Faber-Castell PITT Artist Brush Pen Review

THE GOOD

1. I like bright, transparent colors (hence my love for Inktense pencils), and Faber-Castell PITT Artist Brush Pens deliver exactly that.

2. They come in 48 colors, which should be enough for everybody, but if you don't own the full set, you can mix them somewhat by layering them over each other or mixing them while still wet with a brush.

3. They have a really sturdy brush nib: definitely not pliable, but that's just the way I like my brush-nibbed felt tip pens, thank you very much. :-)

4. Quality. I would have preferred to write that with capital letters, but I'm sure you still get my point. The rich tones, the juicy ink, the elegant packaging... You get my point. :-)
   
   Let's not forget permanence either: all my drawings made with these pens back in 2005-2006 are still as vibrant and colorful as they were when I had just finished them. True, I did keep them safely in a folder, but we all know that art made with felt-tipped pens and markers is not supposed to be subjected to too much light. It's an ephemeral kind of art. :-)

THE BAD

1. Price: they are a bit steep, but you get your money's worth with these.

2. Another pet-peeve of mine is that aside from a few small sets (Greys, Earth tones, Manga, Basic), they aren't available in Hungarian art-supply stores anymore, especially in open-stock. What gives?!

   25th Nov., 2011 - Scratch that: I just visited an art supply store in Budapest called ÚristenFesték. They had these pens available in some shades (not a huge selection by far, but hey, "something" is better that "nothing") and when I asked them, they were willing to order the black one for me. Cool, huh? :-D By the way, they cost 530 HUF/pen, in case any Hungarian visitors are interested.

3. For some reason, if you store them in a vertical position, they suffer a temporary death. By the time you reach for them and start drawing with them again, they will seem to have dried up and are completely useless until you lay them down for a few days. Wasn't much of a problem for me, but I imagine it can be a bit of a problem if you happen to need them urgently for a project.
   
   So yeah, just to warn everybody...:

Extra Tips

• Even if your budget is tight and you cannot afford the full set, you should at least consider buying the black pen. It's an extremely useful tool for quick sketches and for creating quirky little drawings like my cat doodles above. (Want to see more of Hissy? See all three of my doodles here.)

• If your budget allows for a splurge, do treat yourself with the light and medium gray (272 and 233 respectively). They are very versatile and can be used for shading even on drawings or painting that you created with a different medium. (Barring anything oil-based, of course.)

• If you work with graphic markers (e.g.: Copic or Letraset) and struggle to get those tiny little details right, then Faber-Castell's PITT Artist Brush Pens are just what you need. Even the thinner side of a marker is often too thick for the kind of details I like to add to my work; however, the FC brush pens have a very fine point and allow for great precision if you use them with a light hand. They are also very easy to smear or blend afterwards: you can use a special blender or any of your markers that matches your brush pen in color.