Brush Pens: 7 Best Inking Pens for Comics & Manga Today

Comics and Manga have a vast readership, especially among youngsters. If you are a comic or manga creator, choosing the right pen to draw is of utmost importance, pair that with proper colored pencils and you are set up for success.

If you are not familiar with Manga, it refers to comics and cartoons created in Japan. So how do you choose the best inking pen for comics and manga? There are many products out there, but we have handpicked seven of the best brush pens for you.

It takes a whole lot of creativity and imagination to come up with comics and manga. It is a time-taking, artistic process which should be simplified by your choice of inking and brush pens to use.

Best Inking and Tip Brush Pens Reviewed

Let’s get straight into the in-depth reviews of our top seven picks for inking and real brush pens today. Make sure you stick around till the end to read our Buyers’ Guide and get some valuable insights that will help you choose the perfect product.

1. Bao Core Fineliner Color Pen Set

Taking the first spot in our list of recommendations is the Fineliner Color Pen Set from Bao Core. You get a top-notch, versatile set of inking pens in ten vibrant and bright colors – yellow, baby blue, black, green, red, pink, blue, orange, brown, and purple. Each pen in this set measures 6.1 inches in length, making it small and easy to hold.

We especially liked the 0.38mm fine tips of these pens which are perfect for drawing challenging, intricate details in comics and manga. Unlike big tips, you can rest assured that your drawings will be precise and accurate. These pens work efficiently for a plethora of other purposes like coloring, note taking, bullet journaling, and making cards/photo frames.

We recommend that you use these pens for drawing solid lines using fine, quick strokes. These pens are not supposed to bleed unless you press hard or for long. You should be careful to proactively replace the matt black cap when not using the pen to prevent these pens from drying out quickly.

Each pen in this set is long-lasting, fast, acid-free, waterproof, and quick-drying. Drawing comics and manga will become a piece of cake with this pen set from Bao Core!

2. Sakura 50201 Pigma Manga Comic Pro Drawing Kit

At the second spot on our list of brush pen recommendations is the 50201 6-piece Pigma Manga Comic Pro Drawing Kit from Sakura. Each pen in this set is fade-resistant, chemically stable, and waterproof. The primary reason for including this pen set on our list is its ability to provide accurate, minor details that can be preserved for a long time.

We especially liked the Archival Pigma Ink of these pens, which offers significant benefits compared to the conventional dye ink. Pigment-based ink eliminates the chance of bleed-through on most papers, is less susceptible to chemical degradation, UV rays, and contamination from oils, and dries to pH neutral.

This set from Sakura consists of three Pigma micron pens – 005 (.20mm), 03 (.35mm), and 08 (.50mm), one graphic 1mm pen, one all black brush, and one 0.7mm rigid sleeve mechanical pencil. The archival quality of Pigma Micron pens ensures that your drawings will stay in pristine condition for a long time.

This brush pen set is also available in an eight piece variant. You will be fascinated to know that pigment molecules are a hundred times bigger and more complex relative to dye molecules, assuring top-notch, long-lasting performance. You will undoubtedly find your comic and manga projects to be a breeze with this brush pen set.

3. Tombow Dual Brush Pen Art Markers

The next product on our list is the 56173 Dual Brush Pens set from Tombow. It is an ideal inking pen set for faux calligraphy, illustrations, fine art, brush lettering, journaling, watercolor pictures, and more. Each pen in this set has a fine tip that produces precise, consistent lines.

This Tombow inking pen set has odorless, non-bleeding, blendable, and acid-free ink, making it completely environment-friendly. You get dual brush tips with these pens – a flexible and versatile nylon brush tip on one end for drawing medium or bold lines, and a fine tip on the other end for writing or drawing straight, smooth lines.

The brush pen set contains ten pens – nine colored and one colorless. A significant win-win characteristic of this set is that you get a wide range of color options, not limited to the nine colors alone. You can use two colors together or use the colorless blender pen to create new colors. The tips self-clean after blending, making blending and subsequent cleaning hassle-free.

We especially liked the sturdy build of the nylon brush which retains its fine point through repeated strokes, ensuring long-lasting performance. The brush pen set includes four bold colors – red, blue, green, and black, and five lighter colors – yellow, purple, pink, peach, and orange.

4. Prismacolor Premier Manga Illustration Markers

Prismacolor offers the Premier Manga Illustration Markers in two color variants – Black & Sepia and Manga Colors. We have reviewed the eight-count black & sepia set, which contains six black illustration markers and two sepia illustration markers. You get the black markers with 005, 05, 03, 08, brush, and chisel tips, while the sepia markers come with 005 fine and brush tips.

As the name suggests, these brush pens from Prismacolor are best suited for drawing Manga illustrations. We especially liked this set as it contains pens with ink that is lightfast, water-resistant, acid-free, permanent, smear-resistant, and does not bleed through most papers.

You will appreciate the vast array of fine tips on this dual brush pen set that allow you to draw precise lines and crisp details. The chisel tip enables you to get broad coverage, and the flexible brush tip gives you the option to draw thin, thick, or varied lines in a single stroke.

Prismacolor inking sets come equipped with an alcohol-based, richly pigmented ink that ensures your art stays in pristine condition for a long time. The brush pens are also available in 10-count, 12-count, and 23-count sets.

