Ultimate Pen Discussion

Uni-ball ub-177 fine deluxe.

The ink is super smooth, will penetrate the paper and stay forever. Best ballpoint ever.

who /fountainpen/ here

the ~COOLEST~ way to draw there is desu.

Have a handful of these and they do all the same work my microns do, plus the ink doesn't bleed with watercolours.

>>2796830

I've got a pilot metropolitan, it's breddy good, I don't use it that often for art though.

File: 61PumJ9JI5L._SL1500_.jpg (59KB, 1500x1500px) Image search: [Google]

59KB, 1500x1500px

>>2796850

forgot image

>>2796851
Tried them.
>Pro
easy to find
cheap
no hard sharpie smell (as I remmeber)
light
>Con
No variety of sizes
no total black

File: IMG_1402.jpg (169KB, 480x640px) Image search: [Google]

169KB, 480x640px

>>2796830
Fountain pens are boring
Try dip pens, they have so much better control over the line weight
So fun to draw with too

who else here draws with a bird feather?

>>2796871
>>2796830
>not using brushes

You're all gay

>>2796871
I can never get my maru/mapping nibs to work right. It writes dry no matter what I do. I want those fine lines senpai

>>2796915
Have you cleaned your nibs?
They're sold with a coating to prevent rust, but it can interfere with the ink flow
>https://thepostmansknock.com/prepare-new-calligraphy-nibs-use/
>tl;dr: use toothpaste

preface
>I take very good care of my art supplies.
>I've only ever used micron pens.
>I've gone through every type of micron pen they produce.

There seems to be a quality inconsistency in these pens. I've had about 4 pens blow up on me, and I've had to throw them away which sucks, because they are expensive as hell. A lot of the finer pens have really crappy tips that will get bent easily, and it's hard to make consistent lines when you have to work the pen at different angles to get it to work.

So I don't know how good they are in comparison to the other pens, but by themselves, I think there's room for improvement

>>2796871
i love your little sketches

>>2796871
Do you really put up with all the water containers, splatters, dipping..?
Isn't it better to just get Noodler's creaper flex or smth?
Nice dogos btw.

>>2798959
>Isn't it better to just get Noodler's creaper flex or smth?
It's not. Noodler's flex pens are nice, but they don't hold a candle to dip pens.

Anyone here use rollerball pens? I know it's pretty strange but I have one on me (Pilot Precise v7) all the time for writing and the ink flows out perfect.

>>2799183
I draw with V5s and V7s a lot. When you use them perpendicular to the page (or close to that), only the tip of the ball touches the page and they make a much finer line than when used with a normal writing grip. When you use them like Rapidographs they behave like them, and since I discovered that they're my go-to sketch pens. I like that I can use them on slightly toothy paper without wearing them down like Microns. You can use a waterbrush over them to make washes too.

I love Micron, also I use zebra F01, my favorite

Ballpoint pens that are ideal for drawing?

>>2803602
I like the pilot g-tecs for finelining and general fucking around. Maybe the G-2 but otherwise ballpoints are shit and look like shit.

>>2796824
Micron is pretty dank pen. Granted I've only used them for drafting and cartography, not artistic pursuits, but precise widths and reliable ink flow are of utmost importance when doing that shit by hand.

>>2803651
G/Hi-Tec-Cs are gel pens, and Pilot G2s are some of the worst gel pens around.
>otherwise ballpoints are shit and look like shit.
You're full of shit.

>>2803602
I started using Zebra ballpoints at Scott Robertson's recommendation and so far they're the best I've tried. The 0.7mm F refills make very fine lines and don't form globs of ink as quickly as other pens. Nothing wrong with a plain Bic either. Ballpoints that write very well don't tend to draw very well because they put out too much ink and form globs.

File: favorites.jpg (133KB, 1000x853px) Image search: [Google]

133KB, 1000x853px

I have a lot of pens/pencils but these are my favorites. The pen at the top is a Hunt 102 crow quill. The bottom 3 go in my bag with my sketchbook when I go out. If I could choose only one pen and one pencil I'd pick the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen and 0.3mm Pentel Graphgear 1000.

