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12 Best Drawing Pens For Artists In 2024 (Cheap + Lasting)

As an artist, especially at the beginning, you may be looking for drawing pens to use for your art. And they can be pretty cheap inking pens!

Many professional artists use these exact cheap drawing pens for their technical and professional work.

All of these pens can be used for both inking and drawing, and I’ll include one of my favorite ballpoint pens for drawing that I’ve been using for years and years!

Not only that, but I’ll also include some specific ones that are very good pens for Calligraphy and Hand Lettering.

So, let’s get started with the list of the best drawing pens for artists.

Best Drawing Pens For Artists At A Glance

Editor’s Choice

Sakura Pigma Micron

Great pack of drawing pens for an amazing value.

  • Pens: 6 to 10-Packs
  • Color: Black
  • Extras: Different Nib Sizes!

Best For Coloring

Dual-Tip markers with so many beautiful colors!

  • Brushes: 60 (!)
  • Tips: Dual (One Side Brush, Another Fineliner)
  • Extras: Beautiful Packaging and Colors

Best For Caligraphy

Long-lasting Fountain Pen that makes a perfect gift for artists who love calligraphy and hand lettering.

  • Fountain Pen: Very Stylish
  • Barrel Colors: 11 To Choose
  • Extras: Portable Case!

Let’s now go over each of the drawing pens I recommend for artists in more detail!

Including some bonus inking pens for specific cases.

1- Sakura Pigma Micron

Sakura Pigma Micron Pack (check out the reviews and price on Blick Materials)

I’ve used the sakura pigma micron pens for many years and I keep using them! They are very smooth to the paper and have high-quality ink. Sakura doesn’t disappoint.

Not only that, but they last a pretty long time!

The pack I linked includes 6 different sizes, which are:

  • 0.20mm
  • 0.25mm
  • 0.30mm
  • 0.35mm
  • 0.45mm
  • 0.50mm

As you can see, the sizes of the tips increase slowly from pen to pen, so I’m sure you’ll find one or two that you prefer for your own style. This also allows you to test out the different sizes and try new things.

When buying the Sakura Pigma Micron, you can choose a few different options, from Black color to Sepia or Assorted, so see what you like the best.

I like to stick with the simple black ones when purchasing! But this is mostly because I just use them for drawing and inking outlines.

These are one of my favorite pens to use when trying to improve my line quality.

Oh, and they don’t smear, they have a really high quality pigment ink! They are really one of my favorite drawing pens to use, and I consider them some of the best pens for drawings.

You can even sketch fine art with them.

2- Staedtler Pigment Liner

Staedtler Pigment Liner Packs (check out the reviews and price on Blick materials)

Staedtler has been around for quite a while and there’s a reason why: they make good products.

Not only do they make great pencils and pens that last a long time, but they also have very good prices! The pack that I linked above is a 6-pack at a very cheap price.

The pens come in 6 different nib sizes:

  • 0.05mm
  • 0.1mm
  • 0.2mm
  • 0.3mm
  • 0.5mm
  • 0.8mm

As you can see, the sizes in this pack are more all over the place than the previous pack. This is good if you want to test both ends of thickness of pens and see what you can do with them!

Starting at a very thin 0.05mm allows you to work with very small details, and the 0.8mm pen lets you draw the outlines and larger areas.

These are very dark and smooth lines and will also last you a long time!

Completely recommend this pack if you’re looking for a wider assortment of pens for drawing and sketching.

3- Tombow Dual Brush Pens

Tombow Dual Brush Pens on Amazon (check out the reviews and price)

Tombow has so many options to choose from! I’m linking the grayscale version since I believe it’s PERFECT for beginner artists. It has many tones that you can choose from and it’s a good solution if you plan on shading your art.

One of the best things about these dual-brush pens is that you get two different pen tips for the price of one! You can use the brush side for a more stylistic approach and the fine tip for details.

They have water-based ink, and most of these water-based inking pens are water-soluble. Making them great for thinner paper and adding some texture to your art!

The ink flows lovely in these art pens, so I recommend these as some of the best pens for artists!

The pack I linked above includes 10 different pens with different gray tones (and it includes WHITE!), so it’s really good for shading your art and practice your value drawings.

There are also packs with different colors and more pens, so be sure to check those out if you’re looking for more options!

4- iBayam Colored Pens

iBayam Colored Pen Set on Amazon (check out the reviews and price)

Talking about color options, these pens from iBayam are a really great and cheap solution for drawing pens with a nice selection of colors to choose from!

These pens have a 0.38mm fine tip that is very durable and great for fine details.

They are very cheap drawing pens, so don’t expect a super amazing quality, but I still recommend you give them a try if you’re on a budget or just want to try different art materials!

