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Best Drawing Pens in 2022

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Drawing pens alone can create an exciting and colorful drawing. It also helps create an outline under markers or watercolors and make notes and sketches. The sketcher and illustrator need to have good quality materials on hand. And one of those materials is a liner. Not all aspiring artists know about such an artistic tool as a liner or drawing pens. But for creating sketches and illustrations, they are simply necessary. We could advise you to create your online portfolio website. You can display your works and even find customers with the help of your art portfolio website.

Liner thickness ranges from 0.03mm (thinnest) to 1.0mm (thickest). There are also special calligraphy pens with a beveled nib or brush nib; these are called a brush pen. Some manufacturers have liners both in standard black, gray, and brown colors, which are familiar to all of us and in a wide variety of rainbow colors.

But which liners to choose for drawing and sketching? Let's consider the features of liners and pens for art that are the most reliable and high quality.

Comparison of different types of drawing  pens

To understand which types of pens to choose for illustrations, it is best to consider liners from some popular brands and compare their properties. Here are some essential criteria:

  • Appearance;
  • Stroke and line character;
  • The fragility of the tip;
  • Average price.

Liner Copic Multiliner. Advantages of the Copic Multiliner liner:

Liner Copic Multiliner

  • Available in 10 colors;
  • Thickness variation for black is the largest from 0.03 mm to 1.0 mm;
  • Case material plastic;
  • Copic Multiliner Brush tip available (Fine Line and Thick Line);
  • Thin line, crisp touch.

Disadvantages of the Copic Multiliner:

  • Disposable;
  • Over time, all the inscriptions on the case are erased.

It's good that the cap remains intact, by which you can understand what thickness you are taking.

Derwent Graphik liners. Derwent also has its small line of drawing pens for drawing and sketching Derwent Graphik. Types of pens with a thickness of 0.05 mm to 0.8 mm are available individually and in sets.
Advantages of Derwent Graphik liners:

Derwent Graphik liners

  • Available in three colors: black, sepia and graphite;
  • The body is translucent and tinted in the color of the liner, which is convenient when looking for it among others.

Disadvantages of Derwent Graphik liners:

  • All inscriptions, both on the body and the cap, are erased;
  • The hatching makes it a little fat; you can see the beginning of the stroke, although the line itself is straight.

This company has handled in graphite color. Very cool in terms of the graphite shade being identical to the pencil color. This can help novice artists to get away from preliminary sketching in pencil and draw on a clean copy immediately with a liner, and with graphite color, there will be no fear of black.

Liners Centropen Document. Centropen is a Czech stationery brand. Small line pens for art Centropen Document, in a round blue case with a large-cap. Available in thicknesses from 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm. Additional colors are indicated on the manufacturer's website for 0.1 mm blue and red thickness.

Advantages of Centropen Document liners:

 Liners Centropen Document

  • Reliable and durable;
  • The inscriptions are not erased;
  • Recognizable design;
  • Nice touch.

Disadvantages of Centropen Document liners:

  • A small line of colors

Liners Sakura Pigma Micron. The most popular drawing pens brand for drawing and sketching is Sakura Pigma Micron. These liners are available in thicknesses from 0.03mm to 0.8mm in 15 colors. There are also brush pen options for more calligraphy and lettering. Liners are available individually and in sets.

Liners Sakura Pigma Micron

Advantages of these liners:

  • Nice round body fits comfortably in hand;
  • The inscriptions on the caps are not erased, you can always identify what thickness you are taking;
  • The liner gives a good clear line, and can give a nice touch if necessary.

Disadvantages of Sakura Pigma Micron liners:

  • Slightly fragile tips

It can be concluded that these drawing pens are not so popular in vain and, with the careful operation, can last a long time. 

Liners ShinHan Art TOUCH liner. Like Copic, the Korean company SHINHAN ART, famous for Touch Twin alcohol markers, has its drawing pens for drawing and sketching TOUCH liner. The range includes black liners with nib variations from 0.05mm to 0.8mm and calligraphy nibs. Available individually and in sets.

Liners ShinHan Art TOUCH liner

Advantages of the TOUCH liner:

  • Colored liners available (7 color options);
  • Fits comfortably in hand;
  • The body is sleek and narrow;
  • Gives a clean and precise line.

Disadvantages of the TOUCH liner: 

  • Disposable;
  • The short-lived tip quickly deteriorated (in a couple of months).

