Faber Castell's been in business with the same family since 1761, so it is no wonder that they know what it takes to make a fine India Ink artists pen. Their Pitt Artist Pens far surpass PrismaColor for color saturation in our opinion - although PrismaColor does have the advantage of a much wider brush nib at one end. We also still love the Pilot Precise V7 Fine Rolling Ball for black ink outlining and writing. Pentel's RSVP Fine Black Ink pen is one we often reach for. Sharpie's come a long way with their new line of colored markers in various sizes ... there are just some surfaces where only a Sharpie will do!
Many artists like the Pantone Tria Letraset markers as the color identification numbers haven't changed very much over the years. Personally, I love the shape and feel of the Stabilo Boss Original highlighters. More classics-school artists might argue that Staedtler makes some of the finest writing tools available to both artists and architects - you won't get an argument from me; I just find them somewhat more utilitarian.
Our favorite Pearl Store carries all the above, you can also find products online through Blick; Utrecht; A.C. Moore; Michaels; and at many of your local hobby and craft art supply stores. Don't forget about e-Bay - great bargains can be had if you have the patience to wait through bidding. I also like to check Craigslist - it's amazing what people practically give away.
I'm working on a series of graph paper color application works with squares of colored pencils, pastel pencils, watercolors, markers, and artists pens. These pieces are time consuming and somewhat of a commitment. Once a color theme is selected, and the work has begun, there's no going back - I feel sort of "locked in" - I hope to show these soon through the City Galleries Program and will let you know how they are coming along (especially with my new Pitt Pens!)
