Review – Sharpie Pen Colors

Posted on December 25, 2013 by Dragon Co (Austin Smith)

I have reviewed the Sharpie pen before. And the ink in that pen was a bit of a muted black. Now it’s time to look at some more of the Sharpie pen color palette: the blue, red, green, purple, and orange pens.

Colors not exact representations.

Starting off with the blue, which is a typical blue, if a bit washed-out looking. It is a subdued blue that would be appropriate in most work environments. They say that all of the colors are water-proof and smear resistant. I will say that is mostly true unless under extreme circumstances, but don’t expect them to be as all-around useful as their marker cousins. They also dry fairly fast and are supposed to be non-toxic, but I’m not checking that.

Now to the red, which is the most disappointing of the bunch. It is faded and looks almost pinkish. It’s hard to tell it’s really a red and it certainly lacks the intensity most look for in a red ink. That being said, it is subdued and will work better in a work or school environment where one would want a less aggressive color.

The green is, say it with me, subdued. It is undeniably green, and being as laid back as it is almost intensifies it. It’s the hardest to read out of the bunch and is almost eye hurting after a while. Strangely it is almost identical to Micron green.

The purple is flat, but deep. It is easily the darkest and most readable of the bunch. It is also fairly close to a Micron purple and provides a nice, neutral color, that is still quite different.

Now finally the orange. The orange is the only intense color out of the bunch, and even then for orange it is fairly flat. It does jump off the page and provide the kick one would expect from a nice orange. I’d say it’s probably the best color of the bunch.

So there are a few colors. Aside from looking almost identical to Micron colors I’d say they’re good. I haven’t the foggiest as to why that is but it is a bonus in my book. Anyway, if you like Sharpie pens, and want some nice, pleasant colors for work or some such, I’d take a closer look at these. And due to their subtlety they also look much more natural in drawings than standard, intense colors.

Review – Sharpie Liquid Pencil Black

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Dragon Co (Austin Smith)

Want the bold line of a pen, but the correct-ability of a pencil? Well, good for you! Erasable pens have moved up leaps and bounds, and Sharpie has one, called the erasable pencil.

The barrel of the pen is a clear plastic with the branding on it. The grip is a light rubber, but it is more smooth than grippy. The tip is a cone that leads to the tip which is retraceable with a click mechanism. The entire back third of the pen(cil) is the click mechanism, with an eraser and flimsily little clip. Sharpie is written on the clip, but small and indented. The mechanism is cheap, it simply sits on the back and doesn’t fit into place on the back, it wobbles and bounces while one is writing. It makes the pen feel unnecessarily cheap and plastic-y.

The ink is black, but it is a bit thin and grey, though not nearly as grey as say, a pencil. There is nothing else particularly spectacular about it. It is fairly permanent, but it is less fade- and water-resistant than most inks, because of course it can be erased. And it can be erased. Depending on the thickness of the line it goes away completely, or to such a faint line that it is unnoticeable. It is truly a liquid pencil.

So it doesn’t exactly have the boldness of a pen, but it is more bold than a pencil, and it is erasable like one too. So if you were looking for a happy medium between the two, then look no farther. But if cheap-feeling construction and not-so-bold lines put you off, then I’d suggest looking elsewhere.

Review – Zebra F-301 Ballpoint

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Dragon Co (Austin Smith)

Sometimes even the most pretentious artists or religious fountain pen users have to use a ballpoint pen. Now they could just use a ballpoint insert in a more expensive pen, but they might not want to do that. They also might not want to use a Bic ballpoint. So now we enter the level of not entirely expensive or cheap ballpoint pens. The first being the Zebra F-301 ballpoint pen.

The pen is made of stainless steel with a round barrel with the model number on it. The (grip) section is a checkered plastic that is grippy and between comfortable and uncomfortable. It really does nothing for me. The cone near the tip is nothing spectacular. The clips is a simple stainless steel, with a plastic back and a metal button. The button does not lock down when depressed so it does shake when one is writing. Otherwise, the body is very study and light. Denting is hard; scratching is fairly easy, though.

The point is very fine. It writes smoothly and the ink is standard ballpoint black. It is slightly grey and skippy unless one pushes down hard. It is not waterproof, but it doesn’t smudge after drying. I will say that the pen I have used is more prone to globs of ink off the tip than almost any other pen I’ve used.

So overall the additional expense of this pen (which isn’t very much, but still…) over a regular ballpoint is obviously its design. It will hold up better and is much more pleasant to hold than any other cheap ballpoint. The writing experience is about the same, which, to be fair, doesn’t get much better with the more expensive pens. It really is just a matter of taste and how much you want to spend on this one.

Review – Bic Disposable Fountain Pen Black

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Dragon Co (Austin Smith)

If you’re an artist or would like to become one you’ve probably heard that ballpoints are not a good art instrument. While this is not the case, there certainly are better ones. Fountain pens are generally accepted to give a better writing performance than ballpoints. And the Bic disposable fountain pen seeks to combine the smoothness of one with the convenience of the other.