Black drawing pens 

Liners Steadtler. The German brand Steadtler is also on the market for drawing pens for drawing and sketching. Available in black, thickness from 0.05mm to 0.8mm.

Liners Steadtler

Advantages of Steadtler liners:

  • Nice lines and strokes;
  • Nice unobtrusive body color.

Disadvantages of Steadtler liners:

  • Only black

Liners Edding 1880 drawliner. Edding is a firm specializing in various writing instruments, including paper. It range includes pens for art and Edding 1880 drawliner sketches, labeled as ink liners (basically the same as a capillary pen). These pens are available in thicknesses from 0.05 mm to 0.8 mm, individually or in sets.

Liners Edding 1880 drawliner

Advantages of the Edding 1880 drawliner:

  • Excellent wear resistance;
  • The cap inscription is not erased;
  • The ink does not run out for a long time;
  • Attractive price.

Disadvantages of Edding 1880 drawliner:

  • The body wears off over time;
  • Available in black only.

Liners Uni-Pin fine line. Uni-Pin fine line drawing and sketching liners from Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Pencil, available in black, available in thicknesses from 0.1 mm to 0.8 mm.

Liners Uni-Pin fine line

Advantages of Uni-Pin fineliners:

  • They write well;
  • Matte black body;
  • Gives beautiful, straight lines.

Disadvantages of Uni-Pin fine line liners:

  • All inscriptions are erased very quickly.

These liners are generally excellent. Distinguishing between 0.3 mm and 0.4 mm is very problematic.

Liners MARVY For Drawing 4600. These liners for drawing and sketching from the Japanese company MARVY UCHIDA, round nibs, varying in thickness from 0.03 mm to 1.0 mm.

Liners MARVY For Drawing 4600

Advantages of MARVY For Drawing 4600 liners:

  • Beautiful white body;
  • Nice to hold in your hand;
  • The dash and lines are precise;
  • Attractive price.

This pen is doing well; there is no sinking into the body.

Copic liners. An equally popular brand of types of pens for drawing and sketching, created by Copic, better known for its legendary markers. The range includes two types of liners Copic Multiliner SP and Copic Multiliner. Their main differences are in the body material and durability. Copic Multiliner SP has a metal body and is refillable; Copic Multiliner has a plastic body and is a disposable liner. The Copic Multiliner SP is available in thicknesses from 0.03mm to 0.7mm. The ink color is only black.

Copic liners

Advantages of the Copic Multiliner SP liner:

  • Metal body;
  • Possibility of replacing the writing unit and ink cartridge;
  • Aesthetically pleasing design;
  • The line is thin and uniform.

Disadvantages of the Copic Multiliner SP liner:

  • Short-lived tip.

Comparison of drawing pens from different brands

In conclusion, find the answer to which drawing pens to choose in 2022?

  • Water resistance and lightfastness. Overall, all liners have passed the water and light fastness test when using a marker and watercolors over them. However, the Centropen and Uni-Pin drawing and sketching liners are a little smudged after the marker was applied, so these liners are best used over marker or watercolor painting for details.
  • Erasability. Many of the tested types of pens for drawing suffer from the erasability of inscriptions on the body. Over time, the inscriptions on the Copic, Derwent, Uni-Pin liners are almost completely erased, especially in places of strong friction with fingers. For some manufacturers, it is there that the thickness designation goes, which makes the use of a liner after erasing the inscription problematic. In such cases, only the cap saves, although the Derwent brand has worn out the inscription even on the cap.
  • Line width. As for the line thickness, the Centropen liner is too thick 0.1 mm, and the stroke mark itself is of uneven thickness. 

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FAQ

What pens do you use for sketching?

Most often, artists choose special drawing pens called liners. They come in different thicknesses and colors.

What is a drawing liner?

Liner is a kind of capillary pen with water-based ink. Designed for drawing with thin, rich lines and is used in design, architects, and drawings and decoration work. They can be used to draw not only on paper but also on cardboard.

What is the difference between a marker and a liner?

Markers have thicker ink and they are not easy in drawing on a paper. Liners are most often used for sketching, they have thin ink and fairly sensitive nibs.

What does a liner look like for drawing?

The drawing liner is a capillary pen with ink inside and a refill of a certain thickness. Liner thickness ranges from 0.03mm (thinnest) to 1.0mm (thickest).

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