>>2798959
>water containers
I just use a moist sponge

>splatters
just move the pen in the right direction

>dipping
The ink I use came with a dropper. Makes it very easy to control the amount of ink I use.

>>2803602
Frank cho's gotten some pretty fantastic results out of a standard Bic ballpoint pen.

>>2796871
I'm looking to buy some g pen nibs, but I'm new to this.

Any suggestions? What holders/ink should I get? What kind of paper would do well for a bunch of sketches?

>>2804045
>Im new to walking. What shoes should I buy?
>Im new to defecating . How often should I shit?
>Im new to drinking. What water should I drink?
It doesn't matter you massive faggot, use google like everybody else and figure it out. 4chan isnt going to spoonfeed you in every aspect of your life.

>>2803831
what ink can I use to refill that kind of Brush pen below the small nib pen?

File: 20170105_131605.jpg (130KB, 455x808px) Image search: [Google]

130KB, 455x808px

>>2796830
i use rotring, it's aight by all means


also microns over fabers
and i like pitt pen. Im not applying too much pressure on it tho, cuz u know, it works like a brush.

>>2804316
I don't know what the best ink for brushpens is. I have some Ultradraw ink that came with my Rapidosketch that I plan on using for the Pocket Brushpen when I run out of cartridges. I'll get some Noodler's Heart of Darkness when that runs out because I want a deep shade of black more than anything and it's supposed to be the blackest ink there is.

I can confirm India Ink doesn't work; I put it into a Pentel Aquash waterbrush and it got clogged after a few weeks. I plan on soaking it in alcohol sometime to unclog it.

Higgins Eternal carbon ink worked fine in the same pen, but it goes down as a medium gray.

I gave away most of my fountain pens and inks a few years back. There are better pens to draw and write with.

>>2804369
You keep posting that Art Pen and I can't afford another Rotring, you ass.

>>2804249
>come to /ic/, a board for discussing art and art accessories
>come to the pen thread, a thread for discussing ink and ink accessories
> see someone ask a simple question
> sperg out because mommy didn't fix my chicken tendies and I'm in a cranky mood
You're retarded and act like it to, let's hope your handler has a good leash

>>2804045
There's a lot of useful talk in this thread
>>2787922
We had just a while ago

>>2804369
nice pencil case, I have the same one.
have you tried Pigma Brush? I think of getting one but I've read that it isn't really good.

>>2804249
>thread about discussing tools
>someone asks a question about tools
>spazz out
Why are you even in this thread? I already know, I just want you to understand how much of a retard you are.

Gel pens for sketches
Microns for lineweight and details
Waterbrush with some ink inside for shadows
Pentel brush pen for solid blacks
Crappy brush with white gouache for highlights
When I run out of all that crap I'll just buy a scanner, gel pens are more than enough

>>2804428
yeah dude, art-swag is part of the charm
srsly tho, it gotta be like 20$ right? well worth the price. What to you have? one of them isographs? I was wondering about them, never tried one. Do you have to hold them at 90 degree angle to the paper or something?

>>2804683
he is kinda right, when it comes to dip ones, everything will do just about the same, just buy the cheapest ones

>>2804428
>I can confirm India Ink doesn't work; I put it into a Pentel Aquash waterbrush and it got clogged after a few weeks.
Even after popping out the tiny white "filter" from the brush? I was having this clogging issue for a long ass time before getting set straight from actually seeing a visual.

https://youtu.be/lIV_yyVolgs?t=31

When the person starts to take apart the brush, a small black valve will pop out. Inside of that, is the smaller white tube filter. Need something thin enough to remove it though. Your choice on what to do next - either clean it out & put it back in the valve, or remove it entirely.

