The last part in the Brush Pen Guide Series reviews 5 additional felt tip Brush Pens you might find in the brush pen jungle. These intermediate sized tips can create everything from big to medium sized lettering depending on the flexibility of the tip. I recommend starting out with a not to soft tip because it will take longer to learn how to control and can be discouraging for some. The harder the tip the easier the control will be, just remember to loosen your grip as much as possible even when using a hard tip brush pen.
Next week will sum everything up by a free ebook “The Brush Pen Guide”, to help you choose your first (or next!) brush pen. Don’t miss it!
Here are the 5 felt tip brush pens for this post, on the left is a thin and thick stroke produced by each pen for comparison.
1. Artline Stix
Looking for the most playful brush pen? You’ve found it! These buildable pens come in 20 bright colors. A beautiful ombre effect is achieved on the downstrokes as you start applying pressure (note! Use smooth paper for this effect, read more on paper types for brush pens here).
They are just a tiny bit firmer than the average brush pen, like the Tombow ABT and the Koi Coloring Brush pen, making them easy to learn control with and build muscle memory, very beginner friendly.
2. Marvy Uchida Brush
Considering the small tip, this brush pen can actually produce bigger letters due to its high flexibility. The tip is soft and can bend all the way to the base of the tip when pressure is applied. Only comes in black, but the ink flows smoothly when writing with and color is rich.
Applying varying pressure can produce different size of lettering with just one pen. It can be difficult for some beginners to start out with a pen like this because it’s harder to control softer tips.
3. Copic Ciao Brush Marker
Dual tips, with a brush tip on one side and a broad marker on the other side in the same color. These are great coloring pens with blendable properties but the flexible brush tip allows for a calligraphy look. Beautiful opaque colors that really pop on paper.
They tend to bleed through normal weight paper, even rhodia. Try using them with specific marker paper.
4. Touch Twin Brush Marker
If you’re a copic marker fan, these will be your next to buy. Very similar in feel, they’re smooth to write with, and have enough firmness in the tip that allows for control. Vivid colors. Like the Copics these bleed through paper too. Use them on marker paper.
5. Pilot Soft
This pen feels the most smooth to write with and the ink flow is amazing. It is however one of the more difficult pens to brush letter with. Its tip doesn’t lay flat on the paper when pressure is applied; it flicks upwards, creating variations in the strokes. I wouldn’t recommend this for beginners, in a more of a ink sketch setting this pen would shine.
Which to choose…
Starting out with brush calligraphy can feel intimidating the first time you hold a brush pen, the flexible nib is hard to control at first but it gets better with practice. If you’re a beginner I would recommend the Artline Stix Brush Marker of these pens and also the Pentel Touch Fude Brush pens reviewed here.
It’s not easy but it’s very rewarding and fun. Keep at it and remember, no matter which brush pen you have or you buy first it’s possible to create beautiful brush calligraphy and lettering with, it’s all about getting to know your pen and practicing with it.
This was the last part of the Brush Pen Guide Series, nest week the free ebook will drop in your email “The Brush Pen Guide” so make sure you’ve subscribed to get your hands on it!
Which is your favorite pen? Which is your next buy? Tell me in the comments below! Talk to you soon.
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