FA+
Shop
Let's Talk BRUSH PENS!
11 years ago
General
I wrote this as a reply to a few inking inquiries I got a few weeks ago, and thought it might be useful to share more broadly, since I get a lot of questions about my inking. So! Here you go! Please feel free to ask question OR suggest other brushes for us to try. I could talk about this stuff all day, and am always keen to find the Next Best Thing :)
My preferred inking-apparatus is a Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky sable brush, size varying based on the project (anywhere from #1-#6). These are getting harder and harder to find in the US, unfortunately, so grab one if you find it!
However.. it is not always convenient to carry around a nonreplacable brush and inkwell.. so I use brush pens quite a bit, too! I'm just very picky, because I like ones that replicate as closely as possible the feel of inking with a brush.
So, are you ready? Here we go.
Ranked in order of my favorite, in orders of magnitude (and coincidently, also ranked in order of price):
1] I am a BIG fan of the Kuretake #40 and #50 (only difference is barrel finish and price). It's a refillable brush pen that uses sable hairs, so it has wonderful spring that is the closest I have found to a brush (and close enough that I will often use it instead, just out of convenience/portability). The sable brush head is also replaceable, and is such a dream that I do most of my sketching with this pen, too.
Replace the stock ink cartridge (which is neither particularly dark, nor waterproof) with a Platinum fountain pen converter, which will look like this once installed.
2] The Kuretake #13 is also an excellent choice, and about $20 kinder to your wallet. It uses synthetic fibers, but is otherwise quite similar to the #s 40 and 50. (It also conveniently comes in one of my favorite colors, a delicious red.)
3] The Pentel Pocket Brush pen that others here have linked is a good choice. Synthetic, good spring, refillable (and you can use a converter to supply ink of your choosing), durable, and cheap to replace if it gets lost. I find that it is not as good for fine lines as the Kuretakes, however. It is slightly better for very thick lines, as a result.
Honorable Mentions: I don't use any other brush pens except those, because I am ultra super duper picky, and hate the feel of felt/anything other than hair-like fibers. But, I specifically value a pen that feels as close to a brush as possible, because brush inking is my most preferred method. You might have different preferences! Felt brush pens are way cheaper, but are not refillable, and often fray beyond usefulness well before they run out of ink. They also do not have the same degree of spring as hair/like fibers, and do not offer the same amount of line variation (in either direction), and are different to control when making particular curves/turns.
So far as buying them, JetPens isn't always the cheapest, but they are fast, have great service, and an excellent selection. You can easily find the Pentel in local art stores/Michael's/etc. The Kuretakes might be available at Japanese stationary stores, but your best bet is buying them online.
Hope this is helpful to someone! NOW, tell me about what YOU use!
My preferred inking-apparatus is a Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky sable brush, size varying based on the project (anywhere from #1-#6). These are getting harder and harder to find in the US, unfortunately, so grab one if you find it!
However.. it is not always convenient to carry around a nonreplacable brush and inkwell.. so I use brush pens quite a bit, too! I'm just very picky, because I like ones that replicate as closely as possible the feel of inking with a brush.
So, are you ready? Here we go.
Ranked in order of my favorite, in orders of magnitude (and coincidently, also ranked in order of price):
1] I am a BIG fan of the Kuretake #40 and #50 (only difference is barrel finish and price). It's a refillable brush pen that uses sable hairs, so it has wonderful spring that is the closest I have found to a brush (and close enough that I will often use it instead, just out of convenience/portability). The sable brush head is also replaceable, and is such a dream that I do most of my sketching with this pen, too.
Replace the stock ink cartridge (which is neither particularly dark, nor waterproof) with a Platinum fountain pen converter, which will look like this once installed.
2] The Kuretake #13 is also an excellent choice, and about $20 kinder to your wallet. It uses synthetic fibers, but is otherwise quite similar to the #s 40 and 50. (It also conveniently comes in one of my favorite colors, a delicious red.)
3] The Pentel Pocket Brush pen that others here have linked is a good choice. Synthetic, good spring, refillable (and you can use a converter to supply ink of your choosing), durable, and cheap to replace if it gets lost. I find that it is not as good for fine lines as the Kuretakes, however. It is slightly better for very thick lines, as a result.
