My Favorite Ink Pens Review. Facts and Opinions
Hi guys! Recently I decided to compare and review my most used ink pens and, even though I have about 20 of them, I picked my top 6!
Before we begin….
All sample illustrations and tests are done on Strathmore Bristol (Smooth finish) paper, the one I use for most of my illustrations. All the pens listed here I purchased myself, out of curiosity or after someone’s advise, so none of this is sponsored by any of the manufacturers and is simply my personal opinion.
Now we can start the fun part. Maybe get yourself a cup of coffee cause it might be a bit longer than I initially expected. There will be no particular order in which I list my pens, thought I did save my favorite two for the end 😉
- Kuretake Fudegokochi (Fude) Brush Pen, made in Japan (Check out this pen on Amazon)
Kuretake company takes pride in continuing traditional calligraphy and makes some of the finest brush pens. Fudegokochi (Fude) line of pocket pen is a great middle ground between traditional brush pens and modern felt tip writing/drawing pens. I first heard about it from artist Frannerd on youtube and then when I almost forgot about this pen, I heard about it again from another youtube artist SemiSkimmedMin and finally decided to give it a try. So here we go….
Ink: Pigment ink, NOT waterproof, dries fairly quickly, not refillable
Tip: Felt tip, thickness depends on applied pressure, great flexibility
Pros:
- Great pocket brush pen
- Rich black color (the darkest of all I have)
- Ink won’t be “lifted” if you erase pencil marks
Cons:
- Ink might leak
- Not waterproof and will run if you paint over it
Good for beginners and professionals, calligraphers, manga artists, illustrators, on-the-go sketches
Options: Fude brush pens also come with superfine tips and gray ink. However, if you want more traditional brush pens that can be refilled, Kuretake has lots of options.
Kuretake Fudegokochi (Fude) Brush Pen on Amazon
- Faber- Castell PITT Artist Pen, Superfine, made in Germany (Check out this pen on Amazon)
I originally ordered a whole set of 8 assorted PITT Artist pens, but found that I mostly used the Superfine one. The set also has a brush pen, but it’s tip is much more feathery than Kuretake’s and quite clumsy in my opinion…. Or I just never got used to it…
Ink: Pigment ink, waterproof, dries quickly, won’t fade, not refillable
Tip: 0.4mm, Felt tip, sturdy and won’t break under pressure
Pros:
- Doesn’t bleed though most sketchbook papers
- Rich black color
Cons:
- Ink might get “lifted” if you erase over it
Good for beginners and professionals, architects, illustrators, on-the-go sketches
Options: PITT Artist pens also come in variety of tips and colors.
Faber- Castell PITT Artist Pen, Superfine On Amazon
- Le Pen Technical drawing pen 003, made in Japan (Check out this pen on JetPens.com)
You probably noticed that I like line drawings with lots of tiny details and I also build up my shadows by hatching. So in my searches for an extremely tiny tips for finest lines and lighter shades I stumbled upon Le Pen’s 0.03 mm pen and instantly loved it’s precision, however it does have a few drawbacks…
Ink: Pigment ink, waterproof, dries quickly, not refillable, looks very light when dries, warm tone.
Tip: 0.03mm Felt tip, might get easily damaged from hard pressure
Pros:
- Makes even and extremely thin lines
- Can be used for midtones
- Good for hatching
Cons:
- Very “pale” ink
- Can’t get rich shadows even with lots of hatching
- Ink might get “lifted” if you erase pencil marks
Good for beginners and professionals, architects, illustrators, on-the-go sketches, preliminary sketches, very precise illustrations
Options: Comes in variety of sizes from 0.03mm to brush pens. Le Pen also has other lines of ink pens that come in various colors.
- Sakura Pigma Micron 005, made in Japan (Check out this pen on Amazon)
I don’t think this pen needs an introduction. One of the most popular ink pens out there is a must-have for all beginners and professionals. It was the only ink pen I used in college simply because it’s ink lasts forever! It lasted me about 5 years.
Ink: Pigment ink, waterproof, dries quickly, not refillable, won’t fade, lasts a long time
Tip: 0.2mm Felt tip, might get damaged from pressure
Pros:
- Makes even thin lines
- Waterproof
- Rich dark color
Cons:
- Nib is very delicate
- Ink might get “lifted” or smudged if you erase pencil marks
Good for beginners and professionals, architects, illustrators, on-the-go sketches, preliminary sketches, very precise illustrations
Options: Comes in variety of sizes and colors.
Sakura Pigma Micron 005 on Amazon
Now the stars of the show…. My Favorite two!!!
- Pilot G-tec- C4, made in Japan (Check out this pen on Amazon)
This pen is one of the most recent ones in my collection and I first heard about it from the youtube artist I already mentioned Frannerd. She used these pens for outlining her illustrations and I just love how dark and even those lines are. She did mention that these pen take a looooong time to dry and might get smudged easily, but I still decided to try them and never took it out of my pencil pouch ever since! I love that is has a cool tone to it, unlike Le pen and Micron, and I can easily erase my pencil marks after I’m done knowing that ink won’t be affected.
Ink: waterproof gel ink, but takes long time to dry, great viscosity so won’t feather, refillable, won’t fade, lasts long, cool tone
Tip: 0.4mm ball-point tip, won’t get damaged from pressure
Pros:
- Makes even thin lines
- Rich dark color
- Waterproof
- Ink won’t get “lifted” when fully dry and that’s primarily why I love this pen so much!!!!!
Cons:
- Takes long time to dry
- Might feel “scratchy” on textured paper
Good for beginners and professionals, architects, illustrators, on-the-go sketches, preliminary sketches, very precise illustrations
Options: Comes in variety of sizes and colors (but only 3 to be exact).
Pilot G-tec- C4 on Amazon
- Pilot Maica Hi-tec- C3, made in Japan (Check out this pen on Amazon)
So there is not much difference from the previously mentioned Pilot G tec except for the fact that Hi-tech is what everything started from. G-tec is just an international version. Why I decided to try Hi-tec even though I was already happy with my G-tec? At first, I just started looking for a thinner tip C3 (0.3mm) or C2(0.25mm) and started digging deeper into the history of these series. It appears that original Hi-tec has greater variety of sizes and options. Its Maica line is just a fancier looking body with the same ink. They also have slim cases that have retractable or two-ink options, also rubber cases designed for better grip. The word “Maica” in Japanese means “my color” and even though Maicas don’t have as many colors as the original Hi-tec pens, their cases match colors of inks inside and made to please the eyes.
Ink: waterproof gel ink, but takes long time to dry, great viscosity so won’t feather, refillable, won’t fade, lasts long, cool tone
Tip: 0.3mm ball-point tip, won’t get damaged from pressure
Pros:
- Makes even thin lines
- Rich dark color
- Waterproof
- Ink won’t get “lifted” when fully dry
Cons:
- Takes long time to dry
- Might feel “scratchy” on textured paper, especially if you pick thinner tips
Good for beginners and professionals, architects, illustrators, on-the-go sketches, preliminary sketches, very precise illustrations
Options: Comes in variety of sizes and colors.
So here they are… my ink pens I use the most. All of them have their own advantages and disadvantages, but it’s all about compromising… just like in anything else. It was a long journey before I finally found my favorite Pilot pens, but I still pick up my old friends once in a while depending on a project I’m working on at the moment. This review was just a small introduction to my preferences in art supplies. Hope you enjoyed it, feel free to share, leave any comments or ask questions. See you soon!
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