For any artist, illustrator, or calligrapher, choosing the right inking pens is a critical moment. Bleeding lines, ink that fades over time, a lack of versatility—these are the frustrations that can ruin a piece of art. Often cited as a benchmark for quality, Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen sets come in such a wide variety that it can be difficult to know where to start. This guide is designed to break down the specifics of each set to help you find the one that perfectly matches your artistic practice.
By the Joybuy Product Recommendation Officer, 2026-07-09
Before we review the different sets, let's go over the essential criteria that will help you make the right choice.
The key advantage of the Pitt Artist Pen range is its pigmented India ink. Unlike dye-based inks, this ink offers exceptional lightfastness. This means your creations won't fade over the years. Once dry, it becomes permanent and waterproof, allowing you to combine it with other techniques like watercolour or alcohol markers without any risk of smudging. For archival-quality drawing supplies, the quality of the ink is simply non-negotiable.
The ideal set for you will primarily depend on the type of lines you create most often. Faber-Castell sets cleverly combine different tips to cover a wide range of needs:
A good professional drawing pen must, above all, offer the control and flexibility suited to your style.
The sets are available in several sizes. A small set may be sufficient for a specific use, like adding white highlights to a black background. Conversely, a larger set will give you complete creative freedom with an extensive range of line widths. Evaluate your current and future projects to anticipate the level of versatility you'll need.
To help you see things more clearly, we've analysed three very popular configurations of the black Pitt Artist Pen set.
Key Feature: This set is entirely designed for the play of contrasts. It brings together two black pens and two white pens with varied tips, perfect for laying down deep shadows and bright highlights with remarkable opacity.
Highlights:
Who is it for? This set is ideal for comic book artists, illustrators, and any artist who works on toned paper and wants to maximise contrast or add highlights.
Key Feature: This set strikes the perfect balance between variety and specialisation. With its six different black tips (fine, medium, brush, etc.), it forms a very complete toolkit for getting started or adapting to any project.
Highlights:
Who is it for? Artists and illustrators looking for a versatile first set or a complete travel kit will find this 6-piece set to be a powerful ally for the majority of their inking work.
Key Feature: This is the most comprehensive set in our selection. With eight pens, it covers an extremely wide range of line widths, from the finest (XS) to the thickest (brush and chisel tips), offering absolute control for the most demanding work.
Highlights:
Who is it for? This set is for professional artists, illustrators, and designers who require a complete range of tools to create complex works with flawless precision.
If these sets don't quite meet your needs, or if you want to explore coloured pens and other brands, many alternatives are available to you.
Explore a wider selection in our colored pen refills category and find the tools that will bring your ideas to life.
1. Are Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens refillable? No, Pitt Artist Pens are disposable. This design choice ensures a perfectly consistent ink flow from start to finish and spares you the hassle of cleaning and refilling.
2. Can you use watercolour over Pitt Artist Pen ink? Yes, absolutely. Once dry, the pigmented India ink is permanent and completely waterproof. You can therefore safely apply watercolour, inks, or other wet media over your lines: they won't bleed.