I've done the latter on a few Aquashes filled with a bunch of different things, certain things needing some water to help it move along though. Flow isn't a problem, but have to be careful with how you squeeze the brush, of course. Usually, gravity is only needed to help the water brush flow as it would normally. Have used FP-safe pigment ink [which still manages to clog a standard Aquash before removing the filter], a mix of tube watercolour & water, "iridescent india ink" from Ph Martin with 25% water, etc. Made a bootleg Wink of Stella, which was basically adding a bit of mica powder to water.

>>2804704
>gel pens are more than enough
Which ones do you use?

>>2804918
>What to you have?
A 0.35mm and two 0.5mm 600 mechanical pencils. But, I have a Koh-I-Noor Rapidosketch and I'm debating whether or not to get a couple Isographs to go with it. With the 0.35mm Rapidosketch you can get ink to flow all the way to about a 45 degree angle, but it's scratchy unless it's close to vertical. I learned how to use Microns like that long before I bought a proper technical pen, but there's definitely a learning curve to using a pen at a 90 degree angle. It's more comfortable and convenient to just grab a superfine PITT pen than use a technical pen, and dip/brush pens make sexier lines.

>>2805130
I've disassembled it before because plain water wasn't flowing and I know exactly what you mean. It still has that filter piece, and it didn't occur to me to remove that to see if that helps. I'll try that thanks.

Also, some anon posted a thread a few months ago trying to identify a ballpoint pen Kim Jung Gi was using. Found it while looking for ballpoints to draw with:
https://www.amazon.com/Xeno-Shinzi-Monpeluche-0-38mm-Ballpoint/dp/B01AIWAL30
I've only seen Jetstreams (which suck for drawing) and a couple other ballpoints that fine. Once I'm not broke I'll order some.

>>2805208
well i always thought isographs are for pointilism and im far too impatient for that

I really love TUL pens,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

>>2804428
> have some Ultradraw ink that came with my Rapidosketch

huh, I'll try that

File: multilinersp_black_ovrvw.jpg (46KB, 445x237px) Image search: [Google]

46KB, 445x237px

Copic multi-liners are pretty good, ink flow and consistency is top notch.

I hold my microns at a sharp angle and tend to wear down the sides fairly quickly, and thus need to hold them more and more vertically. Are there any suggestions for pens that can be used at a 45 or so degree angle and not degrade within a handful of day?

>Faber Castell Pitt Pens

I got some for christmas and I really like them so far.

I'm doing much typography and graffiti and they are pretty good for this. I can do good outlines with them with a nice variation of thickness.

But I still didn't use them enaugh and in many ways to say if they are good or not.

>>2807267
Fountain pens.

>>2807267
Well I don't know if you've considered this but if you're using a rougher or toothier paper, stop. That will wear down your pens like pencils in no time at all.

>>2809798
Something like this then?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002T4032/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A12YQ4VTLF6SQW

>>2809909
I thought of that but i generally use Canson Sketchpads and a Moleskine Artbook Plus, the paper in both is fairly smooth.

>>2796824

Micron Pens run out so damn fast, Faber Castell will run forever, or at least much MUCH longer and boldly than Microns I've noticed.

Was doing some practice drawing with 3 microns and they all crapped out after about 12 pages, the Faber Castell is still going strong after about 20+ pages of work.

>>2810340
>Something like this then?
Yes, exactly. Though if you want a fine nib you're better off looking at Pilot / Platinum / Sailor. Lamys are good but their EFs tend to run all over the place.
I'd also be wary of buying a Safari from a random marketplace retailer, there are a lot of chinese conterfeits lying around (source: I got one).

>>2811128
Thanks, I'll look at those brands

>>2796851
theyre are good for practice but they bleed a little.

>>2804316
I refill my pentel pocket brush pen with PH Martin's Bombay Black india ink. won't clog it up and flows really well through the pen

I'm really temperamental when it comes to inking tools so I used a whole lot. The pentel pocket brush pen has been a consistent favorite of mine though. Other than that I'll use a brush and ink, I have microns and some staedtler multiliners. I've also got a kuretake brush pen that's nice but I don't use it much.

