One of the most popular pens in adult coloring is gel pens because of the great variety of colors that you can find at most major retailers. Rollerball pens are popular on the market and can be found in almost any store, but their ink is not water-based like gel pens and thus their colors are not as vibrant. Gel pens are a subcategory of rollerball pens, and they allow for ease of application because the ink rolls onto the paper smoothly.
Why Choose Gel Pens?
While gel pens are permanent in comparison to coloring pencils, they are a great choice for the adult coloring artist ready to experiment with vibrant colors. Gel pens come in a myriad of color choices which can inspire you to experiment with colors you may have not chosen while using a pencil.
Because the ink in a gel pen is thicker, it can also contain metallic properties or flicks of glitter, and because of this thickness, gel pen ink can be applied to the top of other types of inks or pigments without muddling the colors on the page. This allows for detailing that can’t be obtained while using other inks.
Because gel pens apply to paper smoothly, they’re a good choice for people who find that their wrists and hands ache while coloring for extended periods. It is easier to draw shapes, like curves and twists, with these pens since the ink rolls smoothly onto the page with which you are coloring.
Most gel pens look great on black paper which is a novel feature in comparison to other ink choices. That’s because the ink sits and dries on the top of the paper, as previously mentioned, and their colors remain vibrant despite the dark quality of deep-colored paper.
Because a gel pen is a rollerball pen, you don’t have to worry about the felt tip of the pen wearing down over time. The quality of the mark you make during the adult coloring process will be the same until the pen is completely out of ink. There’s nothing worse than having a favorite felt tip pen that is rendered useless because the felt wears down way before the ink is gone. Gel pens take away this conundrum and allow the artist to drain the pen before it needs to be tossed in the trash.
What is Bleeding?
When trying to research the kind of pen to use in an adult coloring book, the topic of ink bleeding comes up frequently. But what exactly is bleeding? When pen ink is applied to paper it seeps through on the other side and becomes visible on the back of the paper, or in a worst-case scenario will seep onto the coloring surface below the paper, it is referred to as bleeding.
Bleeding is a pain because it can ruin the image on the other side of the coloring book page you are using and can also damage the table or writing surface underneath your coloring page. There are ways to avoid this, mainly through paper choice and the type of pen you are using. Choose a paper that isn’t absorbent, like watercolor paper. Papers with more of a gloss or smoothness to them are a better choice for gel pens.
Pens can either be oil-based or water-based, and gel pens are water-based. This means that the ink takes substantially less time to dry on the paper than pens that contain oil. If you put a cup of water next to a cup of oil on a counter, the water will evaporate much faster than the oil sitting next to it. Pens work the same way, and gel pens provide more ease of use since the ink dries much quicker than some of the other pen options on the market.
What Makes a Pen Bleed?
Pens are prone to bleeding when the coloring book artist chooses the wrong paper style. Whatever pen is used needs to be paired with the right kind of paper, and gel pens are no exception. Make sure that the paper you are using for adult coloring will allow the ink of the gel pen to sit on top of the tooth of the paper. Steer away from thick or absorbent paper as this is intended more for other types of ink that do not sit on the surface of the paper to dry.
If the paper is too absorbent, the gel in the coloring pen will soak into the paper and bleed through to the other side, ruining the image on the other side and anything that may be beneath the adult coloring book page you are working on.
Are There Downsides to Gel Pens?
While gel pens are an awesome choice for more experienced adult coloring artists, there are a few downsides to keep in mind before you choose this coloring utensil. Gel pens are permanent, so any mistakes you make will be locked into your coloring masterpiece for eternity.
They are also easy to clog up if the ink is allowed to dry on the tip of the pen, for example, if the pen is left uncapped, which can render your pen useless. Make sure to take good care of your gel pens so you don’t waste money on tools that become defunct through neglect. Do not leave gel pens in direct sunlight as the water-based ink can dry up inside of the pen and render the pen useless.
Learn more about coloring with gel pens HERE!
Conclusion
Yes, gel pens can bleed, but not nearly as easily as other ink choices. Gel pens are a good choice for the coloring book artist since the ink sits on top of the paper and dries easily, allowing for detailed work on top of other mediums you may use for coloring.
When you take the proper precautions, gel pens will not bleed as easily as other pens. Make sure to pick the right paper when delving into the colorful world of gel pens during adult coloring.
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