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Chocolate Musings

Set your goals - make the plans - artfully create your life - live it beautifully. Grab the good chocolate and find your muse.

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Home » acrylic markers

Product Review: Lightwish Acrylic Dual Tip Markers

September 13, 2023 Leave a Comment

Honest Review: Lightwish Acrylic Markers - ins and outs, good and bad. 
| ChocolateMusings.com

Table of contents

  • Product Review of the Lightwish Acrylic Dual Tip Markers
  • Expectations for the Lightwish Acrylic Dual-Tipped Markers
  • What The Marker Set Was Really Like – The Good, The Bad, and Would I Buy Again?
    • Flex Tip Markers
    • Lightwish Acrylic Dual Tip Marker Features
    • Colors
  • What I Tried
    • Bullet Journal Pages & Layering
    • Window & Glass
    • Faux Leather Soccer Ball
    • Croc Decoration
  • Would I Buy These Markers Again?
  • Where to Find/Links
Lightwish Acrylic Markers Product Review | Marker Color Features | ChocolateMusings.com

Product Review of the Lightwish Acrylic Dual Tip Markers

Product review of the Lightwish 48-color Dual-Brush Flex Tip Acrylic Paint Markers. I tested these markers on products and applications that I use regularly and tried to answer the questions I’d like to have answered. If I missed anything you’d like to know, please leave a comment.

Disclaimer: A representative from Lightwish contacted me and sent me the Lightwish Acrylic Dual Tip Markers – 48 Colors for free. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Lightwish Acrylic Dual-Tip Brush Markers Review Summary

4.5 out of 5

48 Dual Tipped Brush Pen Acrylic Paint Markers (also available in 60 colors).

Durability of Ink
4 out of 5
When tested on various surfaces, how well did the ink hold up?
Ease of Use
4.5 out of 5
How easy was it to use the markers from start to project completion?
Features & Colors
4.4 out of 5
Variety of colors and other features.
Price
5 out of 5
Value for the money.

Pros

Easy to use, no "activation' necessary

Good price for what you receive

Brush Pen – great for making thin & thick lines

Dual color markers – take up less space for more colors.

Variety of color choices. It seems especially great for landscapes.

Markers come with a carrying case to keep them together and secure.

Self-Cleaning Marker Tips

Cons

No color names, only numbers

Less ink for each color (dual tip = two colors per marker)

No activating paint could mean the markers dry out before reaching customers. (This didn't happen to me, but it's something to note.

Flex tip could get damaged with a lot of coloring.

Buy this Product

Buy on Amazon

Expectations for the Lightwish Acrylic Dual-Tipped Markers

Unlike many reviewers, I form opinions about the product before trying it. Then, I see how the product matches up with my expectations. So, here’s what I expected.

I expected these markers to be similar to all the other broad-tip acrylic paint markers I’ve used. No, I didn’t carefully look at the picture before I got them because it clearly shows a tapered tip. However, after I saw the tapered tip, I did not expect the marker tip to be flexible. After using the markers, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the features and how the products I tested held up to use. Although there were some features I’d like to see, nothing was a deal breaker.

I wanted to test at least these few things about the Lightwish Acrylic Markers:

  1. The durability of the markers.
  2. How opaque is the ink? I.e., how thickly do you need to apply the ink for good coverage?
  3. How fast do the markers dry out? (Time will tell with this one – I’ll update this post in 6 months.)
  4. Does the ink bleed through the paper in notebooks?
  5. How hard is it to remove the markers on glass surfaces once applied?

What else would you like to know about these markers?

What The Marker Set Was Really Like – The Good, The Bad, and Would I Buy Again?

Most of the acrylic markers I’ve tried have a stubby tip that you push down to ‘activate’ the paint. These Lightwish acrylic markers don’t require activation. I was surprised and also a little concerned. The only reason to be concerned was that they might dry out before getting to the consumer. But I didn’t have any issues with dry marker tips. In fact, all of the colors flowed nicely and continued to do so afterward.

One thing I was not able to test when it came to marker flow is how long they stay ‘fresh’ after opening the first time. Other acrylic markers tend to dry out quickly, so I recommend using them as soon as possible for any projects.

Flex Tip Markers

Surprisingly, the markers were true flex tip markers – meaning I could use them in modern calligraphy lettering without having to do the faux calligraphy technique. The nib wasn’t as flexible as, say, Tombow Dual Brush Pens, but I could get some great thin and thick lines when lettering.

The markers came in a clear, snap-shut carrying case. They snap in and out of place in the carrying case – which is very convenient. The markers stay together and secure in their carrying case. The case makes it easy to keep track of and store them horizontally.

Lightwish Acrylic Dual Tip Marker Features

Each Lightwish acrylic marker is dual-tipped, which I can see as both a pro & a con. For one thing, it takes up less space to get more colors! But if you need a lot of one color (like black), you might risk running out of ink before your project is through.

Dual Brush Tip Markers Color Choices | ChocolateMusings.com
Dual Brush Tip Markers Color Choices | ChocolateMusings.com

Colors

The 48-pack marker set came with lots of blues and greens to choose from. Plenty of purple and a few variations of gray mixed in. One color I expected to have more variety in was red despite the orange-red options. I guess I expected more options in the red-purple tones. Though I’m sure combined with orange and purples, you could get a larger variety if that was a big deal.