I tend to run through microns really quickly. I'm a bit heady handed and they wear down super fast. Honestly I've started using fine point sharpies for a lot because they're cheap. I'm considering investing in some rapidographs though

I've tried using a nib but I can never get them to work

Now let's see your work anons

Anyone here used Rotrings Artpen?

>>2796830
I've got two fountain pens and a brush pen that I sketch with.

>>2807267
Most anything steel-tipped will last until it runs out of ink. Pilot Metropolitans are great fountain pens and are ~$10. Pilot Penmanships have an XF nib that is one of the smallest you can get, and you can put the nib on a Metropolitan (which only goes down to fine).

Micro-tipped gel pens can make very fine lines too. Pilot Hi/G-Tec-Cs are great. Ohto graphic liners are fantastic rollerball pens that have pigmented ink and very good ink flow. An 005 Ohto is just as fine as a Micron and the tip lasts until it's out of ink. If you don't need very fine lines than pretty much any pen with liquid ink will do.

>>2811647
>Honestly I've started using fine point sharpies for a lot because they're cheap.
Same here. A 2-pack is ~$1.75 in stores and Amazon has a dozen for $7. Their alcohol-based ink flows extremely fast, and while that makes fine details very difficult you can use them with a very light touch and very quickly and still get a bold line. They just spew ink and you can abuse them all you want because they're so cheap. The ink is very black and dries instantly too. My one gripe is how the tips dry out even though there's plenty of ink left in the pen. I've found scribbling on a folded up paper towel the fastest way to get it flowing again.

>>2807267
Reposting something I posted awhile ago too:

People ask this question all the time on this board. I've tried all of the pens you listed and a few more. Every plastic tip pen has this problem. The smaller the nib the more delicate it will be, and often the nib will go bad before the pen runs out of ink. For reference, my Papermate Flairs (which have a thick bullet shaped nib) will always run out of ink before the nib dies. The nib will become a little less pointy than a fresh pen. When I use 01 technical pens (~.25mm, depending on the manufacturer) the nib always dies before it runs out of ink. I save those pens to cannibalize their ink cartridges for 08 pens (~.5mm) that almost always run out of ink before the nib dies. For Microns and the like this takes 10 seconds to do with needle nose pliers.

Holding it perpendicular to the page solves this problem somewhat by flattening the nib in only one direction; soon it becomes closer to a cylinder than a bullet. This will make the line much larger than if you were using the pen at an angle, and sometimes you'll have to draw a little slower to let the ink flow properly.

The paper you use also plays a big factor in this. Marker paper, smooth bristol board, and other smooth papers don't wear the nib down as fast. However, good paper is much more expensive than cheap copy paper. Unless you're filling up a lot of the page, it would be cheaper to replace pens more often than buying better paper.

I'd love to see a pen that doesn't have this problem, but I've yet to find one. Steel tip technical pens can last decades, but they are inconvenient on cheap paper, and holding them perpendicular to the page can be a hassle for a lot of people (I don't mind at all).

The convenience is worth having to throw a pen away every few days.

>>2812168
Also, I'm assuming you were referring to ultra-fine point Sharpies. They say it has a 0.2mm tip, but it makes lines closer to a 0.5mm drawing pen. Their fine point markers are way too wide for me and always bleed through to the next page. For lines that big I use a Pentel Sign Pen.

Bump for interest

File: index.jpg (4KB, 333x151px) Image search: [Google]

4KB, 333x151px

I swapped the nib of a Nooder's Konrad out, the amount of flex/Line variation is on point now. WORTH.

File: platinum-carbon-desk-fountain-pen-black-extra-fine-nib-10.jpg (46KB, 700x432px) Image search: [Google]

46KB, 700x432px

>>2804428
>You keep posting that Art Pen and I can't afford another Rotring, you ass.
Platinum carbon desk pen is basically the same thing and it's like $8. Apparently it does a finer line too.

>>2796850
>plus the ink doesn't bleed with watercolours.

I've never had a Micron bleed out when using watercolor. What kind of paper are you using?