The body of the pen is a smooth torpedo in the classic fountain pen shape, though a little smaller. The cap has an easy-to-use clip attached solidly to the top that is both sturdy and tight. There is a partial ink window and logos along the otherwise silver-colored barrel, nothing else. Taking off the cap and looking at the (grip) section, the feed(er) is viewable though a clear tube. The section is much thicker than a ballpoint and easy to grip, though it may become slippery and has no lip at the end. The nib (tip) is steel and ground to a medium point. It is unspectacular looking.

As for writing, it is very good. Most of the money you pay likely went into the nib and it shows. The pen writes smooth and effortlessly for the most part, but can be prone to feedback. The flow of the ink is good and it keeps up well. Speaking of the ink, it is surprisingly black, and unsurprisingly not waterproof. This ink will feather easily and take a moment to dry. I also don’t recommend using cheap paper, as the ink will bleed thorough, though not as bad as many bottled inks. There is a massive supply of the ink, though, so you won’t have to worry about this pen breaking your wallet particularly.

For a cheap pen ($2-4 a pen), this is a very nice one with a lot of okay ink. It writes well and draws the same. If you’re looking to experiment with fountain pens in your art or writing, and would prefer a slightly larger pen, this is certainly one to look up.

Review – Signo Angelic White

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Dragon Co (Austin Smith)

Some colors of pens are rare, and white even more so. So if you need to highlight something in your art or maybe need a white-out pen that isn’t a white out pen you can try the Uni-ball Signo Angelic white gel pen.

Starting with the pen itself: the barrel is octagonal near the back and becomes a weird grip shape near the front, though it is quite comfortable. The cap has a plastic clip that works I guess and securely clicks into place on both the front and back of the pen. A metal cone holds the tip and cartridge in place and can be easily unscrewed for refilling.

The ink is white. Though not as white as one might hope, being a gel ink it is slightly transparent, and on darker colors would require several coats to cover completely. That being said it highlights very well and is very visible on colored paper, though it looks a bit grey on black paper. The ball is also very fine, leading to a line that can be very faint sometimes.

So overall it is good at highlighting and some writing, but if you’re looking for a pen that can precisely cover marks and don’t have the patience to use multiple coats you might not want to look at the Uniball Signo Angelic White.

Review – Le Pen 003 Technical Pen Black

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Dragon Co (Austin Smith)

How thin do you need your lines to be? Do you need them consistent as well? Are the conventional technical pens just not thin enough for you? Then you may want to try out the Le Pen technical pen in a mind-bogglingly small 003 tip.

The body of the pen is white. All necessary information is printed in several languages on the side in black, it is raised which makes me thing it will rub off with a lot of use, but this hasn’t happened yet. It also has the size on top for easy reference during storage. The clip is a very flexible plastic covered with a metal strip, making it durable and flexible at the same time, though it is quite strange and bulky. The cap lines up flush with the body and almost flush with the end when it is posted. The body proper is flat, and slightly tapered to the front, with some grip from the raised writing. It is a bit fat which makes it uncomfortable for smaller hands or for long periods of time. The grip and point though are almost identical in size to the Micron.

The nib however is very small, it feels entirely destroyable every time it is placed on paper. The ink is as resilient as micron ink. And I would say as black but the size of the nib makes it seem much grayer so I can’t tell. I almost think I’m writing with a pencil sometimes. Though because of it’s size the line isn’t the most consistent in the world, but it is the most consistent at this size. It does write incredibly smooth and remarkably comfortable for a short period of time.

So overall this is a great pen. It writes smooth, puts down ink well, and is one of the few pens you can get in this size. It is slightly less comfortable than a Micron in my opinion, and I would be tempted to say the ink is not as good. But it’s still a great value and a handy pen for some of those more detailed lines.

Review – Pilot Precise v7 Black

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Dragon Co (Austin Smith)

Smooth writing is something quite a few people desire, for both writing and sketching. Fountain pens are some of the smoothest writers available, but they have some convenience issues. And regular ballpoints require too much force for some people to write smoothly. Pilot’s Precise line of liquid ink roller balls are meant to fill this gap in the pen market. This is the V7 black version.

The pen body itself is straight, nice on the fingers, not slippery, but polished. All necessary info is printed on a label on the side, along with an ink window so you can view your supply, of which there is a lot. There is quite an interesting, fountain-pen-like feed which is clearly visible under the grip. It keeps up well with the writing. From there, there are some strange ribs leading up to an extended point with a rolling ball.

The cap is simple: straight with a nice clip that works well and says “Pilot”, Though it does have some strange indents, it posts well.

The V7 point is 7mm, which is shocking, I know. It is very smooth. It dispenses ink handily and never skips unless it is dry from not putting the cap on. I also find it is less prone to get away from you as some of the other rollerball pens with fine points I’ve used are. The ink itself is quite black. It dries quickly but not immediately. It does get grey after some wetting or smearing, but this isn’t much of an issue.

So overall this is a great “take everywhere” pen, for both artists and writers. Though I would recommend it more to artists because of the nature of the tip and liquid ink. I find that in sketching it pays to move fast, while in writing it doesn’t. Either way it’s a comfortable pen that writes super smooth and lays down a nice line of fairly black ink. It’s worth a look at least.