If Lightwish were to ask me what color I would take out and replace with a red-purple, I would look at the green, thinking that we could sacrifice one of those beautiful colors for another red. Maybe one of the sky/cerulean blue options. Of course, I’d probably end up relenting the loss of that color as well. This is probably why they haven’t (nor ever will) asked me my opinions on color choices.

I love to have color names for each color – and unfortunately, these Lightwish Acrylic Dual Tip Markers only have numbers but no names. I tried to run the names on the package through a translator (because they have Chinese symbols printed on them), but the translator couldn’t pick up the symbols.

Lightwish Color selection - Dual Tipped Brush Markers | ChocolateMusings.com
Dark Color Selection Dual Tipped Brush Markers | ChocolateMusings.com
Light Color Selection Dual Tipped Brush Markers | ChocolateMusings.com

What I Tried

Bullet Journal Pages & Layering

I used the markers when setting up one of my months in my bullet journal. I layered the colors thickly on top of each other, but they never bled through. And except where I purposefully left ridges on the edges of my marker painting, there was very little texture left by the paint. Something I was surprised by – usually, acrylic markers have a distinct texture left by the paint on the page. The texture was very minimal, if any. In some cases, it felt like I used Crayola Supertip Markers on the page instead of acrylic paint markers.

I tried layering many colors, and the colors blended well enough for acrylics. The colors did dry very quickly, so it was not easy to blend, but that’s to be expected with all acrylic markers. The marker tips were self-cleaning (meaning continued use of the marker after combining with another color – the marker returned to the original color and was not stained.)

Mermaid under the sea acrylic bullet journal weekly | ChocolateMusings.com
Mushroom Weekly  Bullet Journal Layout |  Acrylic Marker Review | ChocolateMusings.com
Simple Whale & Boat Line Drawing | Bullet Journal Collection | ChocolateMusings.com
Lightwish Marker Test Page - Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com
Book Magic Weekly Bullet Journal Layout | Lightwish Acrylic Marker Review | Bullet Journal Test | ChocolateMusings.com

About My Notebook

Some call me a paper & pen snob. I embrace it and admit it readily. The pages in my notebooks are thick. (I currently use an Archer and Olive A5 dot-grid notebook). And I prefer thicker paper to thinner paper like that in the Leuchtturm1917, Hobinochi Cousin, and Moleskine notebooks.

Some pre-made planner books have equally thin pages – so your results could be different than mine. I did, however, test the markers in an old Leuchtturm1917 notebook (they’ve since changed their paper slightly), and the Lightwish acrylic markers did not bleed through. They did ghost but did not bleed.

Need to know the difference between ghosting and bleeding? Read this post!

Ghosting vs Bleeding - What's the Difference? | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #ghosting #bleeding

Window & Glass

Handlettering on glass was extremely satisfying and fun. I loved not having to use the faux-calligraphy method of creating the thicks and thins of the calligraphy letters. I also loved the variance of ink levels when lettering. You can especially see this in the star shape I made in the picture below.

Removing the ink afterward was not easy. And I didn’t let it sit for long before trying to remove it. Please note before using it on a surface you want to reuse.

Can I do thicks and thins with these markers? You bet! On windows? yep! | Acrylic Marker Review | ChocolateMusings.com
Thins, thicks, how do these markers hold up to windows and other materials? Marker Review | ChocolateMusings.com

Faux Leather Soccer Ball

My six-year-old started soccer not long ago, and his coach gave him a soccer ball (standard issue – just like all the other kids on the team). The coach recommended decorating the soccer ball or writing his name on it so it didn’t get mixed up with all the other kids.

Well, we received the markers the same day we got the ball. Cue the markers! We had a ton of fun decorating the white sections of the ball with various colors from the Lightwish acrylic marker pack.

Surprisingly, the paint stuck. The paint has stuck through wet, dewy grass, kicks/scratches with cleats, and general six-year-old soccer ball use, plus a puppy who thinks he is a pro soccer player.

Lightwish Acrylic Markers Review - Markers vs. Six-Year-Old and Soccer Ball | ChocolateMusings.com

Croc Decoration

A friend recently asked me to create custom Crocs for her daughter. She couldn’t find the right size on Etsy for her daughter, so I gave it a go. Well, it kind of flopped. The acrylic-based markers I used at the time cracked in the creases almost immediately. It was disheartening and rather disappointing. Unfortunately, the same thing happened with the Lightwish Acrylic Markers. I would not recommend using these markers on Crocs or equivalent.

Would I Buy These Markers Again?

The takeaway for this product is to test with a small section or on a scratch piece to make sure the marker will ‘stick’ to the product. Overall, I thought the Lightwish Acrylic Markers were excellent and versatile.

Would I buy these markers? Yes! I would. In my opinion, I thought the value of the cost was great. And I enjoyed having a variety of colors. I especially liked how smooth the finish was on paper. In general, the markers were opaque enough that I didn’t have to color over and over again. They were easily layered/and blended well enough.

For my purposes, these markers fit nicely into my collection and work well with the products that I regularly use.

Where to Find/Links

Find the Lightwish Acrylic Markers featured in this review on Amazon!