Check our best Prismacolor markers review here for more markers from this brand.

5. BXT Manga Comic Pro Drawing Pens

The next inking pen set on our list is the BXT eight-piece Manga Comic Ink Pens. It includes eight black pens with varying tip sizes – 0.05mm, 0.1mm, 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.5mm, 0.6mm, and 0.7mm. You can meet all your drawing needs with the different tips you get in this set.

We loved the pens in this set as they are optimal for fluent, smooth, and hassle-free writing. Your comic and manga illustration tasks will get more straightforward with the help of these thoughtfully created pens, especially if you need to do a lot of black-colored detailing.

The pens feature lightfast, waterproof ink that ensures your drawings dry quickly and do not get spoilt anytime soon. We tested the fade-resistant feature of this chemically stable ink pen and were pleasantly surprised. Do not judge the quality of this pen set based on its low price – these top-notch brush pens will give you the most bang for your buck.

You will not have to worry about any smears, feathers, or bleed-through on most of the papers. One of the selling points of this set is the excellent after-sale service and around-the-clock customer support you get after you purchase the pens.

6.  Ignart Watercolor Brush Pens Set – with Desk Stand  

This list of brush pens would not be complete without a watercolor paint tool for Manga and comic books. Ignart offers the Watercolor Brush Pen set that contains 33 pens of different colors and one water brush. We can assure you that if you want to create a Manga, Anime, or Comic with a watercolor finish, this is the perfect inking pen set for you.

One of the most daunting challenges of watercolors, especially for beginners, is the mess that is made if something goes wrong. With these pens, you won’t have to deal with that problem as you get precision control which allows you to do everything effortlessly.

We especially liked this pen set as it features odorless, non-toxic, and easily washable ink. If you accidentally spill ink on your skin or clothes while working with this pen set, cleaning up is a piece of cake! This pen set offers a great deal of convenience compared to most of the other products in a similar price range.

There are some tips you should follow to get the most out of these brush pens. Ensure that you replace the cap as soon as you stop working to prevent the pens from drying out quickly. If the ink flows slowly, place the tip of the brush pen in an upright position for about two minutes. If the tip of the brush pens becomes dry, use some water to wash it gently.

7. Docrafts Artiste Permanent Dual Tip Pens 

The last inking pen set to make it to the list is the Artiste Dual-Tip Permanent Brush Marker Pens set from Papermania. The set includes brush markers in 12 bright colors – Black, Yellow, Light Salmon, Orange, Red, Pink, Violet, Lapis Lazuli, Sky Blue, Chartreuse, Blue, and Green. These brush pens are ideal for doodling, journaling, stamping, drawing, and more.

We especially liked the dual tip feature of each of the pens in this set – a brush marker on one end and a fine tip on the other. These brush pens allow you to accomplish a diverse range of drawing tasks with ease. The brush marker enables you to draw thick, broad lines and the fine tip will let you draw fine, precise lines.

You will appreciate the reasonable price of this pen set. There are not many products out there that have dual tips and 12 different colors in this price range.

The light purple in this set is very light and has limited application (you may have to layer it for it to stand out). With this inking pen set, you will not have to worry about the pens drying out quickly or leaking.

Inking Pens Buyers’ Guide

There is no generic answer to the question “Which inking pen is the best?” While one of these seven brush pens might seem perfect to some of you, another might appeal more to others. It depends on your needs.

To help you narrow it down to one product from our seven recommendations, here is a list of some vital factors that you must consider when buying your next brush pens.

1. Ink Quality

A pen is only as good as its ink – no matter how ergonomically it is designed, its functionality and utility are solely dependent on the ink quality. If the quality of ink is optimal, it will be waterproof, smudge proof, fade-resistant, anti-bleed through, and permanent.

You should choose a pen set that boasts of top-notch ink quality to derive maximum functionality of the brush pens in the long run.

2. Nib Size

The nib or tip size of the pen is crucial when it comes to the texture and depth of each part of a comic or Manga drawing. You will ideally want an inking pen set that allows you to choose from a range of nib sizes.

Whether you have to draw fine lines or thick lines, precise lines or shaded lines, your pen set should be able to do it all.

3. Additional Features

There are some other features that you might want your inking pen set to have. If you buy brush pens that have a lightfast dry feature, you do not have to worry about smudging or smearing your drawing. You could also do well with a pen set that has UV-resistant ink to provide enhanced longevity to your art.

Having an ink set with additional features like these is undoubtedly a win-win situation.

4. Value for Money

One of the most important factors to consider is your budget and your requirements for brush pens.

If you are a beginner and relatively new to the Manga and comic field, you would not want to spend a lot and should buy a set that allows you to practice and learn in the best way possible. If you are an expert or professional in the field, you would be willing to shell out more money to get a premium inking pen set.

You should get your money’s worth, and your requirements should be met.

Final Verdict

Any creative field requires a lot of hard work and patience, Manga and Comics are no different. If you have the right brush pens, half the battle is won! Buying the perfect inking pen for your future endeavors will undoubtedly make your life easier by saving time and reducing your efforts.

We hope you found the perfect inking pen for your needs. Checkout our other article on ink pens for drawing for more information on the topic.

Till next time!

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