Can you...

[James Laraway]

Can you 'dye' feathers (white hen or grizzle) with a permanent marker instead of buying lots of capes?

I'm trying some grizzle hen with a blue pro marker and they look excellent but will the colour hold?

Thoughts/ experiences ?!!;!

[James Laraway]

So i think they looks pretty good



soaked a fly using the feather overnight in water and its still blue so maybe it will work as a technique ?

[Mike Barrio]

Looking good James, I imagine it would hold - there's only one way to find out 

[Robert MacDonald-Lewis]

I have done this, and it worked well, I have also used permanent markers on the calf tails and various synthetic fibres.

You can also use permanent markers to tint UV resins. Colour in a spot on a piece of tin foil and then put a bit of resin beside it and mix the two until you get the colour you want.

[James Laraway]

i like the idea of tinting the UV resin with the pens - excellent 'hack'

I have actually ordered myself a 'natural' grizzly hen cape so that i can utilise the technique some more without breaking the bank

[Magnus Angus]

Have you seen Dylon pens - basically marker pens, the pigment is fixed with a little heat.

AND some years ago I saw someone dying feathers in tiny batches using a bowl of water and a microwave. or - Phil White would dissolve some dye in a jar of boiling water with some vinegar- add feathers and leave it overnight.

[James Laraway]

here is an attempt with 'pen dying' grizzle hen hackles - claret and blue ordie