Shop Amazon Now
Lightwish Acrylic Markers Product Review | Marker Color Features | ChocolateMusings.com
Lightwish Acrylic Markers Product Review | Bullet Journal Test | ChocolateMusings.com

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Filed Under: Blog, Get Inspired, Pen & Marker Reviews, Product & Book Reviews Tagged: acrylic markers, markers, product review

Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review (Bullet Journal Version)

October 19, 2021 Leave a Comment

Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review - for Bullet Jouranalists | ChocolateMusings.com
Chalkola Acrylic Markers in a Glass Jar | ChocolateMusings.com
Cover Lettering with Chalkola Acrylic Markers - the markers went 6 months untouched | ChocolateMusings.com

I’m excited to review these Chalkola Acrylic Markers. Just a heads up, I reviewed these markers for use in my bullet journal and on paper. I love to use a lot of art supplies when I bullet journal. Sometimes I branch out and use the supplies outside of a notebook (a few of which I’ll highlight, here) but in general, I tend to stick pretty close to my notebooks and paper. I hope I cover everything you’d like to know in this Chalkola Acrylic Marker review – especially when it comes to bullet journaling. If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them in the comments below.

By the way, Chalkola sent me these acrylic markers, but with no pretense. They just said they liked my art on Instagram. So any opinions are mine & mine alone. You can learn more about my disclosures here. By the way, check me out on Instagram @ChocolateMusingsCreates

Table of contents

  • About the Acrylic Markers:
    • Colors in the 20-Color Pack
  • The Basics: How to Paint with Chalkola Acrylic Markers
  • Questions I Asked as I Reviewed the Acrylic Markers by Chalkola
  • Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review – Bullet Journal Cover:
    • What I Learned From the Notebook Cover Experiment
    • What I’d Do Differently
  • How Well Do They Clean-Up (After a Mistake)?
  • Inside the Notebook – Marker Review
  • Bleed Through Review
  • Reactivating the Markers Six-Months Later – Will They Still Work?
  • How Do Six-Month Old Markers Work?
  • Summary – Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review

About the Acrylic Markers:

The Chalkola Acrylic Markers I received came in a pack of 20 colors with an easily reversible 3mm bullet tip or chisel tip. They have a new 1mm extra-fine tip that I’m excited to try. But I used the 3mm tip markers equipped with the bullet tip for my test.

Find the Markers Here:

  • Amazon
  • Chalkola Website – Use this link for 10% off!

Colors in the 20-Color Pack

  • Candy Apple Red
  • Deep Cherise Pink
  • Electric Pink (?)
  • French Rose
  • Sherbet Orange
  • Warm Ivory
  • Orchid Purple
  • Taffy Pink (?)
  • Pineapple Yellow
  • Luminous Yellow
  • Lime Green
  • Royal Blue
  • Soft Blue
  • Turquoise
  • Emerald Green
  • Coffee Brown
  • Bright Gold
  • Metallic Silver
  • Pitch Black
  • Milky White (which is written there, I promise!)
Chalkola Acrylic Marker Swatches + Paint Marker Product Review | ChocolateMusings.com

The coffee looks more like a coffee diluted with a lot of creamers. I couldn’t tell the difference between taffy and electric pink. I’d love to see another shade of red or green instead of the selection of pinks. Overall, I like the quality and intensity of the colors. They’re semi-opaque, but you can add extra layers for a more opaque look.

Close up of acrylic markers in my bullet journal | ChocolateMusings.com
Chalkola Acrylic Markers Color Swatch Bullet Journal Spread | ChocolateMusings.com

The Basics: How to Paint with Chalkola Acrylic Markers

Before starting, activate all of your markers.

To activate your markers, shake the marker with the capped side upright several times before removing the cap. The box recommends shaking for 30 seconds per pen. When finished, remove the lid and press the marker’s tip up and down quickly several times on a piece of paper to get the ink flowing.

The box recommends using these acrylic paint markers on rocks, wood, metal, plastic, glass, ceramics, porcelain, and fabric. But you know I’ll test on other materials including my faux leather bullet journal cover and, of course, paper. I’m excited to see how they work in my notebook as well.

When finished, recap tightly and store them in a horizontal position.

Box Front View of the Chalkola 3mm Acrylic Paint Markers | ChocolateMusings.com
Back view of the Chalkola 3mm Acrylic Markers - Instructions on How to Activate | ChocolateMusings.com
Colors in the Chalkola 20 count Acrylic Paint Marker Box - Marker Review | ChocolateMusings.com
Colors in the Chalkola 20 count Acrylic Paint Marker Box - Marker Review | ChocolateMusings.com

Questions I Asked as I Reviewed the Acrylic Markers by Chalkola

First of all, I wanted to see how Chalkola acrylic markers worked on all sorts of surfaces (including the faux leather bullet journal cover). I don’t do a whole lot of other crafting, so I am sure these markers have many other uses – more than what I tested.

With watercolors, I know how to blend colors and transition from one color to another. But I wasn’t so sure what would happen with these Chalkola acrylic markers, especially on my bullet journal cover. So that’s what I set out to do.

  • Which Materials are best for the Chalkola Acrylic Markers?
  • Are the markers easy to use?
  • Is the paint permanent after it dries?
  • Does it rub off or wear off easily?
  • Can I remove the Chalkola Acrylic Paint after it dried – even from my bullet journal cover?
  • Can I fix mistakes (remove paint) while wet?
  • How quickly do Chalkola Acrylic Paint Makers dry?
  • Could I easily blend the colors?
  • What blending technique should I use?
  • If I used the marker tips to blend, how easily do they clean afterward?
  • Do the marker tips stain? (Meaning does the tip of the Chalkola Acrylic Marker self-clean, or does the tip continue to look dirty from the other colors.)
  • How would the colors look on a dark surface?
  • How well do the markers work after 6 months of non-use?

Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review – Bullet Journal Cover:

Since I bullet journal, I of course want see what I can use in (or on) my notebook. So I decided to paint the cover of my faux leather notebook Tumbitri Meri. If you’d like to know more about the Tumbitri Meri notebook I’m currently using, you can read (or watch) the review here.

The company logo was debossed in gold on the front cover – which I figured would be a good test on different surface materials for these Chalkola Acrylic Paint Markers.

Tumbitri Meri Notebook in Purple 220 Pages, 160 GSM comes with gold ruler with templates - great for bullet journaling | ChocolateMusings.com

What I Learned From the Notebook Cover Experiment

Painting the cover of my new bullet journal with Chalkola Acrylic Markers would help me learn several things about them. In this experiment, using the Chalkola Acrylic Paint Markers on my bullet journal cover, I discovered in real life how the markers performed.

Here’s what I learned:

  • The ink dried quickly, so I had to work in small sections.
  • The colors blended easily if I pushed down on the marker to release a little more paint. Like combining other water-based markers (like Tombows), the shades blended easier if I used the lighter color to mix. I used darker colors over the top of the logo to hide it better.
  • After mixing colors, I’d scribble on a piece of paper off to the side and clean the marker’s tip. It worked like a dream, and even the white marker didn’t stain. So every time I colored, the color was pure instead of muddied with another color.
  • The colors are not entirely opaque but become less and less transparent with each additional layer.
  • I found that if you add a base layer, let it dry, you could color over it again and enhance the color. You could blend with other colors at that point as well.
  • The markers needed multiple coats to cover dark surfaces.
  • If they started streaking, you could wait for them to dry and go over the same area again without a problem.
  • After letting the acrylic paint dry for a couple of minutes, I gingerly touched the paint. It was not tacky in the least. There were no visible or textured raised areas like you might find when painting with acrylic paint from a tube.

Read more about the process I used to paint the notebook cover in this post.

What I’d Do Differently

  • Next time I won’t be as shy about blending colors. Knowing that I can quickly and efficiently clean the marker tips makes all the difference in confidently mixing colors without worrying that I’ll ruin the tip or permanently stain it.

If you want to decorate your bullet journal or planner cover, I’d say these acrylic paint markers are the way to go. Check out how I used these markers in my September Leaves Theme. I even blended small areas of color directly on the paper.

Step 9: Add finishing details - here I added wispy tendrils at the base of the feather in white acrylic marker | ChocolateMusings.com
Cover Lettering with Chalkola Acrylic Markers - the markers went 6 months untouched | ChocolateMusings.com
Step 7: If you used a template, remove the vinyl or tape to reveal your design. | ChocolateMusings.com
How I painted my bullet journal notebook cover with acrylic markers - step-by-step pictures | ChocolateMusings.com

How Well Do They Clean-Up (After a Mistake)?

I colored outside the template lines a few times (gasp!) but removed the color with water and a Q-tip while the paint was still wet. The paint didn’t bleed under the template as it was not overly wet, so it stayed where I put it. In my second experiment (6-months later), I pushed down too hard and got a big blob of paint on the notebook cover. It cleaned up nicely with a few swipes of a wet Q-Tip.

If you mess up on an area where the paint’s already dried, use a bit of water or rubbing alcohol and a Q-Tip and rub at the mistake. The color will start to fade away. You might, however, see a different result based on the type of surface you’re painting.

Six months later, the paint looks great on the cover. I take my bullet journal everywhere in my purse. I would give the durability an A.

Inside the Notebook – Marker Review

Not only did I use the markers on the outside of my notebook but I also used them inside. Don’t worry, I’ll give you those details for this Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review.

In one case, I covered most of the page with paint (teal future log pages + argyle sweater cover page). If I colored slowly, I reduced the streaking. Probably because the paint was drying so quickly. One nice thing that I could cover the entire page in color and the page didn’t buckle as it does with watercolor. And for a layered design look like the argyle sweater cover page, just wait until the paint is dry and color over it. Since I use notebooks with thick pages, I had no trouble with bleeding.

I had trouble writing over the paint with my regular gel pens, but fineliners seemed to work just fine. I also used some lettering pens (Fudenosuke and Pentel Touch) which worked well over the markers (page with boxes & yellow box).

As far as testing on black paper, I did a pretty terrible job about documenting how the colors showed up on black paper vs. white paper, but I did notice quite a bit more streaks on dark paper. The dark paper required more layers just like the dark notebook covers. I think if I slowed down those streaks would go away and if you let the paint dry in between layers, the coverage would be better. When I get some 1mm pens, I’ll test it out better on black paper.

Blending and pen test with acrylic markers | ChocolateMusings.com
Argyle Sweater Bullet Journal Cover Page | ChocolateMusings.com
Fun painted future log page with full color paint | ChocolateMusings.com
Full Color Pages - No Wrinkles! | ChocolateMusings.com
Full page coverage using acrylic markers - without wrinkling | ChocolateMusings.com

Bleed Through Review

The markers didn’t bleed through in my regular notebook. It does have thicker pages (160gsm) than a Leuchtturm or Exceed notebook. So I also tried a notebook with super thin pages (the thinnest pages I could find!). As you can see from the first and second pictures, the markers ghosted but didn’t bleed through on this thin paper any worse than the regular pens I use on it.

