Brush pens: right, another one of those things with so much choice! In this blog I will show you the differences between the following brush pens: Kuretake Hikkei, Pentel Touch, Tombow Fudenosuke soft and hard, Tombow ABT, Artline Stix and the Ecoline Brushpen.
The first four are brush pens with a somewhat thinner point, so you can write a smaller letter with them. The Tombow ABT, Artline Stix and Koi brushes (not in the overview) are brush pens with a thicker tip. After the short intro and overview, I briefly mention the advantages and disadvantages of each brush pen.
Which brush pen should I choose for brush lettering?
I am regularly asked: what should I choose if I start brush lettering. A question that is completely understandable! I have tested all the brush pens that I sell in the shop and they are of good quality. The pen that everyone likes does not actually exist. It's hard to say which one will work best for you. It really depends on which writing you like and which pen feels good in your hand and which pen really suits you. But: I got you covered!
As you have probably read before: I always test pens before I put them in the shop. Not all pens remain after I test them. The pens I sell are all brush pens that are completely suitable for brush lettering! Whoopwhoop! So I have already made a selection for you. So you can order one or more brush pens from the overview with confidence. And is there a small downside to the brush pen? Then I just name it honestly, so that you know where you stand.
Let's get started!
Pentel Touch (€2.50)
The Pentel Touch is a brush pen that is available in twelve different fun colors. The lines of the brush pen vary from 0.3mm to 0.7mm. So it is a nice brush pen for smaller writing or a thinner line. The colors are consistent and bright. Ink is water-based. Fun fact: the pen is made of 81% recycled plastic, there is a small sparkle in the plastic. They are also available as complete sets; the normal and the pastel set.
Pros:
- The brush pen is available in various beautiful colors.
Disadvantages :
- uhm?
Tombow Fudenosuke soft + hard (€3.79)
The Fudenosuke brush pen is a Japanese pen with a soft or hard point. The ink of the pen is quick-drying. This Fudenosuke pen is very suitable for calligraphy, hand lettering and sketching. The ink is water-based and the Fudenosuke pen is made from recycled plastic. What is also nice: the ink does not emit any odors! :) It's nice not to smell any bad odors when you're concentrated over your work :).
What's also nice is that you write faster with this pen and you get a nice effect!
With this pen you can choose from a soft and a hard pen. What is the difference?
- When I use the hard pen for lettering, I get thinner upstrokes. I like having a firmer nib, especially since I usually press hard on a pen. If you press less hard on a pen, you may prefer the soft pen.
- The soft pen is (obviously) slightly more flexible (the difference is small).
Tombow ABT (€3.79)
If there is a brush pen available in many colors, it is the Tombow Dual brush ABT. The marker has both a regular marker and a brush tip. It is a very nice brush pen and available in many colors.
Pros:
- Mega color palette
- The extra thin marker that is also on the brush pen is super useful for drawing thin strips.
Cons:
- The Tombow ABT is a fragile brush pen, it needs some love. Do not use it on structured paper, but rather on Bristol paper .
Koi Brushpen
The Sakura Koi Brush Pens have a nice grip and a soft brush tip. The brush tip quickly returns to its original shape again and again. These brush pens also have water-based ink, so you can 'blend' with these inks.
Pros:
- Odourless
- Available in fine colours
- Sturdy points
Cons:
- Colors now only available in sets
Artline Stix Set of 6 (€7.95)
You have undoubtedly seen the Artline StiX Brush Pens on Instagram. The Stix brush markers are actually intended for children, but because of the flexible nib, many hand letterers are fans of the Artline StiX brush pens. The pen produces quite a lot of ink, making it very suitable for blending.
Pros:
- These brush pens automatically have a gradient in color when drawing. You can also blend multiple colors together very nicely.
Cons:
- Only available in sets of 6
Ecoline Brushpen (€2.49)
The Ecoline brush pen from Talens is very easy to use. The brush pen is ready to use and can be used for both thin and thick lines. In the shop you will find 29 colors of the Ecoline brush pens and also a blender. On the color chart you will also see a brush point next to the numbers; those colors of Ecoline brush pens are available in the shop! With the blender you can easily mix colors or soften them slightly.
If you use the Ecoline brush for hand lettering, the markers have the gradient that you also have when you use a brush. The brush pen is therefore not always completely opaque.
You can use the pen in combination with Ecoline from the normal jars. The Ecoline brush pens are also available in sets of 5 and 10.
And a handy tip: If you have left the pens without the cap for a little too long, you can easily dip them in water and you're good to go.
Pros:
- Can be used with the standard Ecoline colours.
Cons:
- The brush pens have a thick point, I find it difficult to make thin lines.
This is the end of the brush pen test for hand lettering. Do you have any questions? Please let us know in the comments!
Oh and there will be another part that shows the rest of the brush pens from the shop in detail! I'm working on it!
Love,
Judith
