My Essential Supplies for Drawing and Writing
Hi there. How are you?
My name is Jen and I am a pen nerd.
If you’ve followed my work for any length of time, you’ve probably figured that out. I’m very particular about the pens I draw and write with. And surprise: They’re not all ballpoints! While I use ballpoint almost exclusively for drawing, I prefer felt tips and roller balls for writing.
With Amazon Prime Days going on, I thought it would be a great time to share my go-to drawing and writing supplies.
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The Ballpoint Drawing Starter Kit
If you want to try drawing with a ballpoint, all you really need is a ballpoint pen and smooth paper. Even copy paper will do the trick when you’re starting out! Here are my tried and true favorites.
1.) Parker Jotter
I do most of my drawing with this pen! Ever since I was gifted a Parker Jotter in 2019, I’ve been obsessed. It’s refillable and the ink glides across the paper like a dream. One downfall: refills only come in black, blue and red. Read my full review HERE.
2.) Bic Cristal Multicolor Ballpoints
If you’re just going to buy one set of pens, GO FOR THESE! They're inexpensive, smooth, and come in a wide variety of colors, including yellow and gold. They are the gold standard ballpoint for my particular drawing style.
3.) Smooth Bristol Board
This substantial paper has a lovely smooth surface that’s super easy to work on. There are many different brands of Bristol Board out there and there are also different finishes available. Look for smooth Bristol board , as anything with a texture will be more difficult to work on. Don't want to spring for Bristol board? Good ole copy paper will do! Would you rather drawing in a sketchbook? Keep reading.
4.) Moleskine Sketchbook
I do the majority of my drawing in sketchbooks and the Moleskine has been my go-to for years. The paper is thick but smooth and the pages lay flat. The pocket sized is a good place to start as you’ll be able to fill up a page more quickly. There is a slight yellow tone to the paper, which doesn’t bother me, but bothers some. Be sure to get a sketchbook as opposed to Moleskine unruled notebook. The sketchbook paper is vastly superior to the notebook paper.
Looking for even more ballpoint pen recommendations? Check out this post.
Other Drawing Supplies I Recommend
Stillman & Birn Zeta Sketchbook
Shout out to Sara Schroeder for this one! The 7.5” x 7.5” format is a new favorite for me. The paper is true white, smooth, and super thick. It’s kind of overkill for ballpoints, but it would be great if you like to work with paint or any wet media. I’ll probably try out the Alpha version of this sketchbook next, which has a thinner paper and almost twice the pages for the same price as the Zeta.
Strathmore Marker Paper Pad
I love the proportion of this 6" x 8" pad. It’s slightly smaller size is less intimidating, the paper is super smooth and has a nice weight to it.
SHARPIE S-Note Creative Markers
I picked up a set of Sharpie S-Note markers on a whim and I’ve been using them as a background for my pen drawings. The color is intense, without overpowering the ballpoint. I need to do some more experimentation with these before I can give a full review.
My Favorite Pens for Writing
As so much of our world has gone digital, I still do my fair share of hand writing. I’m a consummate list maker, off and on again journaler and letter writer. I love the way a good pen feels as it glides across the paper.
For writing, I prefer a roller ball or felt tip pen. Once in a while I’ll use a ballpoint, if I’m writing on a surface that will smudge easily (one of the joys of being a lefty.)
Pilot G2 Gel Roller
The G2 comes in various widths and I vacillate between the 0.7mm and the 1.0mm versions. (The 0.5mm is too thin and scratchy for me.) The smooth, continuous ink flow makes the G2 a long time favorite me. OK, I lied. I use these for drawing on occasion too. All of my coloring book pages started their lives as Pilot pen drawings.
Paper Mate Flair Pen
I have been obsessed with these since I was a kid. They are the only pen I use for journaling, and can be used on pretty much any paper as they won’t bleed. I love that squeak and that little bit of resistance it puts up against the paper. (See, nerdy!)
Sharpie S-Gel
This is a new favorite. I use these mainly for note taking and sometimes journal writing if I don’t have a flair tip handy. They are a good mix of a Pilot roller ball and a traditional Sharpie fine point marker, but without the bleed through. I have the 0.7mm but would like to try out the 1.0 mm as well. I suspect that the ink would flow a bit more fluidly in the larger nib.
Do you have pen or paper suggestions for me?
Do tell! I’m always on the hunt for new art & writing supplies to test out.
That’s all for now.
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