What are your favorite pens to draw with?

[Mechanizoid]

Since I'm working through the Draw a Box course right now, I'm drawing with fineliners a lot. I've found that I rely enjoy drawing with pens! It sounds funny, but I found that trading pencils for a medium I can't erase actually increased my confidence. Ink forced me to make a bold statement and accept making mistakes, rather than try to avoid them by drawing really lightly and erasing a lot.

Asides from that, pen drawings just look freaking cool. I want to draw more with ink, and I want to try different kinds of pens and eventually markers. So what varieties of pens and markers do you guys and gals like? I'm open to all kinds of suggestions. :-) 

This is what I'm thinking about so far:

• For fineliners I'm using the Staedtler pigment liners, nothing really special here, but they work. I also really like the Fabr-Castell Pitt pens (I find that Staedtler makes products that work fine, and Fabr-Castell makes things that are just a bit fancier and higher quality). I am thinking of trying some other varieties like the Sakura Pigma Microns. If you have any suggestions about the best varieties I'd love to hear them.
  
• Fineliners run dry far to fast. :/ I was thinking of switching disposables out for something like the Copic Multiliner SP pens, which are refillable and renibbable (not really a word, lol). Is it worth it?
  
• Feng Zhu mentions something called a hybrid pens, like the Hi Tec Cs he uses, that have waterproof ink like fineliners with a ball tip. I definitely want to try these. They are harder to find in the states, but I can obtain them from Jetpens.
  
• I would like to try a classic technical pen (the kind with a metal tip that takes ink from a bottle). Something like the Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph. They are pricey, but I might end up using them enough.
  
• I want a brush pen. In particular I want the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen, which Scott Robertson uses in this video. I'm thinking of using it as a reward for when I finish Dynamic Sketching!
  
• Eventually, I want some Copic markers. Not sure how to start a collection–I guess I should start with a set of grays? These too are a bit more pricey, but look totally worth it.
  

So yeah, I want to build up a big pile of pens and markers just like Feng Zhu had on his table in that traditional tools vid. :P I just love drawing with that permanent ink. I know that I don't really need any fancy tools to learn, but it is fun to try out different things.

But what pens and markers do you like to draw with? Is there anything ink-based you've used that you really enjoy to use? Please share all your thoughts!

BTW–what about calligraphy pens? I found this marker marked "Zig Memory Systems" and "Calligraphy" that has two neat chisel tips, one large and one small, on each end of the pen. You can see them here. I'm going to try it out and see what can be done. It is kind of neat to be able to go from a very thin to a very broad line. Have any of you used pens like this?

I guess in the end it comes down to trying out whatever you can get your hands on and seeing what you like!

[John]

I don't do traditional as much anymore. But I hope I can share a little bit.

Pentel Pocket Brush is awesome. You never have to dip your pen in ink ever again! But, the cartridges are expensive (where I'm from, it is). The only thing I miss with traditional brush while using the Brush pen, it's hard to do a dry textured stroke, since your pen is always loaded with ink. You have to run the brush pen fast across the paper to achieve that look.

Beware of buying the cheaper Sakura Pigma Brush pen. The point tends to split. I haven't had Microns. I always use Uni pins.

And I love cheap ball point pens, as long as they don't blot on the initial contact and could run the ink as long as it's touching paper. I'm not sure if you have a Muji store over there, but their gel pens are one of the slickest pens I handled.

[Adam Lina]

I use a Pentel Pocket Brush but never needed to buy cartridges. Just get some india ink and suck more up into the pen like and eye dropper. Also Faber Castell pitt artist pen cold grey 230 are great for doing really light washes of tone. Good for laying in silhouettes and going over with lines. Dont get hung up on getting the perfect pens though. "The bad carpenter blames his tools". Just use a ball point and GIT GUD.

[crackedskull]

Oh, I just use my dick.

[Mechanizoid]

Hey guys!

