Best art pens for drawing, sketching, inking, and more

If you love to draw, you’ll probably agree that a pen isn’t “just a pen.” I feel you.

However, finding the best art pens can lead to hours of research —and at times, frustration. That said, we know there’s a world of incredible art pens on offer, but the question is: which should you buy?

To help you out, I’ve lined up some of the best art pens (and some personal favorites) in this guide, including complete sets and individual items.

Short on time? Check out my top picks below!

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Best art pens

You don’t need to look any further for the best art pen for drawing; take it from us! Keep scrolling for our suggestions on the best art pens for sketching, watercolor markers, rollerball pens, and more!

Best fineliner pen: Sakura Pigma Micron Fineliner Pens

Best for: Sketching, technical drawing, figure drawing, doodling, zentangle, art journaling,

As someone who enjoys both writing and sketching, I highly recommend Sakura’s Pigma Micron fineliner pens.

While you can purchase these individually or in sets, my favorite is this 10-pen pack, which provides a broader range of nib sizes ranging from 0.15mm to 0.70mm — all for an excellent price.

I especially love the super fine nib; it almost feels like you’re using an extremely sharp pencil! This is perfect if you’re all about sketching detail or more delicate lines. You can purchase these individually on Blick and Jackson’s at the buttons below.

These are some of the very best art pens for drawing and are composed of single pigments that are waterproof and bleed-free. Given you use compatible sketching paper, of course.

They also dry very quickly, making them a convenient pick for left-handers looking for premium-quality supplies.

Other favorites

Best marker pens: Winsor & Newton ProMarker Set

Best for: Scrapbooking, storyboarding, botanical illustration, fashion illustration, map illustration, children’s book illustration

Bold lines and stunning colors can be expected with these fabulous Winsor & Newton ProMarker sets. Available in packs of six, these dual-tip pens offer a beautiful tonal range and vibrancy to enhance any project.

And while the Skyscape Tones set featured above is my favorite, there are many other colors and themes to choose from under this line: Green Tones, Landscape Tones, Pastel Tones, and Neutral Tones, to name a few.

This makes creating easy, versatile, and of course, fun. These high-quality markers are the perfect fit for urban sketchers, fashion illustrators, map illustrators, storyboarders, and botanical art sketchers.

The highly-pigmented colors pop off the page and dry quickly. And luckily for you, these markers can write on everything from paper and glass to wood and even plastic!

Other favorites

Best brush pen: Tombow Dual Brush Pen Art Markers

Best for: Art journaling, lettering art, botanical illustration, fashion illustration, doodling, map illustration, children’s books illustration, rubber stamping

I adore these dual brush pens by Tombow and highly recommend them if you enjoy everything from doodling and hand lettering to child book illustration and rubber stamping.

These pens are incredibly versatile, featuring a flexible nylon fiber brush tip on one end and a hard thin marker tip on the other. With these dual-sided pens, you can create a range of effects, brushstrokes, and shapes, especially when paired with a fineliner or ballpoint pen.

I also have to point out how original these Tombow art pens are regarding themes. You can purchase different variations of these 10-packs on Amazon; however, the muted color theme featured above is quite unique. It’s always somewhat easier to come across more vibrant, bold colors!

In addition to color, ink is smooth and quick-drying, making it easy to work with and blend. You can even add water with a traditional paintbrush or use a colorless blender pen to create watercolor-like washes.

Want to check out more Tombow options? The brand’s Holiday, Portrait, and Retro-themed sets are other options we love! We also have a full list of the best brush pens if you want to learn more.

Other favorites

Best watercolor markers: Winsor & Newton ProMarker Watercolor Marker Set

Best for: Watercoloring, urban sketching, fashion illustration, botanical illustration, mixed-medium art

If you’ve been looking for top-notch watercolor markers, this stunning 6-pack ProMarker Watercolor Marker Set by Winsor & Newton won’t disappoint.

These dual-tip art pens are designed with a brush nib and a hard fine nib, making them incredibly versatile. The ink blends effortlessly when mixed with water and other hues, making painting organic, regardless of your skill set.

In fact, you’ll find it hard to differentiate outcomes from those achieved with standard watercolor sets. These highly pigmented watercolor markers provide remarkable tonal range and vibrancy due to their quality and lightfast ink.

They’re perfect for drawing at your craft desk or on the go, and their chunky pen body makes them extra comfortable to hold.

Know someone who loves their watercolor pencils? Surprise them with this top-of-the-line watercolor marker set to add to their collection of unique art supplies!

Other favorites

Best gel pen: Sakura Gelly Roll Moonlight Gel Pens 

Best for: Scrapbooking, art journaling, card making, drawing, detailing

As a child, I used to love gel pens! And the thing is, I still do. They make some of the best drawing pens across various mediums and project types without breaking the bank.

This top-quality Sakura Gelly Roll Moonlight Gel Pen set offers ten incredibly vivid, long-lasting pigments, ideal for everything from scrapbooking and art journaling to card making and doodling. They also add great pops of color and nuance to more neutral ballpoint pen art.

What I really love about this brand is its quality. This ink is opaque and flows smoothly across pages with little skipping.

In addition, a big perk of these art pens is that they can be used on light and dark paper surfaces — you can find a complete white ink gel Sakura set in our additional suggestions below.

This 10-pack set also goes for a very affordable price. However, if you’re up for a little more spending, a 16-pen set is also available on Amazon. Looking for creative gifts for an artsy friend? This is a great pick!

