juicy, pigmented and saturated colours with a medium quick drying time. They blend well and also work beautifully over other acrylic markers or watercolour paints, and on different surfaces. That said, I do wish that instead of having two metallic blue and pink shades, Arrtx would include a metallic red and yellow to balance the palette a bit.
As noted before, the set comes in a beautiful box and makes for a nice gift. I highly recommend these markers!
Where to Buy:
US https://amzn.to/3tWFIzi
CA https://amzn.to/47uXIiw
UK https://amzn.to/49kTDPU
AliExpress https://bit.ly/3FyHHMG
Disclaimer: While this product is sent to me by Arrtx for review, this post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own. The links are non-affiliated and I do not make commission off the sales of this product.