John Yes, the Pocket Brush pen looks totally awesome. ^^ I don't think the refills are too expensive where I live–not more than $1.25 to $1.50 USD. I don't know how they last though. I haven't found any cheaper ballpoints I like. I tend to use fineliners (I like the way the tip feels), and since it is waterproof ink I'll be able to keep using them when I start using markers.

Adam Hey, nice trick with the Pentel brush pen! I very much like the Fabr-Castell Pitt pens, they are nice to work with.

Dont get hung up on getting the perfect pens though. "The bad carpenter blames his tools". Just use a ball point and GIT GUD.

Yes, you are quite right–it's the artist that counts, not the pens. :-) But that doesn't mean that playing around with a bunch of different kinds of pens is a bad idea, either. And it is fun. Just as long as we remember that there is no magic pen, and it is all about finding what fits us best.

Cracked Oh, cracked... >.<

[John]

I use a Pentel Pocket Brush but never needed to buy cartridges. Just get some india ink and suck more up into the pen like and eye dropper.

How do you refill the pen? Eye drop ink into the empty cartridge? I'm apprehensive the india ink might just clog up the brush.

[Adam Lina]

I use liquitex india ink black noir and it works fine. Its fairly watery ink. Also I can get dry brush effects by loading a smaller amount of ink on the brush tip and not sucking it up. Or just buy some junk brushes and use those to dry brush. A bottle of ink will last a while.

[DK]

I use normal BIC pens for studies mostly. They are cheap but get the job done and I'm used to them after using them for so long. Almost feel like a pencil.

[Mechanizoid]

Adam I think I've heard of this trick before, somewhere. Definitely good to know. :-) Thanks!

Danny Yeah, you can get good results with even the simplest of materials! I'm accustomed to the Staedtlers now, so that's what I use. The only problem with normal ballpoints is that the ink tends to smear if you want to put marker on top (I don't have markers yet, though).

[Artloader]

I am currently using a 0.5mm Mitsubishi Uni-Pin Fine Line Water Proof Fade Proof Pigment Ink pen.  Fits easily into the pocket or easily concealed in your socks.

[Alopex]

I really like drawing with the Pentel Pocket Brush. First tried it out during Inktober this past year. If you want alcohol-based markers, I personally really like both Copics and the Winsor & Newton Brush markers. Some sites have deals on the Copics, or sometimes places like Dick Blick or even Michael's or Hobby Lobby have specials on them or coupons that can be applied to them. Aside from comparison shopping online, those are some of the better deals I've found. I started buying colors I needed individually, but had to pay attention when buying sets later to ensure I wasn't buying duplicates.

[IrishWhiskey]

Another one for standard BIC pens. so cheap and feel comfortable to use. 

The ink drys quick too so no need to worry about smearing your drawings really, although iv noticed if i'm sketching with it awhile or the pen is in my pocket the ink gets very loose and kind of lets the ink out unevenly........ That's just nitpicking so i take that last bit back.

i also have a pentel brush pen i need to use more but so far i think its amazing.

[Orange Pekoe]

HI-TEC C pens are actually not waterproof at all. I use my brushes to blend them all the time for some quick rendering effects. They resist alcohol markers very well, so they are good for that, but they are water soluble, making them very versatile. Personally, I don't like their grip, but you might be able to get refills cheap and put them in other own enclosures that fit well if that's also a problem?

I use pigment liners too and... They seem to last forever for me years of taking countless pages of notes daily and drawing none stop? 0_0 Even my instructors at those pens can last for years. The downside with felt tip pens are that the tips wear out fast, so a light touch is needed.

When you say they dry out fast, do you mean the tips become scratchy, or do you mean the there is literally no ink left?

I currently use Touch markers with Copic refills. Works very well and saves a lot of money in the long run. Maybe you can find a supplier that ships them at a low cost?

I jus was just watching a video where people were reflecting on using traditional tools for graphic design and write a few mentioned their horrors with Rapidographs. XD 

You can find it on Adobe Illustrator's Facebook page, here:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=101544528