NOVEMBER 27, 2:20 PM
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It’s Black Friday, the start of the holiday shopping season! Many US retailers have marked down selected wares, including pens and markers. To help you parse the offerings, we’ll be tracking some of the best deals on artists’ writing and drawing instruments, from technical pens to alcohol markers.
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We will be updating this page today and over Black Friday weekend, so check in with us often. A word of advice: Move fast, as many of these products will sell out quickly. (Prices current at time of publication.)
AMAZON
Amazon’s Black Friday Deals include discounts on pens and other writing and drawing implements. We’ll be sifting through the offerings to find you the best of them. Don’t forget that Amazon Prime members get access to daily deals and free shipping. Get a 30-day free trial to Amazon Prime here.
Here are some deals on our favorite products:
Save 32% on Sakura disposable drawing pens
Now’s the time to stock up on these classic and widely beloved drawing pens from Sakura, which are loaded with archival-quality, pigment-based ink. This Black Friday deal extends to an eight-pack of assorted pens to suit all needs—you not only get six different sized nibs from 0.2mm to 0.5mm but also one brush tip and one rounder, marker-like tip.
Purchase: Sakura Pigma Micron Pen Set, 8-Pack Assorted Points, $15.70 on Amazon.
36% off on Pentel colored pen set
Though some have issues with Pentel’s fine-point markers, their fans love them for their vibrant color. The pen’s downsides include ink that bleeds freely and an extra firm fiber tip that can tear up your paper as you color in, making it better for journaling and filling small areas. Also note that the colors of the markers can vary noticeably from the color of the casing, so be sure to test them on a piece of scrap paper before using. At this price, though, you can try a set out and see if they work for you.
Purchase: Pentel Color Pen Set of 18, $10.80 on Amazon
Save 42% on Prismacolor double-ended markers
This is the best time to purchase these covetable markers—our favorite double-ended option. Featuring a chisel-point tip at one end and a fine-point nib at the other, they flow with ease, are loaded with vivid colors, and blend together beautifully. Each pen has a single ink reservoir for color consistency when switching tips. Amazon is offering a great deal on a 12-count set, though you can’t beat Blick’s current offer on a 72-count set (see below).
Purchase: Prismacolor 3620 Double-Ended Markers, 12-count, $29.35 on Amazon
52% off Pilot G2 Pens
Never underestimate the usefulness of a blue gel pen. The smooth-flowing gel-based ink of the Pilot G2 shows up clearly on any paper surface, and its rubber grip and weight make it comfortable to wield for hours. It is retractable for portability and refillable. While the ink dries quickly, it does not dry instantaneously, and left-handed people in particular might be irked by the smearing. Other than that, it’s perfect for just about anybody—except pen snobs, who might be put off by the fact that it’s one of the most popular pens in the United States. Currently, Amazon is offering deep discounts on the 12-pack of extra fine tip (0.5 mm) G2s in blue.
Purchase: Pilot G2 Pens, Extra Fine Point, Blue Ink, 12-Pack, $12.00 on Amazon
BLICK ART MATERIALS
Blick—hit hard by the pandemic—isn’t having an official Black Friday sale. But they are posting daily free offers as well as offering holiday discounts on selected paints, drawing tools, and paper. Shop our ongoing picks of pens and markers below and support this family-owned purveyor of quality artists’ tools.
Get up to 78% off Prismacolor double-ended markers
This is the best time to purchase these top-of-the-line markers, featuring reversible tips for coloring with either a round or chisel point. Though Amazon is offering a better deal on a set of 12 (see above), professional illustrators should note that a set of 72, with a list price $465.56, is now on sale for just $99.99. The set includes a huge range of gorgeous colors including pastels, a range of grays, and metallics.
Purchase: Prismacolor Premier Double-Ended Art Markers, $3.99-$429.99 on Blick.