In general, a very good and budget-friendly option if you’re looking for a wide selection of colors to color your artwork!

5- Pandafly Black Fineliner Pen Set

Pandafly Black Fineliner Pen Set on Amazon (check out the reviews and price)

Pandafly’s pen set has a wide array of pen tip sizes that will last you a long time.

The set has the following nib sizes:

  • 0.2mm
  • 0.25mm
  • 0.3mm
  • 0.35mm
  • 0.4mm
  • 0.45mm
  • 0.5mm
  • 0.6mm
  • 1.0mm
  • 2.5mm (brush)

As you can see, the sizes have very tiny increments from one pen to the other!

This is good in two ways.

First, you can pinpoint the exact size that you prefer, by going up or down one pen tip size.

Secondly, even if your favorite pen size runs out of ink, you can easily replace it by using a smaller or larger size without much difference in your artwork!

This means you can keep on working with a different size and adapt your pen pressure on the go.

It’s also VERY good that it includes a brush tip shape for a more stylized approach and to cover wide areas that you need to paint or draw in.

6- Sakura Gelly Roll Moonlight Pen Set

Sakura Gelly Roll Moonlight Pen Set ( check out the reviews and price on Blick Materials)

Another gem from Sakura, the gelly roll moonlight pen set is a great option for a budget set of pens with a wide color range! These gel pens are amazing disposable pens with permanent ink.

The exact product I linked above is a pen pack of 10 assorted colors, but you can also choose any of the other 34 (!) options available on that product page.

It includes other color ranges, metallic colors, and white gelly roll pens!

I have a pack of white gelly roll pens at home that I use for highlights. They are really good, highly recommend those.

These rollerball pens also last a long time and have a 1.0mm pen tip.

If you’re looking for another option for coloring pens, this is a great choice!

7- BiC Cristal Original 1.0 mm

BiC Cristal Original 1.0 mm on Amazon (check out the reviews and price)

Yes, I’m recommending the original BiC pens for drawing! Why? Well, they are just amazing!

I remember being a kid and using these over and over again, they lasted so long and have such good ink.

Not only that, but they are VERY cheap. You can find a 10-pack for under 5$ in most places, so there’s no reason not to give them a go.

Also, they are Ballpoint pens, which have their own specific feeling when drawing. I’m saying this in a good way though, I love how smoothly they go around the paper.

I highly recommend having some BiCs around at all times.

8- Prismacolor Premier Illustration Markers

Prismacolor Premier Illustration Markers (check out the reviews and price on Blick Materials)

Prismacolor is a widely known brand that has great quality art supplies, and this applies to their pens as well!

The pack I’ve linked above contains 5 different pens with different sizes, from 005 to 08, all with a very fine tip, and all in black.

There’s also an option to grab a pack with assorted colors if you’d rather draw and ink with colors instead. Or even if you’re looking for some coloring supplies to add to your artwork.

The pens themselves are very smooth and waterproof, so there won’t be many cases of smudging or smearing.

And as long as you use good paper on your sketchbooks, the pens won’t bleed through the page!

9- Ohuhu Dual Tips Coloring Markers

Ohuhu Dual Tips Coloring Markers on Amazon (check out the reviews and price)

Another drawing pen option with dual tips, the Ohuhu coloring markers are great if you want a pretty cheap pack of colorful pens.

Since it includes one tip on each side of the pen, there are many things you can do with them! One of the tips is a brush, while the other is a fine tip.

The brush pen tip is also particularly good if you want to try your calligraphy! But I’ll give another option that you can use for calligraphy and hand lettering further below.

The colors themselves are very vivid and come in many tones, so if you want to work out your shading techniques, you can do this by only using this set.

These drawing pens also dry very quickly and last a long time. I recommend this set if you’re looking for a wide assortment of colorful pens at a very cheap price.

Alternatively, get a Ohuhu Markers Gift Box Set which comes with a bunch of useful supplies!

10- PILOT Explorer Lightweight Fountain Pen

PILOT Explorer Lightweight Fountain Pen on Amazon (check out the reviews and price)

If you’re looking for a drawing pen that you can use for illustration, calligraphy AND hand lettering, this is the pen for you.

Not only is this a very sturdy and long-lasting fountain pen, but it’s also very cheap for what it is!

The set includes a nice case to pack your fountain pen in, and an ink cartridge right away, so you don’t need anything else to get started when you buy this pen. Well, besides some paper of course!

It’s a very smooth fountain pen that you should highly consider if you have any interest whatsoever in Calligraphy or Hand Lettering. Well worth the price!

P.S.: The stock is sometimes low on the PILOT Fountain Pens, so I also recommend grabbing any of the other PILOT pens, such as the Explorer Lightweight or the Disposable Packs.

11- Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen Pack

Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen (check out the reviews and price on Blick Materials)

This amazing 2-pack by Tombow includes one pen with a soft brush tip and another with a hard tip.

If you’re interested in brush lettering, you’ll love the soft brush tip.

The hard tip also has a very interesting feel and works best if you tend to draw or write harder and with more pressure.

Still, it feels as if one of the brushes is free for the price of the entire pack! I also recommend this pack if you just want to doodle and have fun inking your drawings, you can achieve different styles for a very low price.

A very good pack if you’re not sure if you prefer a soft or a hard brush on your drawing pens, or if you just want to have more flexibility in your drawings and drawing style!

12- Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens

Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens (check out the reviews and price on Blick Materials)

This post wouldn’t be complete without me writing about the amazing Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens. I LOVE these pens.

The pack I’ve linked above has 8 different sizes:

  • Extra Superfine (XS) – .1 mm
  • Superfine (S) – .3 mm
  • Fine (F) – .5 mm
  • Medium (M) – .7 mm
  • Soft Calligraphy (SC)
  • Bullet (1.5) – 1.5 mm
  • Soft Chisel (SC) – 1-3 mm
  • Soft Brush (SB) .5-5 mm
  • Chisel (C) – 2.5 mm
  • Brush (B) – 1-5 mm

It’s an amazing pack for the price, especially if you consider all the different points you get from just a pack of pens!

The art styles and different drawings you can make by just choosing one of the different pens included is huge.

The pens are also waterproof and last a long time. In fact, I still have a few here with me that I bought many years ago!

In the product page you can also find a 6-pack version and a 6-pack version with gray tones instead, so consider getting one of those if you’d rather practice your shading or want something even cheaper.

(Even though I think the 8-pack has a great value!)

(Bonus) The Uni Pin Fineliner Drawing Pen

Uni Pin Fineline Drawing Pen (check the best price)

Some artists simply LOVE the Uni Pin Fineline drawing pen.

And it’s considered a great alternative to the Sakura Pigma Microns that I mentioned earlier.

It has sharp black lines and very convenient packaging, it’s a perfect solution for artists who want precise results.

These liner pens are especially good for technical drawing, and are one of the top choices for artists.

Related Questions

You might still have some questions about the different types of pens used in drawing, so I’m here to help!

Let’s go over a few related questions.

What are the different types of pens used in drawing and sketching?

There are several types of pens that artists use for drawing and sketching.

Some of the most common include: ballpoint pens, gel pens, rollerball pens, pocket brush pens, and sketch pens.

Ballpoint pens offer convenience and are widely accessible, while gel pens provide smooth and vibrant lines.

Rollerball pens use liquid ink for a smoother flow, while pocket brush pens offer the versatility of brush-like strokes in a portable format.

Sketch pens are favored for their ability to create bold and expressive lines.

Each of these pens has its unique characteristics and uses, which makes them perfect for a certain type of drawing and sketching.

How does a pocket brush pen differ from a typical sketch pen?

A pocket brush pen, such as the Pentel Arts Pocket Brush Pen, differs from a typical sketch pen in terms of the type of lines it produces.

While sketch pens are great for sketching fine and consistent lines, pocket brush pens can produce thick, bold lines when pressure is applied. This makes them the ideal pen for sketching expressive lines and filling in dark areas within a drawing.

Why do artists often prefer ballpoint pens for sketching?

Ballpoint pens are often preferred by artists for sketching because of their versatility.

The pressure sensitivity of these pens allows artists to create a wide variety of lines, from thin and light to thick and dark.

Therefore, a ballpoint pen is great for sketching both detailed sections and broader strokes within a drawing.

Which is better dye or pigment ink? What are the differences?

In general, dye ink is better for durable artwork because of the solid pigment particles. And pigment ink is better for everyday printing and blending colors.

Drawing pens are usually filled with either pigment ink or dye ink.

Pigment ink offers longevity and resistance to fading, making it ideal for creating long-lasting artwork. It’s also resistant to water. An example of a pen using pigment ink is the Sakura Pigma Micron.

On the other hand, dye ink provides vibrant colors and smooth blending.

It’s a more budget-friendly option. As an example, you have the Tombow Dual Brush Pens.

So consider those main factors and choose the right type of ink for you!

Alright, I hope this article was helpful for you to find the very best (and cheap) drawing pens for artists! Now start drawing while you wait for them to arrive.

Oh and check out this list of the best drawing Materials for other supplies you might have missed!

12 Best Drawing Pens For Artists On A Budget!
DonCorgi

Patricia Caldeira is the main writer here at Don Corgi. She's an art teacher with over 20.000 happy students across many platforms and courses!

Enjoy your stay and as always:
Keep on drawing!

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