Refillable paint markers promise the ultimate flexibility: fill them with any paint you like, top them up whenever you want, and swap the tips when they wear out. Green Stuff World’s latest generation of empty markers makes that promise more appealing than ever. Here’s how they hold up in practice.

New generation, familiar design: what’s changed with Green Stuff World’s refillable markers

Green Stuff World’s first generation of empty markers had very rigid tips, which I wasn’t so keen on (see my comparison video here). The new generation, however, is practically identical in construction to The Army Painter Speedpaint markers. I’ve now seen this type of marker from other manufacturers in the Gunpla and art sectors as well, so it seems there must be a common supplier. What’s good is that Green Stuff World offers the markers in two different sizes. Size 2 matches the felt-tip width of the Speedpaint Markers, while size 1 is slightly thinner and ideal for smaller details. Both sizes come in 5-packs at a very reasonable 8 to 10 £ / € / $, and replacement tips are available separately.

An arrangement of three empty refillable paint markers from Green Stuff World, lit with dramatic pink light, on a dark concrete background
These items were kindly provided by Green Stuff World. Thoughts and opinions are our own.

How to fill and use the markers

This site contains affiliate links you can use to support Tale of Painters. As Amazon Associates, eBay partners, and partners of our partner shops we earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks :)

The big advantage of these markers is that you can fill them with any paint, and refill them as often as you like. To remove the cap, you have to turn it to the left like with the Speedpaint markers, not to the right. The marker should be at least one-third full for paint to flow reliably through the nib. You can fill “one coat” paints like Warhammer Contrast, Speedpaint and Xpress Color or Green Stuff World’s Dipping Inks straight from the bottle, as well as inks, washes and Warhammer Shade paints. Since the markers are identical in construction to the Speedpaint markers, the paint application works just as well.

A while ago, I posted a comparison video featuring AK’s Quick Markers and Speedpaint Markers. It also includes a segment on Green Stuff World’s refillable markers, where I demonstrate how to refill and use them. Have a look here:

Using opaque and metallic paints: what works and what doesn’t

You can also use regular opaque acrylic paints and even metallic paints in the markers. However, you need to thin them so they flow well through the felt-tip nibs, and you need to pump for much longer to soak the tips. Water isn’t so suitable for diluting; Green Stuff World recommends their Master Medium instead. Depending on the brand and paint, you’ll inevitably have to experiment somewhat with the mixing ratios. On the Green Stuff World channel there’s a video with recommended ratios for various Green Stuff World paint types, which you can use as a rough guide:

In my experience, you’ll need at least 50% of medium for most acrylic paints. If you thin paints too much, the covering power will suffer, and weakly pigmented paints like white, yellow, and red become even more difficult to use. Paints that already have a somewhat thinner consistency with a high covering power are naturally best suited for marker use. Green Stuff World’s Maxx Formula paints work pretty well because of their thinner consistency (see my review here).

Pre-thinned airbrush paints like Vallejo Game Air or Model Air are also excellent because they’re more fluid from the outset, so you need to add less medium. And they contain some drying retarder, which means the felt-tips dry out less quickly. Citadel aka. Warhammer Colour performs okayishly, while I had the most problems getting an optimal consistency with thicker paints like Warpaints Fanatic. For metallic paints, the recently released Vallejo’s True Metallic Metal paints do a great job, see my review here.

Where to get

Get refillable markers

You can find the latest hobby products at our 🇬🇧/🇪🇺 partner stores Wayland Games, Element Games, and Firestorm Games, at 🇩🇪 Taschengelddieb and PK-Pro, and at 🇺🇸 Noble Knight Games with a welcome discount of up to 10 – 15% over RRP. Using our links helps to support Tale of Painters at no additional cost to you, so thank you very much for using them!

I hope you found this review helpful, feel free to leave a reaction or comment below, or post your questions here or discuss on our Discord channel.

8.0
Score

Pros

  • Compatible with virtually any paint type, including opaque acrylics and metallics
  • Available in two tip sizes, with replaceable nibs and easy refilling
  • Competitively priced at 8 to 10 dollars for a 5-pack

Cons

  • Opening the marker to fill it is fiddly, with an awkward plug to remove
  • Opaque and metallic paints require careful thinning, with no universal ratio that works across all brands
  • Weakly pigmented colours like white, yellow, and red lose coverage quickly if overthinned

Final Verdict

Green Stuff World's refillable markers deliver exactly what they promise: total flexibility, competitive pricing, two tip sizes, and replaceable nibs. The fiddly opening mechanism and the need to experiment with thinning ratios for opaque and metallic paints do require a certain DIY mindset, but for painters willing to put in that groundwork, these are a genuinely versatile tool.