Sunday Mailbag: Brush Pens?

Q: I am enjoying the “mock” MAD Cover commissions you are posting on your blog and was curious what specific markers you use? You mention brush pens and Copic Markers on your blog but do you mind sharing what “specific” model of markers you use.

A: I use Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens for the linework. They come in two packs with a hard tip and a soft tip, or you can get them separately. The harder tip has a blue colored barrel and the softer a green one. I get them either through JetPens (hard and soft) or on Amazon.

I like these pens because they give me a brush-like quality to the lines yet are a lot stiffer and more forgiving than the sort of brush pens that have tips that simulate actual brushes. I am very heavy handed when I ink, so I need a stiffer resistance to pressure. The ink in these pens are water based but do not smear them you use Copic markers over them. In fact the blue one dries instantly and I can use color or grays over the lines right away. The green one takes a little longer to “cure” so the lines don’t smear at all. If possible I give them 30 minutes or so before going into the piece with Copics.

As for Copics, I use the “sketch” series. I like the toner grays for more black and white work, like the one of Bill Gaines here, although I have some of the cool and warm grays for other uses. Otherwiee I just have a ton of different colors and ink refills. The tips last a good long time, and they are easy to replace if they start getting ratty or dry out completely.

Thanks to Jason Sauer for the question. If you have a question you want answered for the mailbag about cartooning, illustration, MAD Magazine, caricature or similar, e-mail me and I’ll try and answer it here!