Review – Pilot B2P Ballpoint Pen

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Dragon Co (Austin Smith)

I’ve come across quite a few interesting or novel pens. I’ve tested out most pens I can get my hands on and have determined my taste accordingly. But a pen caught my eye recently with a gimmick I’d never seen before. It was a Pilot B2P pen, made out of recycled bottles. I’d seen pencils made out of recycled denim, but never a recycled pen. I don’t usually pick up Pilot pens but I decided to give this one a try, if only for the novelty.

I’ll start with the writing performance, because on this pen that’s less interesting. It’s a ballpoint, and for a ballpoint it writes amazingly smooth, even smoother than most Gel pens I’ve used. The ink is black and fairly dark. The line is thin, well, at least thinner than most ballpoints. It usually writes on the first go with no skipping, a problem I usually have with Gel pens. It’s fairly impressive, though I think it may run out of ink rather quickly.

Onto the body, which is a fairly pleasing blue color. It’s got a fairly useless grippy-grip near the tip and a mid-way between sturdy and flimsy pocket clip on the back. The blue is dark but transparent on the back, mimicking a bottle, and to further the effect it has ridges and troughs to look and feel like a crumpled up bottle, making it feel quite nice in the hand in my opinion. There is an easily worn off label around the center of the pen that contains all useful information, though the more pertinent information is also on the clip.

The retractable mechanism works quite well and doesn’t seem break-prone, it’s nice and solid (though if they hadn’t perfected this tech by now they never would). It also disassembles easily and well into parts for replacement and refilling, though I doubt you’ll ever do either of those.

So yes, it’s a nice ballpoint, not the nicest ballpoint, but a nice one. For the price it’s good and novel. And the feel is quite nice. Its uses are that of all ball pens and this one doesn’t stand out terribly. But it is good, and a very interesting idea. And it’s a better conversation starter than the standard click-y ballpoint.

Review – Uni Paint Pen

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Dragon Co (Austin Smith)

So you want to paint, but you’re better at drawing. Or you want to mark on some surface unsuitable for Sharpie or other permanent markers. Well, the Uni Paint PX-21 by Sanford may be for you.

This pen is oil-based and needs to be shaken up like a spray can before use. It has a “fine” point, which means a medium or even broad point if you compare it to anything that is a not a paint pen. The line it writes is solid and about as thick as a large Crayola marker. This particular version is the black version which is especially solid, though it is fairly shiny, somewhere between a Sharpie and a matte black spray in terms of marking on plastic. It does mark on literally anything, though some shiner plastics and polished metals have it wear off easily.

The body of the pen is metal and feels solid in the hand. A shiny label has all the necessary information printed on it, including warnings and such. This label makes the pen slightly slippery in the hand so tight gripping is necessary.

The cap matches the color of the paint. It has ridges that are sharp and cut into the skin. It also fits very snugly onto the end, meaning it is quite difficult to remove, which is both a hindrance and a benefit.

Also be warned that since it is an oil-based pen it stinks mightily and will give you a headache after a few minutes of constant exposure. The label even tells you to put the cap on immediately after use, though this is most likely also to not let the paint dry out.

Overall this is a great little painting device. It is especially handy for touchups on plastic and metal painting. Or, if you’re like my relatives and have a shop were regular markers and price tags have a hard time sticking to the stock. It’s not really a home item, or one that will be useful to canvas painters, but it certainly will have its place with sculptors and model builders.

Review – Faber Castell 24 Colour Pencils

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Dragon Co (Austin Smith)

Colored pencils have been around for a long time. And now most of them are very cheap and often associated with kids or school. However, if one does want to look into the more expensive world of colored pencils there are plenty to choose from. Let’s take a look at the Faber-Castell box of 24 Colour pencils.

The pencils come in a nice, if easily dent-able metal case. Inside the case the pencils are stored in a row on a plastic tray. The pencils themselves are thicker than most pencils and nicely circular. They will sharpen in standard pencil sharpeners but be wary of the lead. On the side is a hard-to-read but nice logo and color information section. They are not slick and have a very matte finish that holds well in the hand. The color of this finish matches the color of the lead fairly well if not exactly.

The lead itself is hard and brittle. The colors are not nearly as vibrant as those of Crayola or other such colored pencils, giving them a much more realistic tone. The full range of colors is wonderful, with some very subtly different colors and some nice earth tones. The lead comes off well on paper and is quite opaque as most colored pencils are; they do not want to bleed or mix which is another reason why the full compliment of colors is nice. When drawing, it is best to watch how hard you push, as too hard can easily break the lead and not enough will lead to unsatisfactory coverage.

These colors are a huge upgrade from the standard “map colors” and such. Though they may be a bit pricy, they are great drawing implements. They seem to carry a certain prestige that transfers onto the paper (or other mediums). If you are will to spend the money I would certainly recommend these pencils. They are quite superb

Art Supply Critic

Category Archives: Utensils