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Brush Pens & The Addictive Sketcher

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Waddesdon Grotesque

Andrew Roles

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Hi - after reading 'The Addictive Sketcher' I'm interested in using brush pens for sketches. I've been using a grey Fibralo water soluble pen to good effect. Adebanji uses Tombow  dual ended wash pens, which look good, but are a tad expensive. They also come in sets , and I know I won't use all the colours so it will be a waste.  I was wondering if anybody has a personal recommendation for this type of brush pen, or knows if they can be purchased individually anywhere. Many Thanks. 

Tessa Gwynne

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Hi Andrew I bought a selection of Tombow pens a few years ago after reading Adebanjis book, and they are good to use and have lasted well. I bought mine individually but can’t think where from! I will try to dig through my records and find out. I definitely recommend them. Having looked further I know you can get individual pens from www.cultpens.com which I think is where I got mine as I’ve used them before. They are £2.35 each there. I’m not advertising! I just looked and obviously other suppliers are available! I bought about 10 and often combine one or two with normal drawing pens if out and about sketching.

Edited
by Tessa Gwynne

Sylvia Evans

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Tessa you are lovely.   People like you make this such a nice site. 

Tessa Gwynne

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Aw gee thanks Our Sylv!!
Waddesdon Grotesque

Andrew Roles

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Tessa - that is genius - thank you so much , and a really quick response. Looks like a useful site and I will bookmark it now. 

Tessa Gwynne

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I also have two Fude pens from them which I have seen a few people on here using to good effect. They are also fun to use if you fancy trying something different. Unfortunately I’m not on commission. 🤣

Edited
by Tessa Gwynne

Tessa Gwynne

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Incidentally for anyone interested at 8.30 this evening on BBC 1 there is a programme about Adebanji painting three generations of the same family who have worked for the NHS. I imagine that will be worth seeing.
Waddesdon Grotesque

Andrew Roles

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Thanks Tessa - I'll record it.  Incidentally there is 10% off the Tombow pens at the moment so they are down to £2.11 each .

Edited
by Andrew Roles

With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Seconding the recommendation for Cult Pens - they're very good.  There are other sites, like Tom's Studio (the kindly Uncle Google will find it) which are well worth a look - the Lumos pen is currently acquiring my lustful glances, but it is expensive, at £50 plus. Just to issue a caveat here, though - yes, we have hundreds of pens now available to us, with waterproof inks that are supposed not to clog the pen, as Indian ink will; and we have disposable fineliners with pigment ink, so lightfast.  And all of these things are very wonderful, and we're lucky to have them. It's perhaps useful though to bear in mind that the great Victorian illustrators of so many books and periodicals had just Indian ink, and a selection of dip pen nibs; these are still available, as are mapping pens, crow quills, the lot.  They were good enough for Tenniel, Rackham, the cartoonists Low, and Giles; and the illustrator Fougasse (who often used a brush).  AND - this is why they appeal to me - they are as cheap as chips and last forever, unless you're a Ralph Steadman - who has made something of a career, though to great effect, in destroying nibs....   
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Granted - these old pens would be a bit of a problem to use on the train or 'bus, as Adebanji does: but I can never draw on a bus anyway: Isle of Wight roads are, they say, "different" - i.e. it's like driving over cobbles on most of them: try holding a pen and pad on an IW bus, and at least you'd get an interesting broken line...
IMG_7097

Helen Martell

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Tessa you are lovely.   People like you make this such a nice site. 
Sylvia Evans on 14/08/2023 08:06:23
I agree… but Tessa, you’ve now just ‘made’ me spend £30 + on some pens!! 😂 Incidentally…. What type of paper would you recommend  (in A4 or A3), to sketch with using water soluble inks & pens? I’ve got a (basic) watercolour pad, and a drawing pad, but neither allow for much blending with water. I’ve tried some aqua markers on both, and was not happy with the lack of blending capabilities.
Waddesdon Grotesque

Andrew Roles

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Cult Pens get full marks. Ordered Monday, arrived Tuesday. I suppose some credit should go to Royal Mail, but all in all a good site and one I’ll use again. 
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