Acrylic Marker Test vs. Thin Page Notebook - how did they do? | ChocolateMusings.com
Thin Paper vs. Acrylic Markers | ChocolateMusings.com
Acrylic Marker Test in a Thin-Paged Notebook - Still Fares Great! | ChocolateMusings.com
Ghosting vs Bleeding - What's the Difference? | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #ghosting #bleeding
Fading to fall leaves September Bullet Journal Plan with Me - Creative & Productive Bullet Journal Ideas & Spreads | ChocolateMusings.com

Find the Markers Here:

  • Amazon
  • Chalkola Website – Use this link for 10% off!

Reactivating the Markers Six-Months Later – Will They Still Work?

After an unexpected break from all things creativity (2020, am I right?!), I came back to this half-finished post and decided to dedicate a portion of the review to how well the Chalkola Acrylic Markers faired six months after opening them and activating them.

When I cracked open the box, I half expected each marker to be completely dry. After shaking them and ‘re-activating’ them, they seemed to work better than I expected. I think the markers laid horizontally (for the most part) during my six-month hiatus, which probably helped.

There was only one marker that I had issues reactivating. That was (I think) the electric pink. That was the only marker I switched the tip from round tip to chisel tip and left it that way. Not sure if that had anything to do with it, but that’s what I observed. I was able to coax the changeable tip out and could see that the paint had dried around where the tip met the reservoir.

I soaked the tip in a bit of water (hey! it was that or the trash can at this point) and stuck a pin down the marker tube to see if I could break up the dried paint. Amazingly, it worked. I could tell that the marker wanted to roll over and die, but it reactivated for my little experiment. I figure if I worked at it a little more, I could restore it further.

How Do Six-Month Old Markers Work?

All of the swatches below were done after the 6-month period. Certainly not like new, but I was surprised that they weren’t completely sealed over.

Chalkola Acrylic Markers Color Swatch Bullet Journal Spread | ChocolateMusings.com
Cover Lettering with Chalkola Acrylic Markers - the markers went 6 months untouched | ChocolateMusings.com

In good fashion, I created another cover with the markers to test blendability (is that a word?) and the flow of the markers. As you can see, I struggled a bit with the blue on the end. I had to make a pool of ink in a couple of instances and dip the markers into the pool to get the right amount of ink. Sometimes I pushed too long and hard to get more ink flowing and created ink blobs, but even these large blobs cleaned up with a Q-tip.

I would rather use these markers when they are fresh and newly activated, but what else can you expect from acrylic markers? In general, I was pleasantly surprised that they worked at all and were easy to reactivate for the most part.

Summary – Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review

Find the Markers Here:

  • Amazon
  • Chalkola Website – Use this link for 10% off!

The markers are straightforward and easy to use. Once they’re activated, there is not much effort to start creating. I haven’t tried extremely hard to remove the paint, but it doesn’t seem to scratch off or rub off easily. If you like a variety of supplies for your bullet journal, I would definitely add these to your list!

I’d love to know what you thought of this review and if you’ve tried acrylic markers in your bullet journal or notebook. Leave me a comment below!

  • Tutorial: How Watercolor Paint with Markers in Your Bullet Journal
  • Beginning Lettering Supplies
  • April Plan With Me 2019- Recipe Art Inspired
  • September Leaves with Acrylic Markers- Planner Set Up

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Blog, Bullet Journal, Creating Art - Watercolor, Painting & Drawing, Get Creative, Get Inspired, Get Organized & Start Planning, Pen & Marker Reviews, Product & Book Reviews, Tutorials & How To Tagged: acrylic markers, bullet journal cover, new bullet journal, product review

How I Painted My Notebook Cover with Acrylic Markers

October 12, 2021 Leave a Comment

How I painted my bullet journal notebook cover with acrylic markers - step-by-step pictures | ChocolateMusings.com

It’s time for new cover art for my bullet journal! In this post, I’ll show you how I painted this gorgeous & whimsical feather on the cover of my faux leather Tumbitri Meri notebook using Chalkola acrylic paint markers.

By the way, Chalkola sent me these acrylic markers, but with no pretense. They just said they liked my art on Instagram. So any opinions are mine & mine alone. You can learn more about my disclosures here. You can also check me out on Instagram @ChocolateMusingsCreates

Table of contents

  • New Bullet Journal Notebook Cover – Painted of Course
  • About the Acrylic Markers:
  • Bullet Journal Cover Art Inspiration
  • The Basics: How to Paint the Notebook Cover with Chalkola Acrylic Markers
  • The Process: Painting the Bullet Journal Cover With Chalkola Acrylic Markers
  • Coloring Outside the Lines (oops!)
  • Finishing Details
  • The Result
  • What I’d Do Differently Next Time I Paint My Notebook Cover
  • Summary

New Bullet Journal Notebook Cover – Painted of Course

When I moved to a new notebook by Tumbitri Meri I wasn’t sure what to do with the cover. I liked the smooth feel of the outside, but love to customize my books. With its 220 thick pages, I imagined I’d use it for a while. After receiving some acrylic markers, I decided to try painting the cover of this notebook.

The cover is faux leather and deep purple (their stock on Amazon seems to fluctuate between colors available – but I always get the thicker paper option no matter which color I choose). I wasn’t sure if the markers would rub off the debossed gold logo on the front or if the logo would stand out too much after I painted it. (Spoiler – the markers did great!)

If you’d like to know more about the Tumbitri Meri notebook I’m currently using, you can read (or watch) the review here.

