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(The dangers of) Pre-shading with permanent markers

odelers are always looking for materials and techniques which can speed up each step of model building, and that is good a

on't have time to spare as we used to. Sometimes, however, someone drops by with an interesting tip, something that seems a

nding at first. You decide to use it only to discover, weeks or months later, that that particular trick ruined your latest masterp

his article is just about one of such things: pre-shading with permanent markers (or sharpies). And allow me to start by my pers

dvise on using them to pre-shade your models: don't do it!

ears ago I was building a Spitfire and used a permanent marker to circle spots that needed further sanding. I corrected the si

pots, but I didn't bothered removing the circles because another layer of primer would be necessary. I applied the second lay

rimer and, after a few weeks, I noted that the circles were showing through. Not wanting to run any risk, I sanded those areas un

aces of permanent markers were removed. That episode remained in my mind until another model, when I didn't removed the ma

nd to my horror, they showed on the top of the camouflage weeks later. It wasn't too late to repair the model, but I decided to s

e subject and recalled my college classes of mass diffusion. This is a process where mass particles migrate from a

oncentrated medium to the the less concentrated, subjacent one. This is similar to the salt water and drinking water experim

here both solutions are separated by a membrane. With time, the salt will progressively migrate to the drinking water unti

oncentration is about the same on both sides of the membrane.

ack to our modeling life, during the last years many modelers have been reporting fast pre-shading on their models using shar

nd similars.

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seemed a good idea: quick and cheap - you don't have to crank your airbrush up and mess with painting, cleaning and all. T

n example I found on the internet:

he (big) problem is that the permanent marker ink will migrate through all layers of paint until it is visible... No, I don't mean f

sible, it will look like a punk graffiti. It is the Physics in action:

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ore recently, many modelers have been reporting sharpie pre-shading bleeding through, and you can find several case

scussion boards (like here,  here,  or here). I've been waiting a long time for a chance to record the effects of using perma

arkers for pre-shading. Unfortunately, it happened to a friend of mine, despite my several warnings not to do it.

his is Academy's F-89 in 1/72 scale built by Volmir Batista. I watched him working on this model during months. After my warns

ed to remove the pre-shading but "successful cases" on using the method convinced him to run the risk. Well, here is the mode

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ou don't find anything wrong with it? Look closer:

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looks like the sharpie was used after the painting, doesn't it? I'm sorry for Volmir, but glad I recoreded it.

or the records, he used automotive primer, Testor Model Master enamel paints and Future as a gloss coat. As you see, no f

evil brand products. In fact, this is a quite common recipe among modelers. Volmir called it transmigration, and the name

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mong our club members. Here is another shot of the "The transmigrated", as he refer to it now:

lease, note that the migration will happen provided the marker pigment is small enough. I mean much smaller than the

gments. There are many paint brands out there, many clear coats, and I won't claim the problem will happen to all of them. Bu

oes, it takes some time to happen, maybe weeks or months before it becomes visible, and I will tell from my own experience it is

good thing to see a black mark on your model surfacing more and more visible day after day.

also have been reading and listening comments in favor of this technique. Well, the photos are here, it is your model. Perma

arkers do are useful tools in modeling, and someone can find another interesting use for it.

ust remember that in this case the old saying "Test it in a piece of scrap before using on your model..." should be appende

..and wait a few months just to be sure". Not exactly my recipe to speed up model building safely.

hope you find this tip useful.

ato Marczak © 2011