Search Icon A magnifying glass icon.
Search Icon A magnifying glass icon.
Subject
Admissions

DEGREES

Online Bachelors Degre in Graphic Design - Sessions College
Next Start:
January 6, 2025
Online Graphic Design-Degree - Sessions College
Next Start:
January 6, 2025
Explore Graphic Design Degree Courses
Discover Sessions Graphic Design Hub

Professional Certificates

Graphic Design Career-Certificate - Sessions College
Next Start:
November 1, 2024
Explore Graphic Design Career Courses

DEGREES

Online Web Design Degree - Sessions College
Next Start:
January 6, 2025
Web Design Undergraduate Certificate - Sessions College
Next Start:
January 6, 2025
Explore Web Design Degree Courses
Discover Sessions Web Design Hub

Professional Certificates

Web Design Career Certificate - Sessions College
Next Start:
November 1, 2024
Explore Web Design Career Courses

DEGREES

Next Start:
January 6, 2025
Explore Digital Media Degree Courses
Discover Sessions Digital Media Hub

Professional Certificates

Explore Digital Media Career Courses

DEGREES

Explore Digital Media Degree Courses
Discover Sessions Digital Media Hub
You can deepen your software skills and keep up with the latest Adobe CC updates in our online Digital Arts courses.
Contact Admissions

DEGREES

Online Bachelors Degree in Photography
Next Start:
January 6, 2025
Online digital photography degree - Sessions College
Next Start:
January 6, 2025
Explore Digital Photography Degree Courses
Discover Sessions Digital Photography Hub

DEGREES

Fine Arts Career Certificate - Sessions College
Next Start:
November 1, 2024
Explore Fine Arts Degree Courses

DEGREES

Online Illustration Degree - Sessions College
Next Start:
January 6, 2025
Explore Illustration Degree Courses
Discover Sessions Illustration Hub

Professional Certificates

Digital Arts Career Certificate - Sessions College
Next Start:
November 1, 2024
Explore Illustration Career Courses

DEGREES

Explore Advertising & Marketing Degree Courses
Discover Sessions Advertising & Marketing Hub

Professional Certificates

Explore Advertising and Marketing Career Courses

CERTIFICATES

Digital Arts Career Certificate - Sessions College
Next Start:
November 1, 2024
Fine Arts Career Certificate - Sessions College
Next Start:
November 1, 2024
Graphic Design Career-Certificate - Sessions College
Next Start:
November 1, 2024
Explore Sessions Career Courses
Professional Cert PLUS
Web Design Career Certificate - Sessions College
Next Start:
November 1, 2024
Online Bachelors Degre in Graphic Design - Sessions College
Next Start:
January 6, 2025
Online Bachelors Degree in Photography
Next Start:
January 6, 2025
Online bachelors degree in illustration - Sessions College
Next Start:
January 6, 2025
Explore Sessions Bachelor's Degrees
Online digital photography degree - Sessions College
Next Start:
January 6, 2025
Online Illustration Degree - Sessions College
Next Start:
January 6, 2025

5 Top Drawing Pens

by Margaret Penney | December 26, 2016

5 Top Drawing Pens

The pen is a humble instrument yet holds great power, as the saying goes “the pen is mightier than the sword” and this is indeed the case for writers and illustrators alike. The pen is also often the first step in a new creative project as a designer sketches out their initial ideas.

At NOD, we wrote about the new-fangled digital pen and tablet tools a few months back but artists still use real bonafide pens for their projects, so it’s important to also discuss what in real life pens artists and designers use.

Prismacolor Premier Illustration Markers

Different pens are good for different drawing techniques and projects, so it’s important to use the right pen for the correct purpose.

The Prismacolor Illustration marker set include a range of pens (they aren’t really markers)  with different nibs that are designed for all major illustration tasks and they make fine-tuned illustration simple.

The reason they are excellent pens is that they hold ink without bleeding through the paper and they apply an even line. The tip is also very durable so they will last a long time.

Prismacolor Premier Illustration Markers

Sakura Pigma Micron Pen

The Sakura Pigma Micron Pens are a favorite of mine for a few reasons both practical and a bit arbitrary. I’ve used the pens for years so there is a built up nostalgia with them, they are considered the classic artist pen. The flower logo on the pens is also quite pretty.

The Sakura pens offer a range of nibs like the Prismacolor pens and also do not bleed on the paper. They differ in how light they are though and this is their key positive feature—they just are easy to use when you want to sketch something quickly. The Sakura Pigma Pens don’t offer quite the precision in line that the Prismacolor pens do though.

Affodable Graphic Design College Banner

Sakura Pigma Micron Pen

 

 

Pentel Color Brush Pen

If you’re looking for a pen that is expressive and works more like a brush then the Pentel Color Brush Pen is a good choice. The pen can be used for a wide variety of strokes from thick and heavily-brushed to whispery thin. The pen’s use and visual effect relies on the capabilities of the illustrator more than some other pens though, so it might not be the best choice for someone new to drawing.

Pentel Color Brush Pen

 

Faber-Castell India Ink Pens

The India Ink pen is a contemporary update on the traditional ink pen, in a modern disposable pen format.  India Ink is a great choice for hand-drawn illustration projects because of the richness and nuance of the color that it provides. If you create colorful hand-drawn illustrations then this is a good set of pens to have for your projects.

Faber-Castell India Ink Pens

 

Pentel Arts Aquash Water Brush

If you want to work with watercolor and create lighter more subtle color washes within your artwork, then the Pentel Arts Aquash Water Brush is a great choice. The pen has three different tips and a valve which allows you to control over how much water is applied to the paper surface. Water Brush pens really simplify the process of making watercolor artwork and are excellent for less complex illustration projects like icons or portrait work.

Pentel Arts Aquash Water Brush

 

The pen choices included here will provide you with a great start for any illustration project. If you find other brands of pens and aren’t sure whether they are good art pens, just make sure they have these elements:

  • Archival
  • Water-proof
  • Bleed-proof
  • Pigment Ink
  • Smudge-proof

 

Featured image includes the work of @derek_the_deliman on Instagram.

 

Margaret Penney is the Managing Editor of Notes on Design. Margaret is a teacher, designer, writer and new media artist and founder of Hello Creative Co.

 

This blog is powered by Sessions College, the leading online school of visual arts.
[Modal-Window id=”1″]

NoD Newsletter

Enhance your inbox with our weekly newsletter.

NOD - MC
Sending

©2024 Sessions College for Professional Design  All rights reserved

Terms & Conditions       Privacy Policy