pen 19: copic multiliner

so yeah, i've been sitting (not literally) on this one for the last eleven days. what could make me hesitant to come running out of my house, onto the foothills of the alps singing praises and extolling the virtues of the mighty magical, most sought after pen available to the artist community?

well, for one, i only discovered their existence a little under a year ago, for another it wasn't, until very recently, able to afford or borrow/use one.

i know that ten days more or less isn't really a long time to be using something and i do have a few reservations about featuring it here today.

so i guess ill just take a deep breath and get to it... if anyone has more experience with this brand, please feel free to comment and let me know, i love learning things in general, and art specifically.

to begin, this is their website: copic markers

okay so yeah they are a little bit on the expensive side, they average around four dollars a pen for the multiliner individually, they do come in sets, the A-2 set ($27.93) has seven pens that range in size from 0.03mm (nice) to 1.0mm. the B-2 set ($35.91)has all seven pens in the A-2 set and includes a small and medium brush pen. i'm assuming that these pens are meant for people like me, who have interest in the product but have limited funds and cannot make the decision to invest in them without some serious thought and consideration.

if you go to their website, you will see the more expensive sets that they have to offer as well as markers and airbrushing tools. if you have the money to spare, and i know for most of us, or at least for me at the moment, forty dollars is a lot to spend, thats like a half a tank of gas, dinner for a few days or a good portion of some utility or cell phone bill. if you are on the fence you could try getting one of the pens and  test it out, they aren't that much more that the microns. 

so as far as long term usage goes, i'm not really qualified to weigh in on that. i don't know how long they last, used or unused, i've read a few reviews and it seems like the typical mixed bag of feedback, basically if you like them you really like them, if not, you don't. i know that sounds kinda dumb but most of the artists i know are very loyal to brands, in some cases it seems to be on the same level as dumbo and his magic feather (no i'm not judging, i'm guilty of that too.) and use certain materials or tools when they get stuck or hung up on some project. if that is what these are for you, then be grateful that your "go to pen" isn't some kind of platinum tipped gold embossed pen that uses iron based ink made from the salvaged civil war era ironclad warships mixed with gypsy tears. if the price is too high for you, you can do what i did and look on amazon for a lower price, it doesn't hurt to look.

so the nitty-gritty (something about that term makes me feel like it's not politically correct anymore). these pens are disposable, they are waterproof, they are archival quality, photocopy safe. they have very little bleed, they are laser precise, good for crazy amounts of detail and the smaller sizes are the smallest that i have found that isn't a rapidograph, and less messy for that matter as well. these pens feel sturdy, i haven't wanted to intentionally test that, i figure i'll eventually find out their limits unintentionally at some point. the ink is nice and dark, the line quality is high, it glides very well on smoother paper, cardstock or bristol board, and i'm sure would make for a good pen for additional detail for watercolor work.

all in all i would have to say that i am a fan of these pens so far, and i look forward to the day that i can afford to but the more professional sets that have replaceable tips and refillable ink. until that day i am content with experimenting further with these new pens.