For my last notebook cover, I created a lovely textured silver vinyl sticker with my Cricut using my word of the year to remind me of my goals every time I picked up the book. I love the idea of customizing my notebook to help me focus.

Bullet Journal Cricut Cut Cover Art + Word of the Year | ChocolateMusings.com

My word of the year was ‘consistency,’ and whew, was that a doozy to stay consistent in 2020. Although, I have to admit that having it as a constant reminder on the front cover of my bullet journal kept me on track more than I might have otherwise. Honestly, I think without that reminder, I would have derailed more than I did – which is saying a lot.

200+ Word of the year ideas to inspire and motivate you | ChocolateMusings.com #wordoftheyear #wty #words #motivation

Check out this post for ideas to choose your word of the year. Whether or not you display your word on your bullet journal cover is up to you.

About the Acrylic Markers:

The Chalkola Acrylic Markers I received came in a pack of 20 colors with an easily reversible 3mm bullet tip or chisel tip. They have a new 1mm extra-fine tip that I’m excited to try. But I used the 3mm tip markers equipped with the bullet tip in this tutorial.

Find the Markers Here:

  • Amazon
  • Chalkola Website – Use this link for 10% off!
Chalkola Acrylic Markers in a Glass Jar | ChocolateMusings.com
Chalkola Acrylic Markers - Marker Bouquet in a glass jar | ChocolateMusings.com
Chalkola Marker Swatches in my Tumbitri Meri Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com

Bullet Journal Cover Art Inspiration

I found inspiration from my Arrows & Feathers Board on Pinterest then created my own version in ProCreate on my iPad. Follow me on Pinterest and find more Bullet Journal Ideas & Creative Inspiration!

The Basics: How to Paint the Notebook Cover with Chalkola Acrylic Markers

Before starting to paint your notebook cover, activate all of your markers.

Using my Cricut machine, I cut non-permanent vinyl and applied it to my planner cover. Making sure to use the scraper tool (or a credit card) to scrape along all the edges to seal down the template and prevent any paint bleeds.

I had a vague idea of how I wanted to apply the paint, but my goal was to create a painting that felt whimsical and flowy (is that a word?) and not too rigid, so I didn’t plan too much.

  • Step 1: clean and apply the template (if you're using one) | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Step 2: Use a scraper tool or edge of a credit card to smooth out and adhere the design to your notebook cover. | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Step 3: Apply the design template to your notebook cover, after painting, you'll remove the template (unless you decide to keep it as an outline). If you decide to keep it, don't color over the outlines - Remove the sticky film after you apply the design to the cover. | ChocolateMusings.com

The Process: Painting the Bullet Journal Cover With Chalkola Acrylic Markers

The ink dried quickly, so I worked in small sections of the feather. The colors blended easily if I pushed down on the marker to release a little more paint. Like combining other water-based markers (like Tombows), the shades blended easier if I used the lighter color first and blended in with the darker color. But since these markers were (mostly) opaque, I could go back and lighten areas if I used too much dark paint on the notebook cover.

Continue to work in small sections and blend colors near each other on the color wheel to create blends instead of muddy colors. I used darker colors over top of the logo to hide it better. But I don’t think that was necessary. The colors are not entirely opaque but become less and less transparent with each additional layer.

After mixing colors, I’d scribble on a piece of paper off to the side and clean the marker’s tip. It worked like a dream, and even the white marker didn’t stain with the other colors I mixed with it.

  • Step 4: Choose a color and start painting your notebook cover | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Step 5: Paint the cover in small sections, blending colors two at a time. The paint will dry and you won't be able to blend if you try to cover too much area too fast | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Step 6: Continue blending colors on your notebook cover in small sections - the paint dries quickly, so work fast and in small areas | ChocolateMusings.com

Coloring Outside the Lines (oops!)

I colored outside the template lines a few times (gasp!) but removed the color with water and a Q-tip while the paint was still wet. The paint didn’t bleed under the template as it was not overly wet, so it stayed where I put it.

Finishing Details

After letting the acrylic paint dry for a couple of minutes, I gingerly touched the paint. It was not tacky in the least. There were no visible or textured raised areas like you might find when painting with acrylic paint from a tube.

I quickly removed the vinyl template. The result was a fun, colorful, whimsical piece of art on the cover of my bullet journal. Since I covered up a portion of the logo with the acrylic paint in the feather, I decided that this particular design needed an outline. The gold did just the trick. It comfortably covered the outside area and hid any mistakes I wanted to cover.

Once I let that dry (which didn’t take long at all), I added a few wispy tendrils at the bottom of the feather and outlined the spine in white using the white acrylic paint marker.

  • Step 7: If you used a template, remove the vinyl or tape to reveal your design. | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Step 8: Clean up any mistakes or fill in gaps - here, I chose to fill in the feather with gold paint | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Step 9: Add finishing details - here I added wispy tendrils at the base of the feather in white acrylic marker | ChocolateMusings.com

The Result

I’m thrilled with the result of my painted bullet journal cover. Even though I liked the vinyl sticker from last notebook (and could do that again for sure), I LOVE the look of the colorful feather.

Step 10: Done! Admire your work after painting your bullet journal cover | ChocolateMusings.com

What I’d Do Differently Next Time I Paint My Notebook Cover

There’s not a whole lot I think I do differently next time I paint my notebook. I think I’d go over the luminous yellow and lime green areas a second or third time if I were to do it all over since the dark background showed more from those colors than the other ones. The gold and white had no coverage issues.