Anybody use Staedtler's Pigment Liners?

I'll never understand why they think they can charge almost double for those as a Micron when they're almost exactly the same.

>>2816449
is that a fucking jinhao?

>>2803602
I have great experiences with a Bic pen. Really cheap and good for sketching.

>>2811639
I just tried this ant it works for me. The India ink

>>2816560
They charge double because of the Staedtler brand

File: 71UJH0APqNL._SL1500_.jpg (152KB, 1500x1125px) Image search: [Google]

152KB, 1500x1125px

>>2796824
What kind of pen is ideal for heavy weight/textured paper? I fucked and used my microns on 138 sketchbook paper and now the tips have wasted away

>>2817007
>fucked up
>138 lb

>>2816573

No, but I own a few of them. They feel heavy and a bit cheap, but they work well once you swap the nib.

The best pen I ever owned, I took from a funeral parlor when job hunting. Showed some of my art major classmates and they all agreed. It was so smooth, was so flawless with sweeping gestural marks and would never do the annoying thing where the ink skips. It was bizarre and I miss it.

>>2817183
>It was bizarre and I miss it.
Men spend their entire lives searching for such a pen and you are a fool for having lost it.

I just use those https://billiescraftroom.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/1057ap002.jpg

I mostly use S and XS so they dont last very long but they are solid in terms of price and lines. The broader ones last for a very long time though.

>>2796891
Brushes are really underrated

how do you store pens? I like to see the sharpie tip colors, but then the ink settles on the bottom.

>>2824020
>but then the ink settles on the bottom.
Sharpie ink dries very quickly and often the tips on mine will dry completely even though the pen has plenty of ink (regardless of how I store them). I keep a tiny squirt bottle of rubbing alcohol and a folded up paper towel to rewet them if trying to shake some ink into the tip with the cap on doesn't work.

I bought a bunch of plastic pencil boxes at some back to school sale a few years back that I store all my pens in (horizontally). My drawing desk has a few shelves for the ones I use most often.

>>2821373
Brush pens are God's own inking tools on Earth. Blessed be the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen.

I ink with a regular pen I bought for 75 cents. What do I miss?

File: Pentel_Pocket_Brush_Pen.jpg (24KB, 600x600px) Image search: [Google]

24KB, 600x600px

>>2824068
A personal relationship with your Lord and Savior.

File: Peter-Han-04-Sketch.jpg (310KB, 609x800px) Image search: [Google]

310KB, 609x800px

QUESTION:

I'm looking for a white thin brush pen/marker/whatever with as good covering of black ink as possible for highlights and detail work, and that's portable so that I can throw it in a bag and use on the go.

Any recommendations?

>>2824528

Gel ink pens?

http://www.jetpens.com/blog/guide-to-choosing-white-gel-ink-pens-and-markers/pt/340

File: 83755.jpg (64KB, 600x400px) Image search: [Google]

64KB, 600x400px

I love them.

>>2824528
UniBall Signo Broad (1 mm) is probably your best bet.

>>2824538
>>2824545
Thanks a bunch!

>>2824528
just get white gouache and a small brush

shit be working like a bitch

>>2796871
i know its off topic and belong into the question thread but how can i emulate this type of line art in photoshop? the roughness specially, most of the time with every setting combo you do the lineart in the program still looks like it could be vector, some people like sycra or proko guy have something similar to it but they never reveal or want to say the settings for the brush.

>>2811639
Any idea if speedball super black would clog?

>>2826489

Super Black is super dense.

Platinum Carbon Black is perfect ink for brush pens.

>>2824788
Not great on the go, though.

File: 08166012.jpg (615KB, 903x1291px) Image search: [Google]

615KB, 903x1291px

>>2827701
If you don't want to carry water use a small waterbrush instead. And if you don't want to squeeze tubes buy a small bottle of Talens gouache and just dip your brush in. There are other options like Deleter white, Sakura poster colors, or Copic opaque white (the small bottle comes with a tiny brush as well).