Other favorites

Best dip pen: Speedball Cartooning Pen Set

Best for: Manga, cartooning, storyboarding, artistic lettering

Manga artists, comics illustrators, and cartoonists will get a kick out of this Speedball dip pen for beginners. This complete set provides everything you need to start “dipping” your toe into this technique: four nibs, two pen nibs, and two pen holders.

Speedball is a reliable, quality brand that accommodates novices and experienced artists alike, all while providing affordable, easy-to-use products. And this introductory dip pen is no different: it costs under $20 on both Amazon and Blick.

While dip pens may be messier and require ongoing maintenance vs. traditional pens, they’ll enable advanced illustration techniques and incredible results — with a bit of practice, of course!

That said, if you’re serious about pursuing Manga art, storyboarding, or cartoon illustrations, this is definitely one of the best pens for inking. Not to mention, this is much cheaper than a quality fountain pen.

However, you will need to purchase ink separately, as this is not included in this set. I also recommend using smooth paper with a smooth finish instead of watercolor paper.

Other favorites

Best fountain pen for drawing: Etchr Premium Fountain Pen Set 

Best for: Sketching, card making

If you’re a longtime sketcher, you’ll know that fountain pens make for some of the best art pens for creative work besides writing. They allow you to create bolder, more fluid linework than that achieved with a fineliner or ballpoint pen.

With that in mind, I highly recommend the Etchr Premium Fountain Pen set made for both writing and sketching. While a more high-end product, it’s suitable for beginners and experienced artists alike, offering top quality right off the bat.

These sets contain two fountain pens, one with an extra-fine nib (0.38mm) and another with a fine nib (0.5mm). Both tips are flexible (this is why calligraphy pens aren’t the best sketching pens), making it easy to put down various line thicknesses, much like those achieved with a dip pen.

In this case, you’ll need to refill pens with bottled fountain pen ink vs. ink cartridges. This type of ink flows more organically onto surfaces and will give off that “wet” aesthetic you’re after. And although these pens come with caps, nibs will require some maintenance.

If you’re using these for the first time, there will be a learning curve, but nothing a little practice won’t solve! Before purchasing, know that even though Jackson’s is a UK-based supplier, US buyers will benefit from great prices, reasonable shipping costs, and speedy deliveries: sometimes quicker than in-country orders. Plus, you can save an extra 10% on your first order by clicking below.

Other favorites

Best paint marker pens: Uni Posca Paint Marker Pen Set

Best for: Poster art, drawing, sketching, lettering, canvas art, textile art

Have you ever heard of paint marker pens? If not, you’re in for a treat.

Acrylic paint markers go hand-in-hand with watercolor art pens in the sense that they allow you to break away from traditional techniques and materials to achieve a painting-like effect.

This Uni Posca Paint Marker Pen Set contains seven pastel-tinted pigments and is one of the best sketching pens for everything from large poster art, graffiti, canvas painting, and more — I love working these onto mini canvases!

These non-toxic, water-based paint markers can also be used on various surfaces such as glass, mirrors, and plastic. They also look incredible on textiles— creative tote bag projects, anyone?

Just remember you need to apply some pressure on the nib to activate the paint. You can find these products on both Amazon and Blick. Amazon tends to ship Japan-imported sets, but you can order different variations through Blick if preferred.

Other favorites

Best rollerball pen: Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Stick Pens

Best for: Doodling, sketching, drawing, card making

Typically, one wouldn’t consider using a rollerball pen for creative art hobbies. However, these can be some of the best art pens for sketching minimal, sharp lines.

This Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Stick Pen set is a favorite for drawing and doodling, offering ten 0.5mm pen tips in assorted colors. These high-quality pens put down intense pigments, perfect for darker, finer line work.

These pens are an excellent match for lively, intricate mandala sketches, scrapbooking, card making, and art journaling. Plus, they hold a large amount of ink, so you can expect smooth, fluid, skip-free lines as you draw away.

Keep in mind that rollerball pens use heavier water-based ink and, therefore, will take a while to dry. This also means they’re prone to smudging — so not the best art pens for left-handers!

In addition, we recommend waiting a little before applying markers over lines since ink takes a little longer to settle.

Other favorites

Best ballpoint pen: rOtring Rapid Pro Retractable Ballpoint Technical Drawing Pen

Best for: Doodling, sketching, technical drawing

Much like the recent rug tufting TikTok trend, the internet is flooded with incredible ballpoint pen art made by amateurs and professionals alike. 

So, if you’re a ballpoint pen enthusiast looking for new materials, put your trusty good ole’ BIC pen to rest and check out the rOtring Rapid Pro Retractable Ballpoint Technical Drawing pen. 

This pen is the perfect pro-grade tool for everything sketching, drawing, and of course, writing. It features a medium tip (0.5mm), a hexagonal barrel shape, and a shiny chrome-plated pen body. Its metal body adds weight, which in return, makes gripping and drawing more controlled.

This is a refillable pen, making it an excellent option for artists and stationery lovers who like to stick to their favorite items. You will, however, need to purchase refills separately. 

Note that ballpoint pen ink tends to come out slower than rollerball pens but dries faster and has thicker, more resistant finish. While this pen is unquestionably pricier than your standard drawing art pen, it’s definitely worth the investment. 

Want some inspiration? Check out these ballpoint pen artists on Instagram: @soniadavel and @mostafa.khodeir. 

Other favorites

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That’s it for our guide to the best art pens you can buy! Any advice for other intrepid crafters? Let everyone know in the comments below!