pen 129: sharpie stained

much like pen 95, today's pen, the sharpie stained is a brush pen that allows you to lay ink down on paper with the flexibility of a brush as opposed to the standard plastic and felt tipped versions that we all love and know so well.

as i mentioned in yesterday's review, the sharpie stained brush tip pen is the the latest step in pen evolution, the liquid ink is dark, flows flawlessly, doesn't bleed, while the brush tip allows for lovely organic lines. the brush also allows for line width variation, much like a paint brush and is capable of filling in large areas of black while still being useful when inking detail, especially on medium and larger format pieces.

while i don't usually this pen as a drawing pen, i do use them for inking, and most importantly, this pen can ink over acrylic and latex paint without drying out the tip, something that happens with most of the permanent markers that i've used for inking detail on paintings.

the only downside to this pen is that i can't seem to find individual pens for sale. as an inking pen, i really only need black, and i've had to buy two sets of four pack assorted colors for the on pen that i wanted out of the quartet. still, this is the only pen that i have found that can draw on any surface with no issues whatsoever, aside from using these pens so often that i have gone through several pens in that last year or so.

still, i highly recommend this pen, it is extremely useful and is a wonderful tool to have in any pen drawer, coffee mug  or pencil box.

i love this pen so much that if you buy one and are unhappy with the results, i will trade you an original drawing for the pen.

pricing:

wallmart: (retail)
$5-$6 (4 pens)

target.com: 
$9.95 (8 pens) +s/h

website:
www.sharpie.com
www.target.com

what they say:

sharpie.com

• You Stain it, You Own it.
• Brush tip fabric markers let you start a line of your own design.
• Developed for optimal performance on most fabric surfaces.
• Fabric ink. Brush tip.
• Available in eight vibrant, bold colors.
• Wash without worries. Ink resists fading on most fabrics.

target.com

• Make your mark on the world with Stained fabric markers. Developed by Sharpie, these permanent markers have 8 bright colors that are designed to work on most fabric surfaces. Your creative doodles will be fade-resistant during most normal washing cycles, so draw your creations without worry.
• Style and color assortment may vary
• Number of Pieces: 8
• Ink Color: Green, Blue, Red, Orange, Pink, Purple, Black
• Features: Fadeproof, Durable Tip, Quick Drying, Contoured Grip
• Manufacturer's Suggested Age: 5 Years and Up
• Dimensions: 7.25 " L x 7.65 " W

pen 95: sharpie brush tip

available in 12 colors, this pen answers the age old question, what would it be like to paint with a sharpie permanent marker. the answer, awesome.

these pens are yet another example of sharpie quality and versatility. the brush tip puts down a fully saturated line, and with a flexible yet firm (the tip is not as inflexible as the standard fine tipped pen) brush making things like fine detail and line width variation a snap. the ink has little value range, again all or nothing, but the tip allows shading in terms of stipple, hatching or crosshatching. 

the brush tip makes for some fun experimentation, and can push the artist in terms of creative uses, these pens would be good for inking over pencils, detail in watercolor or acrylic paintings, contour and gesture drawings, the latter two even more so if you are working in a larger format. the flexibility of the tip really lends itself to drawing organic subjects. yes, it is a bit funny that i say that considering that i drew a robot as the example, i did this because the original was actually 10 inches tall, and i was testing the saturation and fill potential of the pen, i was pleased with the results. 

these pens are available as stand alone pens in larger big box office supply stores, in packs of four and twelve colors and of course, everywhere online. i personally bought the four pack at wall-mart for around $6 - the 12 pack was around $10, i didn't really want any of the colors other than black so i stuck with the less expensive option.

the only problem i have with these pens is that the tip is not all that durable, and like the traditional fine point marker, has only a few uses in detail work before becoming a filler pen for large areas of color or black or whatever.

so yeah, its a sharpie, nuff said - go get one.

website:
www.sharpie.com

what they say:

One Tip. Plenty of Tricks.

• Create fine lines, bold strokes and shading
• Control the width of your lines - thick or thin - with the pressure of your hand
• Make your ideas permanent on almost any surface
• Create with brightly colored, fade- and water-resistant ink
• Quick-drying ink AP certified nontoxic formula
• 12 assorted colors to make your marking unique