Honorable Mentions: I don't use any other brush pens except those, because I am ultra super duper picky, and hate the feel of felt/anything other than hair-like fibers. But, I specifically value a pen that feels as close to a brush as possible, because brush inking is my most preferred method. You might have different preferences! Felt brush pens are way cheaper, but are not refillable, and often fray beyond usefulness well before they run out of ink. They also do not have the same degree of spring as hair/like fibers, and do not offer the same amount of line variation (in either direction), and are different to control when making particular curves/turns.
So far as buying them, JetPens isn't always the cheapest, but they are fast, have great service, and an excellent selection. You can easily find the Pentel in local art stores/Michael's/etc. The Kuretakes might be available at Japanese stationary stores, but your best bet is buying them online.
Hope this is helpful to someone! NOW, tell me about what YOU use!
I always wondered, what is the best way to store brush pens? Horizonal? Vertical brush up? Brush Down? :o
I think the biggest thing for the refillable kinds is to not allow the bristles to dry with ink on them, as that is pretty damaging. So don't store an almost-empty one for a long time without washing it with warm water (just stick it under the faucet so the water runs through where the ink goes). I suppose this would also be an argument for the storing-down method.
Interestingly, the Kuretake #40/50 comes with a water cartridge in it, so the bristles are damp when they arrive. I'm not sure how essential this is, since it's not like any sable brush I've bought comes in a small reservoir of water. Perhaps it allows the pen to load the initial ink cartridge faster..?
Although I don't think you are in this boat, because you have lovely inking, I think anyone reading this who is getting started with brushes/pens would be better served with a Pentel Pocket Brush or #13; no point abusing a super nice brush when you're starting out!
I'm also a complete newbie to inking with anything that isn't microns, so that learning curve is probably also a factor in how my drawings with the brush pens come out.
I've seen so many people recommending the kuretake pens, so I've gotta give them a try once I've got the extra cash. They look like a blast to work with!
I've also seen a lot of mention of pentel standard brush pens, these, but I haven't seen any discussion of what they're like versus the Pentel Pocket Brush, besides being notably cheaper?
I'd never ink with one, because I am not good at controlling the ink flow with the squeezy tube thing, and as you say, it is not waterproof ink. But for just messing around and getting to pay with rough-edged lines, they're quite nice!
So, we can still buy the stock that already exists in the country, but technically mail ordering it is illegal, and stores can't restock them at this point.
However, I doubt it would come up, because I think the airport and border patrols have bigger problems, and customs is looking for large volume importers.
So far, as a mere pup on my attempts at it, my pigma brush is both good learning and is making me happy (I am still getting the hang of it but slowly using it more then my unipins).. but latter, if I find I am better at traditional, I will search for such a brush pen... ^.^
I am intrigued by the Kuretake pens, but waterproof ink is a big deal for me as I supplement most of my work with fluid acrylics. What kind of ink do you use with the Platinum fountain pen converter?
Thank you for sharing about your materials!
http://noodlersink.com/general/new-.....ad-brush-pens/
I don't really draw, but I LOVE my fountain pens and Noodler's makes the best ink, hand's down.
Their recent line of pens are good too. They are very customizable and repairable and durable.
Plus, only $20
BUT! I'm quite intrigued to check out their pen, thank you!
You should call them! Their number is listed on their website. They have so many inks, I am sure that there is one that will work for your needs!
Have you tried the Isabey 6201 travel brush? It has decent snap and holds a fantastic point.
On the topic of Noodler's, their permanent black smears like crazy. Though it eventually becomes waterproof, the ink stays gummy far too long for me to be happy with it. It uses a supposedly cellulose reactive dye in place of shellac to achieve permanence so it behaves very differently from other 'permanent' inks.
Winsor Newton's Series 7 sets the bar so high. I've tried top shelf alternatives from Escoda, Rekab, Raphael, Da Vinci and others, yet only Isabey and Daniel Smith are on par.
http://www.amazon.com/Noodlers-Blac...../dp/B000MVZ2E6