Favorite Pens for Writing, Sketching, Doodling & Drawing

pitt artist pens, brush nib set

Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens are my favs for drawing and writing. Per Faber-Castel, they have "pigmented India Ink that is permanent, waterproof, light-fast, orderless, acid-free and archival (pH neutral)." There are a bunch of nib sizes, from big brush (largest) to extra super fine (smallest). I use extra superfine (XS) tip PITT pens in black, sanguine or sepia for writing on paper, lettering, line work, doodling, mandalas and sketching. These pens are an inexpensive luxury. If you draw with them, you can watercolor immediately without running. There is no bleed. I keep them in my backpack, purse, on the table, everywhere.

5x8" moleskine, pitt pen

I like that the ink dries immediately to minimize smudging. The line is consistent and smooth. Brush nib PITT pens are popular with art journalists - they write on most surfaces and come in 48 colors. 

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Here's some helpful info that I had to dig around to find: per Faber-Castell, the pitt pen nib sizes are: Brush, Medium = 0.8 mm, Fine = 0.6 mm, Superfine = 0.4 mm, Extra Superfine = 0.1 mm.

Pentel Pentel Slicci Gel Pens Read about these in The Pen Stash Grows. Lovely elegant lines that stay just slightly inky so that when you watercolor that day or even the next there's a wonderful flow of ink into the watercolors. Yet little smudge. I adore these pens. To see what I mean, check out EDM #18.

slicci pens

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils are our favorites. My kids use these daily for drawing, doodling, making maps and mandalas. We take them on vacation. Details at Top Picks: Colored Pencils and Drawing Papers.

gelly rolls

Sakura Gelly Roll Pens. I did a detailed review of Gelly Rolls that might be of interest. Great for writing, doodling,drawing mandalas, sketching. Dry quickly (but slower than PITT or Micron pens) and permanently. The ink in these pens flows smoothly. Sturdy.

Sakura Pigma Micron Pens. Essential for writing, lettering, detailed line work, doodling, drawing mandalas, sketching. They come in several colors and tips, so they can draw finer lines than PITT pens. They dry immediately and are permanent so minimize smudging. They are more sensitive to nib damage than PITT pens.

Uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153 Gel Pen, White AND Sakura Gellyroll, White. Beyond perfection. Lovely flow and consistent on slightly uneven surfaces. Opaque. My go-to pens for writing on dark backgrounds, drawing mandalas, etc. Looks lovely on black gesso, dark acrylic paint, dark watercolors. If I had to pick, I would pick the Uni-ball because it flows better on super uneven and glossy surfaces. 

Sharpie Water-Based Paint Markers. If you plan to write on dark backgrounds, you'll need a white opaque marker or a neon marker. Opaque, sturdy and write on anything. Keep in mind that these lines are not THIN and elegant like the Uni-ball or the Gellyroll above. I don't use oil-based paint markers. They have a horrid odor.

Sharpie Ultra-Fine Point Markers. My daughter's favorite for drawing mandalas, doodling, drawing ribbons, drawing anything. I find the bleed-through bothersome on thinner papers, but the color is vivid and saturated and the tips are sturdy. We have the 36-color set.

For writing on art journal pages, here's more info:

• Journal Lettering: Part I & Part II
• All About Getting Words on Dark Backgrounds
• In EDM #13: Draw a Telephone, I paint water over various fresh pen lines.

Comments

[Olivia Lane]

Sharpie fine point pen and Pilot Razor V fine point pen are my favorites. They are the only ones I own besides ball point pens which I don't even like writing with but somehow find their way into my apartment! LOL!

Thank you for this extensive review of pens! I'm sure it will save me frustration and money in the future.

[Jeannine]

This is such a great post! I've never been much of a pen person, mostly because when I first started art journaling eons ago, there wasn't much available that worked over acrylic. I do use Sakura Glaze pens in black and a Galaxy Marker in Milky Way White (a broad felt tipped pen for chunky lines or lettering). For awhile I tried using a koh-i-noor drafting pen because I loved loved loved the very fine line I got with it, but trying to refill the ink was a royal pain.

Really want to try the Slicci gel pens and play around more with the Pitt pens I have. Thanks for the info!

[belladumonde]

I like Pitt pens and Pigmas. I also love Zig milleniums and Zebra Sarasas. Right now, really enjoying the fine end of double-sided Tombows.