Product Review: Omiowl White Acrylic Marker

 

Omiowl white acrylic paint markers

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I had been given a nameless white acrylic marker that was new to me. Having tried more than my share of white pens and markers, none of which are ideal, I was naturally skeptical and even downright jaded. Although I liked what I saw in Allan’s sketch, I knew that the pen was likely on its best behavior while it was new. As soon as I got complacent, it could blob, clog, explode or who knows what. I decided I would wait a good while before reviewing it.

The pen, by the way, does have a name; the box says it’s Omiowl. On Amazon, it’s listed with Zosxi as the brand name, but that name appears nowhere on the packaging. I guess branding isn’t important, since no name appears on the pen itself, either. Regardless, it’s a dual-tip marker with a brush tip on one end and a dot-making bullet point on the other.

Brush tip

Bullet tip

The package indicates that it can write on concrete, leather, metal, canvas, stone, wood, glass, fabric, plastic and paper. That’s an impressive list of surfaces (but I’ll leave it to someone else to test its effectiveness on anything besides paper, since I’m unlikely to use it on any other surface).

Good opacity but with a relatively wide tip.

Taking the marker with me to Dallas, I used it in several sketches, very happy with both its opacity and instant-on operation – no shaking, rattling or priming needed. Just pull the cap off, and it’s ready.

Good coverage on colored papers.

Detail from the last sketch I made with the pen before it died.

Fair warning, but I didn't have the package at the time.

Somewhere during my sketch around the cul de sac where we were staying, I lost the cap to the brush end. At least, I assume that’s where it happened, because I didn’t notice it was gone until a couple of hours later when I pulled the pen out capless. I emptied my bag, hoping it had fallen off somewhere inside, but it was gone. What startled me was that the brush tip was completely, solidly dried – solid as a piece of hard plastic. The package (which I didn’t have at the time) warns: “Cover the cap immediately after using or it will dry quickly.” No kidding.

Since the opposite end was still capped, I kept the pen in my bag, assuming that the bullet tip would still be useable. A couple of hours later, I opened the bullet end to use, and it had completely dried, too. Apparently exposing one end of the pen is enough to dry out the entire contents of acrylic paint and the second tip! I tossed it.

Even while I was still in Texas, I had already ordered a bulk package of eight Omiowl white acrylic markers. I was going to resist a bulk buy until further testing, but since my tester was gone, it had to happen. At a little more than a buck each, the pack is a good value (unless it turns out to be a dud).

For now, I can only say that the marker performs well, and I’ll update this review in the future if I discover its dark side. Impressively opaque and well-behaved, its only downside is that the brush tip is fairly hefty, even when held vertically, so it can’t make fine lines the way the Posca 0.7 “pin type” or Sakura Gelly Roll can. Still, with the solid coverage it can make, that’s an acceptable tradeoff.

If you decide to try it yourself, whatever you do, replace the cap immediately and never lose it!