Next time (and yes, there WILL be a next time I paint my bullet journal cover with acrylic markers), I won’t be as shy about blending colors. Knowing that I can quickly and efficiently clean the marker tips makes all the difference in confidently mixing colors without worrying that I’ll ruin the tip or permanently stain it.

If I painted more carefully, I could use the vinyl template as the outline for the feather instead of removing it.

Summary

If you want to decorate your bullet journal or planner cover, I’d say these acrylic paint markers are the way to go. Check out how I used these markers in my September Leaves Theme. I even blended small areas of color directly on the paper and was super impressed by how it turned out.

The markers are straightforward and easy to use. Once they’re activated, there is not much effort to start creating. I haven’t tried extremely hard to remove the paint, but it doesn’t seem to scratch off or rub off easily.

I carry my bullet journal everywhere in my purse. After using the book for six months, I’ve seen a little bit of wear on the paint, but nothing extreme.

  • Tutorial: How Watercolor Paint with Markers in Your Bullet Journal
  • Pirate Theme February 2019 Planner Preview
  • April Plan With Me 2019- Recipe Art Inspired
  • Fall Leaves with Acrylic Markers

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Filed Under: Blog, Bullet Journal, Cover Art, Creating Art - Watercolor, Painting & Drawing, Get Creative, Get Organized & Start Planning, Pen & Marker Reviews, Tutorials & How To Tagged: acrylic markers, bullet journal cover, cover art, new bullet journal, notebook cover art, product review

Fading to Fall Leaves – Bullet Journal September Plan With Me

September 10, 2020 Leave a Comment

Inspired by changing seasons, my bullet journal theme for September features simple color-changing leaves. Instead of summery, willow branch leaves like August’s plan with me, I used color (green, yellow, orange, red, and a bit of purple) in just a few places to show the transition from summer to fall.

Here is an overview of the pages in this month’s set up. I hope this September Bullet Journal Plan With Me gives you some inspiration for layouts, products, and other ideas you can use in your bullet journal. 

September Plan With Me - Fading to Fall Leaves Bullet Journal inspiration - acrylic marker painting & blending | Creative & Functional Bullet Journaling Spreads, welcome pages, monthly spreads, weekly spreads, trackers & brain dump (with alternate names) | ChocolateMusings.com

I’d love to know if any of these ideas spark your creativity or give you an ‘ah-ha’ moment. Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram @ChocolateMusingsCreates.

Supplies Used For This September Plan With Me

  • Tumbitri Meri 220 Page 160 GSM Notebook 
  • Zebra Zensations Technical Drawing Pen 
  • Zebra Mildliner Markers 
  • Chalkola Acrylic Markers (get 10% off through this link)
  • Helix Circle Maker 
  • Circular Vellum Habit Tracker (coming soon in my shop)
  • Productivity Stickers (coming soon in my shop)
  • Foldable Portable Watercolor Set (not seen, but used later)
  • Correction Tape

September Plan With Me Video

  • Initial Flip Through Before The Pen/The Plan: 00:00
  • Welcome Page/Monthly Log Inking: 03:16
  • Welcome Page Quote: 04:33
  • Tracker Page (Habits, Productivity, Mood, & Goals): 06:11
  • Color Blends with Acrylic markers on Goals Page: 08:35
  • Weeklies: 12:23
  • Idea Bush (alternate brain dump name): 17:20
  • Journal Page: 18:08
  • Acrylic Marker Blends on Welcome Page: 19:41 (my favorite part!)
  • Final September Plan With Me Flip Through: 20:08

Welcome Page / Monthly Calendar Log

Combining the welcome page and monthly log page worked perfectly for this minimal leaf branch theme. Monoline text and a quote begging September to bring us something good before she fades away rounded out the ‘Hello September” welcome on the bullet journal’s left-hand side.

  • Hello September! Bring us some thing good before you fade away! Bullet journal welcome page quote | Planner Quote | September Quotes | Minimal Planning | Minimal Bullet Journal Design | Monoline Cursive Text | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Bullet Journal Welcome Page and Monthly Log Combination - minimal, functional, pretty, creative bullet journal layouts | Monthly Calendar, Monthly Log, Monthlies | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Color Changing Leaves with Acrylic Marker Blends on my Bullet Journal September Cover Page & Monthly Log | Simple, Minimal, Functional, Creative Bullet Journal Planning | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Close up of the color changing leaves for my September Plan With Me in my Bullet Journal - Color blends done with acrylic markers on the monthly log & September Cover Page in my Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Actual planning with a monthly log | September Plan With Me Fading to Fall Leaves - painted & blended with acrylic markers | Monthly log, monthly calendar, monthly planning, September plans | ChocolateMusings.com

Instead of a monthly calendar with rows and columns of boxes, I opted for a horizontal monthly log.

If you’ve never used a monthly log in a bullet journal, the idea is to keep the minimal design and write events connected to the date. I like to draw a line out from the date to write an event and other minimal details about the event. In this case, I’ll use the top section for family events and the bottom section for my events.

The progression of pictures on the monthly log above shows the different stages throughout this September Plan With Me until finally, I add in events and transition the monthly log from a creative planner to a creative and functional planner.

September Plan With Me Mini Calendar on Welcome Spread/Monthly Log - love how functional & creative this page is in my bullet journal | ChocolateMusings.com

The only thing I didn’t think to add initially was a mini-calendar so I could visualize which date fell on a particular day of the week (i.e., 1st is a Wednesday, 18th is a Sunday, etc.). But that’s a simple enough fix, and I added the mini calendar later. 