>>2824788
>>2827727
What about white paint markers? Any of those viable?

>>2827755
Should work fine, better than gel pens at least. I had a white Posca brush pen that was decent until the paint started drying in the brush and made it almost unusable, but the normal tips should be OK.

test

Has anyone had any success with filling non-Pentel Aquash water brushes with various types of india ink or other water-based concoctions? I'm really digging how versatile Aquashes really are after popping out the tiny white filter from the valve inside of the pen.

File: 20170123_233616.jpg (2MB, 4128x2322px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 4128x2322px

If yall niggas have ornamental grasses/reeds where you live and spare ink you should try carving dip pens out of them.
Obviously not ideal, but it can be pretty [spoiler]fun[/spoiler]

Its just pens you fucking nerds, literally a cheap dollar store bag of them can give you the same results as some japanese imported pen that costs 14 dolalrs

Earn that (You) next time, my dude

@2829924
ngmi my family man

>>2830010
>>2830011
I bet you both draw like complete ass with your fancy expensive shit that you wasted your money on

go make your own thread (You)

>>2829813
How would you describe the feel of it? eg weight, sturdiness, etc

I used to have a makeshift pen after finding a large owl feather near my old apartment. That one was fragile to grip, of course, but the "pen" portion was rigid enough to keep lines. Got destroyed eventually as my cats were wanting to play with it.

File: 20170124_201148[1].jpg (2MB, 4128x2322px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 4128x2322px

>>2830861
The zebra grass I made mine out of (have a couple bushes in my yard) are pretty sturdy at pretty much any part of the reed.
It has this fiber with a consistency similar to that of styrofoam, that when carved out creates some great pockets for ink.
Helps smooth out the ink flow

Its pretty light and unless you make it out of the end of the reed it isn't gonna break in your hand.
Depending on what shape you make it you can get a pretty good variety of lines by twisting your wrist and what not.
Biggest problem is that the tips will degrade over time and you will start to lose control over your ink

>>2824543
are the deleter nekopicos comparable to sakura microns?

deleters are a buck more expensive but i dont mind if theres a difference in quality or range of tip sizes

An ultimate pen discussion isn't ultimate until it reaches bump limit!

>>2803831
That zebra is one of my favorites. I had a mechanical pencil too that was shaped the same. Lost both of them, lost my fucking mind XD

>>2837029
I bought some new ones awhile back and their plastic grip sections were less bumpy/grippy than my old ones. They make rubber and metal grip versions, but I prefer the weight of the plastic ones. I remember using those pens in grade school and they just feel exactly right.

The M-301 is OK, but it didn't hold the lead as securely as I like. The V-301 fountain pen version is absolute shit. Easily the worst fountain pen I've ever owned.

>>2824076
This pen is great, until your cartridge begins to run out of ink, and the air expanding inside begins to push out more ink than you need. It sucks. Just get the regular pentel brush pen.

>>2838325
>It sucks.
Fight me. I top my cartridges off with a syringe and I've never had this happen. The pocket brush has a much finer tip and better grip/balance than the equivalent pigment color brush. It's superior in every way except capacity and the ability to squeeze out a lot of ink when you want to.

>>2838325
Is that why the inkflow always fucks up? I've had three of them and they almost always lose their precision over time

Anyway brushpens are nice but I'd sooner spend the money on a good Kolinsky-Sable brush. You haven't inked til you've inked with a brush, and if you're already acquainted with brushpens you'll get the hang of a real brush in no time

Just learn how to fucking maintain em

>>2796824
Derwent Graphik line. The best so far., but requires skills.

>>2838470
I was in no way saying the pocket pen was bad. I was merely saying it sucks when it pushes out too much ink, especially when trying to make precise lines.
>>2838519
I used to ink with sable brushes. I know how superior they are. Certain circumstances, ive had to switch to brush pens because carrying a jar of water with an inkwell was too much.

File: image.jpg (1MB, 3264x2448px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 3264x2448px

>>2796824
Nuff said