I get asked a lot of questions about drawing and the practicalities of being a full time artist, mainly in the comments under my social media posts and in my DMs. There are lots of things that people want to know but, more than anything else (far far more), I get asked about what tools I am using for my artwork. And it’s not a secret at all, I like giving people the info and I like talking about pens, but I can’t always go into the level of detail I’d like to in the comments section. So I thought I’d write it all down in one place here. It’s a work-in-progress but this is where I’ll talk about pens and pencils and paper for the foreseeable future.
Before going into specifics I should say that this is by no means a comprehensive list of everything I use or everything that is available for you to use (just some of my favourites and the things I get asked about most) and these are just the tools I’ve ended up using, not necessarily the best that are out there. Part of the journey (and the fun) of making art is trying new things and working with different tools and materials to find what works for you, the way you draw and the kinds of images you want to make. These are just the things I’ve ended up with after many years of trying out different stuff, and sticking with what works for me and my hands and the scratchy little pictures I’m interested in making. And if you really have something within you that you need to express through artistic means you definitely don’t need any of this, you can do it with a tiny blue ballpoint pen that you stole from a bank and the back of an envelope.
That being said… I love each and every one of these things and if any of these products were discontinued I’d be bulk buying enough to last the rest of my life. All the links on this page are affiliate links so, if you do decide to get any of this stuff, if you do it from here it’s the same price for you and I get a little cheddar too…
Tachikawa Comic Pen Nib Holder and Saji nib
This the currently available model of the dip pen that I use. I’ve had mine for over a decade and I use it all the time. It’s got a nice wooden body, a rubber grip, fits a load of different nibs, and it looks cool.
I use it in conjunction with a couple of different nibs, particularly the Tachikawa Saji and the G nib, that allow for a really soft and flexible line when working on loose sketches – the Saji nibs especially are pretty much all I ever use now. When I first got this pen holder it came with a set of nibs that included a few Maru and School nibs (alongside the Saji and the G) and between the four they’ve covered everything I’ve ever needed and have never needed replacing. Like a lot of the tools on this list, they’ve been through a beating over the years and stood up to it remarkably (which is one of the main things I look for in tools) the nibs in particularly should be a dented broken mess thanks to the aggressive way I use them – but they’re as good as the day they arrived on my doorstep in 2013.
Ink
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about which ink I use lately. And the answer is this classic Windsor & Newton Black Indian Ink. To be honest the main reason I’ve always used it is that it is available everywhere and it isn’t terrible. But then every now and then I’ll test out something fancier to see if I can find a real star, and nothing ever works quite as well as the W&N. It has good coverage, a nice dark black, very little bleed and (although not totally waterproof) if you let it thoroughly dry it stands up well to a wash. It’s a total workhorse.
I bought that tiny bottle in the above picture many years ago. But these days I buy larger ones (like in the picture below) and refill the little one when it runs out.
You can get the smaller sized bottle here
And the larger sized bottle here
Paper/sketchbook
For anyone curious about what paper I have been using for my loose and inky sketches, it’s this Daler Rowney “Artist’s Sketch Book”. This was another case of convenience to begin with – these are readily available and I had a couple lying around the flat. I was getting a bit too precious about my work and wanted something cheap to draw on that I wouldn’t mind ruining. At the same time I had been through a tidy and reorganisation of my workspace and gathered all my half filled old sketchbooks together (including two of these) so I decided to finish them off (the one in the picture is probably the best part of a decade old). But I underestimated them – these sketchbooks are filled with 150gsm acid free cartridge paper that takes a complete hammering and stands up well to the inky battering I subject them to – you could do a lot worse. And I’ll be getting more when I finish the current batch.
This one might be a bit tricky to get in the US because it’s a standard ISO A4 size, but for everyone else…
You can get that here
Pentel Brush Pen
This one gets a lot of attention because it looks so beautiful. But it’s also a great tool. It creates beautifully expressive lines and is basically indestructible, it has a nylon brush tip that can do almost anything, and it is refillable.
Or here it is with different coloured barrels if the orange isn’t available in your area
Rotring 600
My current mechanical pencil of choice – I use it for all my sketching. It’s got a metal body that has a very reassuring weight, and comes in 0.5 or 0.7 versions depending on your preference. I’m an absolute sucker for timeless design and Rotring have been making basically this same pencil since 1989. I did a lot of looking around before I found the Rotring 600, but it was worth it.
Uni Nano Dia lead
When sketching out my drawings I almost always use the mechanical pencil above and this mint blue lead. Which I originally sought out for its non-reprographic qualities (once you’ve inked over it the blue pencil layer doesn’t show up on a black and white scan). Which saves a lot of time in erasing and also means you don’t have to re-ink if you rub off any of the top layer. This isn’t quite as important if you’re photographing your work, but it’s a habit I’ve gotten into and I just like the way the blue looks at this point.
Masking Fluid
This stuff is fantastic, and it always surprises me how few people know about it. If you’re planning on painting in watercolours or inks but want to keep some difficult white spaces you can paint this onto your page beforehand in any areas you want to remain blank. When it’s dry (which doesn’t take long) you can paint over it and then peel it off when everything else is dry to reveal the clean page beneath. Be warned though – it’s probably best used sparingly, I mainly go for it when I’ll be spattering or using techniques that don’t have a lot of control. And if you paint it on with a brush make sure you clean it immediately so it doesn’t dry on the bristles.
Tombow Mono Zero Precision Eraser
A really handy little tool, this retractable (and refillable) precision eraser means you can make very fine adjustments to pencil sketches without rubbing out bigger areas of work that you want to keep (be warned though, it’s very addictive).
Rotring Isograph
I’m a bit of a Rotring fanboy, and I’ve been using their Isograph model of technical pen as my fineliner of choice for years now (as you can probably tell by the condition of the pens in the picture above). They’re a bit more expensive than disposable fineliners when it comes to the intitial outlay, but they have steel nibs that never wear out and always have a perfectly consistent line-width. They’re refillable too, so once you’ve made the leap they’ll last you a lifetime (with proper care). As a starting point I recommend the Junior Set that comes with 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5 mm nibs (it’s where I began) and you can add to that as time goes by.
Box Easel
This doesn’t get seen a lot in any of the photos or videos I post, but it’s one of the most vital and practical artist tools I have, and I use it on a daily basis. Space is a bit of an issue where I work (as I’m sure it is for a lot of artists these days) and rather than a draughting table I like a desk with lots of storage space. It took me far too long to realise that a lot of my drawings were stretched and distorted from working flat while I was sat at the desk viewing them from above. It’s a sickening feeling when you pick up a drawing that looks great from the viewing angle you’ve been working on it, and then watch it elongate and smear as you lift it, to see it straight on. Working upright on an easel solves that problem while taking up very little space (it’s also portable for you outside types).
Clip Studio Paint
This one is important! I get asked all the time what app I use when drawing on my iPad. And it’s almost always Clip Studio Paint (once known as Manga Studio). The iOS version has so much functionality I don’t really use anything else at this point. It can take a little getting used to, as the default layout is basically just a port from the desktop version, but it’s worth taking the time to get to know it. And what you lose by not having a friendly interface you more than gain by having an absolute arsenal of features and tools… Unlimited layers, incredible brush customisation, simple layer colour and halftone options and excellent little touches (like the ability to transform multiple layers at the same time or set a reference layer for filling line art) It’s a total beast and I love it.