How to Choose the Right Brush Pens: Top Picks for Creatives

Brush pens have become essential tools for artists, illustrators, and crafting enthusiasts. From hand lettering and illustration to adult colouring and calligraphy, their flexible and versatile tips offer unique expressiveness. But with a sea of brands, ink types, and formats, how do you find your way?

As the Head of Product Recommendations at Joybuy, my mission is to help you make an informed choice. This guide breaks down the key criteria and shares our practical advice for finding the perfect drawing pen set for your projects and budget.

Buyer's Guide: Key Criteria for Your Brush Pens

Before diving into our selection, let's review the few technical points that will make all the difference.

1. Ink Type: Water-Based, Pigment-Based, or Alcohol-Based?

The ink is the heart of your pen. The final result, its longevity, and the techniques you can use all depend on its properties.

• Water-based ink: This is the most common option for watercolour pens. It allows you to create gradients and colour blends by simply adding water, much like with watercolour paint. These inks are generally odourless and won't bleed through most heavyweight papers.
• Pigment-based ink: A favourite among professionals, this ink is made of solid colour particles in suspension. It offers excellent lightfastness and is water-resistant once dry, ensuring the longevity of your creations. These art markers are perfect for works intended to be preserved or displayed.
• Alcohol-based ink: Highly popular for illustration (manga, design), it dries almost instantly and allows for uniform, streak-free colour application. Its main drawback: it tends to bleed through paper and has a stronger odour.

2. The Tip: Single or Dual?

The flexibility of the brush tip is what makes this tool so special. Some models take versatility even further.

• Single brush tip: Ideal for calligraphy and expressive strokes, it allows you to vary the line thickness by adjusting the pressure.
• Dual-tip pens: The ultimate in convenience. They combine a brush tip for filling and broad strokes with a fine tip (like a fineliner) for details, outlines, and writing. It's an all-in-one solution favoured for bullet journaling and precision illustration.

3. Number of Colours: Quantity or Quality?

A wide range of colours can be tempting, especially when you're starting out. A set of 100 or more colours offers great freedom without having to delve into colour mixing theory. Conversely, for more specialised uses like calligraphy or professional illustration, a smaller set with superior quality ink (pigment-based, for example) will often be a better investment.

Top Brush Pens to Consider

Let's move on to our recommendations, chosen for their performance and suitability for different uses and budgets.

Ohuhu Maui Dual Tip Brush Pens, Set of 120

Why it stands out: Its incredible value for money. With 120 vibrant colours and a dual-tip design, it's the ideal starter kit for exploring a multitude of techniques without limitations.

Pros:

• Maximum versatility: Each pen has a brush tip (1-6 mm) for colouring and fills, and a fine tip (0.4 mm) for precise details.
• XXL Palette: The 120 numbered colours provide immense chromatic richness, with a customisable colour chart included to help you keep track.
• Water-based ink: The ink is odourless, non-toxic, and slightly water-soluble for creating gradient effects on suitable paper.
• Thoughtful accessories: The set includes 8 replacement tips and a sturdy carrying case, a real bonus for transport and organisation.

Who is it for? Ideal for students, colouring fans, bullet journal enthusiasts, and beginner artists who want a vast range of colours without breaking the bank.

STAEDTLER Pigment Brush 371 Art Markers (36 Colours)

Why it stands out: Here, it's all about the professional-grade ink. Unlike dye-based inks, the pigment ink in these STAEDTLER pens ensures foolproof durability and resistance.

Pros:

• High-performance pigment ink: The colours are lightfast and water-resistant once dry, guaranteeing the longevity of the artwork.
• Quick-drying: The ink dries fast and doesn't smudge, allowing you to layer colours without risk of bleeding.
• Expressive brush tip: The fibre tip, both flexible and sturdy, offers excellent control for modulating line thickness, from the finest to the broadest strokes.
• Balanced palette: The 36-colour set has been carefully curated for illustration and design, offering a coherent and versatile range.

Who is it for? Illustrators, comic artists, designers, and any artist who sells their creations or requires archival quality for their work.

Ecoline Brush Pen Watercolour Set, 10-Pack

Why it stands out: This set translates the liquid watercolour experience into an ultra-practical pen format. Its pure dye-based ink offers unparalleled brilliance and transparency.

Pros:

• Authentic watercolour effect: The ink dilutes perfectly in water, even after drying, to create incredibly fluid washes and gradients.
• Intense and transparent colours: The formula, based on gum arabic and dyes, produces vibrant hues, ideal on white or light-coloured paper.
• Ultra-flexible brush tip: Perfect for hand lettering and modern calligraphy, it glides across the paper and allows for very natural line variations.
• Reactivatable: A tip that has dried out can be revived simply by dipping it in a little water. It's like magic!

Who is it for? Watercolourists, calligraphers, and artists who love to blend colours and play with transparency effects. An excellent companion for on-the-go sketching and travel journals.

Looking for Other Options?

Our selection covers a variety of uses, but the world of drawing tools is nearly infinite. If you're a fan of outdoor drawing or architectural sketching, other instruments will perfectly complement your creative arsenal.

Discover our range of Drawing Pens for Urban Sketching to find the tool that will accompany your explorations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is the difference between water-based ink and pigment-based ink? Water-based (dye) ink is ideal for blending and watercolour effects, but its colours can fade over time if exposed to light. Pigment-based ink, on the other hand, contains solid colour particles. It is therefore much more resistant to light (UV) and water once dry, ensuring much better preservation of the artwork.

2. How can I prevent pens from bleeding through the paper? It's all about choosing the right paper! Opt for a sufficient paper weight (at least 180 gsm), such as mixed-media paper or dedicated marker paper. Also, avoid going over the same spot multiple times with dark colours and don't press too hard on the tip.

3. Are brush pens suitable for calligraphy? Absolutely. Their flexible tip is perfect for modern calligraphy and hand lettering. By varying the pressure, you can easily create the thick downstrokes and thin upstrokes that characterise this writing style.