My notebook came with this handy ruler, I love a good ruler, and *this* is a good ruler. Check out the notebook review post here.

The color-changing leaves are my very favorite part of this spread. Instead of using watercolor markers, I used acrylic markers. You have to work quickly with acrylic markers, but I’m surprised at how well the markers blended. I also LOVE how vibrant the colors are and that they don’t bleed through the page.

Color Changing Leaves - Blended Acrylic Paint Markers in my Bullet Journal - no bleed & vibrant colors. I love this functional & aesthetic planning page | ChocolateMusings.com

Habit Tracker & Goals

  • Blend Acrylic Markers in your Bullet Journal - A new way to add color transition and bright, vibrant colors to your bullet journal spreads | ChocolateMusings.com

If you track habits for home and work, you might consider splitting your habit tracker into two sections. For September, I split my habit trackers into two sets this month: personal & blog related. You might recognize my favorite circular habit trackers.

Around the outside, like a wreath, are 30 days of productivity and mood tracking. Each leaf around the circle coordinates with the day of the month, to easily match the date and the mood/productivity for the day.

Using the same idea from the monthly log, the goals page fades slowly from summer to fall as the colors transition from green to yellow to red to purple. Adding a black outline around the leaves gives a more whimsical feel to the spread, which I always love.

Functional & Aesthetic Fall Weeklies

  • Functional & Aesthetic Fall Bullet Journal Weekly Spread with simple leaves, trackers & space for notes | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Leaf Wreath for a fun & still functional weekly bullet journal spread | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Log appointments, keep track of productivity, & plan for the week in this bullet journal weekly spread | Simple & Functional with a bit of creative spice | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Weekly Bullet Journal - September Plan With Me Fall Leaves | Minimal, Functional, Pretty, & Creative Bullet Journal Weekly Spreads | ChocolateMusings.com

Even though each week has a different design, they all have common elements that tie the designs together. It’s my favorite way to create weeklies if you’ve seen my plan with me posts/videos. I can’t seem to settle on one design. Maybe that’s why I like bullet journaling so much is that I can change it up and never get bored.

I loved my one line per day spread from August but decided to include a one-line per day for each week during September instead of having a dedicated page for the short journal entries. 

Each day throughout the weekly spreads is separated by leaves or vines. Though I’d love to add color for each spread, I left it black and white. If I have time one day or need to doodle away some frustration after work, adding color is such a perfect way to relieve stress.

While I’m on the phone at work, I find myself doodling, so I could fill in the leaves there if I wanted to as well.

In addition to the weekday plans, the one line per day, I included a productivity tracker, meal planner, and notes section for each spread. This September plan with me turned out to be very efficient and ready to support my ambitions! I already love using my blogger productivity stickers I created to track my blogging activities.

Productivity Tip

Tip: If you are struggling with feeling productive, add a productivity tracker to record the things that you do. I think you’ll be surprised at how much you are actually doing. If you find that you’re procrastinating a task, you might find the motivation to check it off if you get to visually track that you’ve done it.

Productivity Tip: Give yourself a visual reminder of how many things you do! Track your productivity with little doodles or stickers and get motivated! Bullet Journal tips & tricks | ChocolateMusings.com

September Plan With Me Essential Pages

  • Different names for brain dump: This Month it's an Idea Bush - Keeping with my leaves theme, but I love the lightbulb bursting with leafy ideas. Bullet journal spreads & Ideas | ChocolateMusings.com
  • Journal Page - I love how these acrylic markers blend & create a bright, functional journaling page in my bullet journal | ChocolateMusings.com

Rounding out the month are some other essential pages for my bullet journal plan with me spreads: the brain dump page and my journal page.

The brain dump page is called “idea bush” this month. I love coming up with alternate names for the term’ brain dump’. Check out my post “Different Names for Brain Dump,” where I share 150+ name alternatives. I’ll have to add ‘idea bush’ to the list. I also love to coordinate the name of my brain dump page with the plan with me theme of the month.

Simple leaves in fall colors embellish the journal page. Little dots around the leaf doodles add some fun detail and dress up this simple spread even more.

Your Plans?

I hope that this September finds you well, and my plan with me spreads provide you a creative muse to follow May your month bring you something good before it fades away. We all need something good in our lives.

No Matter Which Notebook I use – You’ll Always Find These Supplies Close at Hand

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Filed Under: Artsy Planner Spreads, Blog, Bullet Journal, Get Organized & Start Planning, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2020 Tagged: acrylic markers, Bullet Journal, functional, leaves, minimal, plan with me, PWM, september

About Me


Hi! I'm Tricia, the creative behind ChocolateMusings.com, I know how it feels to lose your inner muse. After years of darkness (which I call the dark ages of my life), I found my inner muse hiding in the forgotten corners of my soul, I vowed never to lose sight of her again.

Bullet journaling helped reignite the passion for art and living life again while organizing my days. I also discovered modern calligraphy and watercolor. Since then, my use of the bullet journal system has evlolved and I call it 'creative planning'. Here on the blog, I show you how to use your planner to ignite your inner muse and explore creativity and art while staying beautifully organized and living a joyful life.

I invite you to grab some good chocolate and dive into my musings. Let’s ignite your inner muse.

Read more on the about me page. You can also find my policies and disclosures here.

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