I often get asked what pens I use for my drawings. This is the first question faced by anybody who starts to draw. Although your choice of ink-drawing pen will depend a lot on your style of drawing and personal taste, there has to be a starting place as the range of pens that are available in the market is wide and confusing.
Key features to look for in a pen
Archival Ink: Pens labeled “Archival” contain ink that does not fade. This is important especially important if you plan to sell your artwork and want it last a lifetime.
Water proof and Smudge proof: Although smudging also depends on the type of paper used, some low quality pens have a tendency to smudge on all kind of paper. Smudging is more visible when creating intricate artwork.
Comes in sets or nib sizes: Pens which come in sets offer more nib sizes to choose from. Nib sizes come in handy when you want to give depth to your artwork. Sets may also come in various colors offering more creative freedom
Pigment ink: Line art pens come with two types of inks, pigment ink and dye ink. Pigment ink lasts longer and retain better color as compared to pens with dye ink.
When I started making line-art, I explored different types of pens and have now settled on 3. My choice of pens is based on the above mentioned criteria
This is my favourite pen. It has a very smooth flow and gives a steady and uniform line for a long period fo time.
What I like best about Staedtler is that like many other pens it does not fade as the ink ends.
0.2 mm nib size is my favourite of making coloring pages.
This is my second most used pen. many of my artworks have been created using this pen.
These pens give an extremely precise and fine line. This is useful you tend to create intricate artworks.
Unipin finaliser gives a relatively black line and I feel it is a bit thicker as compared to other pens of the same nib size.
Lines made by this pen are very uniform and consistent.
Some of the artworks made using these pens are shown below:
The 3 brands of drawing pens mentioned here are amongst the best pre-filled ink pens that artists can buy, and they are relatively inexpensive as well.
Visit your nearest art supply store where they usually have a pad of test paper next to the pens so you can try them out before you buy. Do let me know what you think about these pens.
Comments