No More Erasers! Draw with Mistakes!

Happy accidents a state of mind. There’s something fun about the permanence of markers and brushes. The thrill of making mistakes and trying to make it work after. Practicing art when you have to live with your mishaps puts you into a position to improve your skills and your confidence. So let’s talk about some fun brushes that let those accidents flourish.

First, I love this thing: a brush pen. Specifically THIS brush pen, by Pentel. It paints bold black ink onto the page and tends to work well with most sketchbooks. As long as you’re not pressing too much it doesn’t bleed through most sketchpad paper. And it has refills! Similar to a fineliner, the ink stays bold right up until it runs out, then you just swap the cartridge. There are probably nicer ones out there, but this one is both cheap and popular. Which means art shops near you probably have refills in stock. I take this along with my travel sketchbook, because if I’m drawing on the go, I’m not shooting for perfection, I want to experiment and paint bold things without spending too much time. It’s perfect for that.

Let’s talk about markers. Maybe you’ve heard of Copic markers. I hear they’re very nice, but they scare me with how expensive they are. Posca are a little cheaper, but still feel very specialized to the point where I feel like I have to save them for something – they’re paint markers. They’re fun, and you can get a sampler set for not that much, but I don’t feel like they’re easy to get comfy with due to the raw cost and specific applications.

My cheap artist ass wanted something that I wouldn’t worry about wasting. A friend told me about these Tombow brush pens! They’re not cheap, but not expensive either. I grabbed a couple sets and have had a lot of fun with them. They’re water-based, so you have to let them dry to see their true color, but you can layer in extra color as you go. Plus! One side is a brush, and the other is a fine marker tip. I’m always excited to use these, though opinions can be pretty split depending on who you ask. They tend to go on sale a lot though; see if there’s a cheap set you can try out.

Another good set are these Ohuhu alcohol-based markers. They do roughly the same thing, are a little less picky about layering on colors, but… they bleed through paper a lot and can be quite smelly. They also will not wash off of most hard surfaces, so be extra careful what you’re drawing on. So there’s a few varieties there: paint pens, water-based markers, and alcohol-based markers. Each works a bit differently, but the increase in cost doesn’t always translate to a better experience. Start cheap and try stuff out first.

There are lots of different kinds of markers and paint-type pens out there, and they all tend to have different uses. Not every kind will be something that you like, but it’s worth finding something that’s fun for you – it sounds weird, but making drawings with permanent marks can really help you be more comfortable with mistakes. You won’t get stuck repeatedly correcting things with an eraser, because it’s permanent. Really helps with being indecisive, in my opinion. Got any kind of permanent markers, paints, or brushes you like? Share them! And see if you can doodle or warm up with something you can’t erase today. Have fun!