Save up to 26% on Copic waterproof pens
There’s little to fault about these pens from favored brand Copic. They’re consistent, comfortable to hold, and are available in a range of nib sizes as well as a brush tip. But where they stand out in our book is in sustainability: Each is refillable and comes with a replaceable nib.
Purchase: Copic Multiliner SP Pens and Set, $2.93-$91.51 on Blick.
Get up to 37% off Posca paint markers
Our favorite paint pens lay down ultra-opaque paint that’s removable from nonporous surfaces like glass and mirror and permanent on porous materials such as wood and paper. Unlike the ink in most paint pens, the water-based ink in these markers is matte instead of glossy. Although the paint takes a bit longer to dry than that in other markers, the final results can’t be beat. Currently, all of Blick’s Posca sets—from extra-fine 0.7-mm markers to medium 2.5-mm tips, in a variety of colors—are on sale.
Purchase: Posca Paint Markers, $3.35–$43.46 on Blick
Save up to 37% on the Marvey Uchida Le Pen
Le Pen has devoted fans that include artists, designers, and writers. Part of the appeal is the pen’s simplicity: It’s only offered in one weight (0.3 mm) and has a uniform slim, round barrel that floats in your hand. With a high-quality synthetic tip, it is well-suited for writing, drawing, and bullet journaling. Currently, Blick’s entire (already affordable) Le Pen inventory is up to 37% off, so you can let yourself go a little wild.
Purchase: Marvey Uchida Le Pen, $1.81–$13.58 on Blick
Get up to 64% off Prismacolor hand lettering sets
For hand lettering, there are a few tools that everyone needs. Hand lettering sets like these from Prismacolor provide you with all the essentials: turquoise graphite pencils for sketching that won’t show up once you marker over it, brush tip and chisel tip markers, fine-line markers, and an eraser (because mistakes are a part of life). All Prismacolor hand lettering sets are on sale at Blick, with the best deal to be found in their comprehensive 13-piece set.
Purchase: Prismacolor Hand Lettering Sets, $14.55–$19.94 on Blick
Save up to 27% on Spectrum Noir glitter brush pen sets
Glitter brush pens are perhaps the most pain- and mess-free way to apply glitter to your project. But all pens are not created equal, and some can be too skippy or too sheer. Spectrum Noir’s superior version glides smoothly over the page and lays down a highly pigmented ink. It can be tricky to get the right amount of ink flowing, though, so be sure to practice before you start painting on something irreplaceable. These pens can be a tad pricey, but Blick is offering sets for up to 27% off.
Purchase: Spectrum Noir Sparkle Glitter Brush Pen Sets, $15.81–$49.18 on Blick
Get up to 42% off Faber-Castell Pitt artist pens
Manga artists traditionally use brushes for a dynamic line. Pens are an alternative that allow inking on the go and offer slightly more control. However, it’s key to get a pen that moves across the page easily and uses high-quality, highly pigmented ink. Faber-Castell’s Pitt artist pens, which are available in a range of nib sizes and brush tips, are excellent options for manga because they use a fast-drying, waterproof ink that that won’t run once it has dried. As a bonus, they last an astonishingly long time if stored safely. The sets at Blick are all discounted, and the set of 8 pens in shades of gray with assorted nibs is an especially good deal.
Purchase: Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens Manga Sets, $8.54–$15.75 on Blick
Save up to 52% off Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Pens
The crème de la crème of ultra fine-line (0.3 mm) pens, the Staedtler Triplus is often copied, never matched. The distinctive pens—with a triangular barrel that’s comfortable in your hand—use highly pigmented water-based ink that is acid-free and makes for seriously vibrant colors on the page. Perhaps one of the best features is the “dry safe” technology that prevents the pens from drying out, even if they are left uncapped for several days. Blick is discounting all of their Triplus markers, with an especially good deal on a versatile set of 20 assorted colors.
Purchase: Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Pens, $9.60 – $30.44 on Blick
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Source: artnews.com