TECH PENS/BRUSH PENS


Micron Pigma-Pigma Graphic-Pigma Brush-Procolor II-Felt Tip
Manga artists use many other inking tools besides the removable-head, dip-type pens outlined in the pens section...The crown prince of the inking supply world is certainly the technical pen, which can be thought of as a "glorified ballpoint pen"....Tech pens have self-contained ink(refillible on the expensive models), a line of predetermined width, and produce even, consistent lines with no line variation. That last point is quite intentional; the main task for techs in manga is to draw panel outlines, architectural details, BGs, effects- anything where the line variation of the traditional dip pens can be a deficit.
There are even a small number of mangaka who use tech pens to ink all of their work, using diferent sizes for figures, BGs, etc....This works well for artists with a "graphic design" feel to their work(...?), and as such is more common among shoujo mangaka. Your layout skills better be damn good to compensate for the boredom of the unchanging line, though, so don't think of this as the lazy way out.
The great divide among tech pens is between the expensive "professional" refillable type(Rotring, etc.) and the cheaper and more widely available marker-type(Pigma, etc.). As a nice free gift after shelling out too much money for a Rotring, it will provide you with many fun blottings, cloggings, and force you to clean it after virtually every use!! Wow, sound exciting??
No, and that's why I'm only covering disposable tech pens here.

MICRON PIGMA
(Sakura Corp.)
Exellent disposable tech pens that come in a large variety of sizes. As far as I know Pigma was the first disposable tech to use a fade-proof, waterproof ink that rivals the india-type inks used in refillable tech pens. The difference here is that they never clog and require no cleaning. In fact, cause they're disposable you don't feel guilty using them to perform other jobs, like stirring the milk in your coffee or hurling them across the room when artistic frustration hits.
Just pick up a 05, 08, and an 03- with that you'll be able to tackle anything on the manga page that your dip-pens can't handle. The 05 is useful for general touch-ups and some BG effects, the 08 can fill in small areas of black and do panel outlines(though there's a better pen for that listed below...), and the 03 is useful for open-heart surgery,i.e. those miniscule details that no one can see but you want to draw anyway. The smallest sizes, below 03, tend to have uneven ink flow and sometimes don't show up after reproduction- most small, fine hatching should probably be done with a stiff Crow Quill such as the Hunt 102 or Nikko School Pen.
At between 2-4 dollars each, you get hours and hours of use outta these, they're convenient as hell, and can be found even at old women craft stores pretending to be art supply stores, such as Micheal's.

PIGMA GRAPHIC
An offshoot of the Micron Pigma line, the Graphics are thick line pens available in 3 sizes, from 1 to 3 millimeter thickness. The 2 and 3 have wedge-shaped heads that produce a calligraphy type line, however, the 1 has a head much like a Sharpie felt tip marker. The 1 is also one of the most useful tech pens I have ever come across.
A graphic 1 has a plastic head, so while it's pointed like a felt marker it is much stronger and gives a more even line. However, unlike the Micron(and traditional tech pens), the large size of the head means you can actually get line variation depending on the angle you hold the pen at. The 1 is perfect for panel borders(though it can blotch if left in the same spot for too long so be speedy!), sound effects and even filling in blacks. For some reason it seems the Graphics hold around 300 gallons of ink or so-even with constant use it takes weeks to run out.
The only caveat to the Graphic 1 is that after enough use the head tends to shred a bit, thickening the line. When that happens, you can fix it by first soaking it in ethyl alchohol, drying it on a bed of rice-stem rushes, and- Oh, wait, these are DISPOSABLE.....so just buy a new one!!!

PIGMA BRUSH PEN
(Sakura)
Brush pens are a common sight here in Japan(being used to write one's name Kanji, etc...) and can be found in almost any convenience store. The difference with Pigma's version, which is widely available in the States, is that it uses Pigma's fade-proof pigment ink. Most other brush pens use the same ink as a felt-marker, whic can be dangerous over time(see felt marker section).
The brush head is like a super-flexible version of Copic's "Super Brush", about the same size and shape as a small sumi-e brush but made out of a single piece of fiber. This means you get lines almost exactly as a brush would produce, with no overinking and no stray hairs making you scream. Of course, as it's disposable when the tip starts to die you can accept it and move on, in contrast to when a good brush goes bye-bye, which usually guarantees another piece of broken furniture in your house and a visit from the local police.
Excellent for all the sorts of cool effects a brush can produce but you were too afraid to try... hehheh.

PROCOLOR II
(Maxon)
Almost exactly like the Micron Pigma, a useful and dependable pen with many line sizes. It also uses the "waterproof pigment ink", so Pigma's patent must have run out or something.
I'm not sure if these are available outside of Japan, however as the manufacturer is a branch of Holbein you should be able to order them anywhere their paints are carried.

FELT-TIP MARKERS OF SUSPECT ORIGINS
Many people use common markers for touch ups and sound effects on a manga page. Even many mangaka. This is bad, bad, bad, folks. There is no enemy to your artwork like a marker which doesn't have "waterproof/fade-proof" written in big bold letters on the side of it. I have quite a number of attempted manga pages from years ago which are rendered in a stunning combination of fuzzy blue and purple lines. This is wonderful, except for the fact that when I drew them it was black. Any pen or marker that does NOT expressly say it is waterproof is to be taken out behind your house and shot, preferably a few times.
Even the mighty Sharpie, which touts itself as "permanent", tends to feather over time unless kept in an undeground vault or something similar. Since the number of people with underground vaults is small among the mangaka community, I recommend you don't use the damn thing.

to be added:YOU tell ME!!


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