Happy Monday! Today’s My Fave Monday Art Supply Post is about Faber-Castell Artist PITT Pens. I really love the products this company makes, and in my opinion these are some of the best artists pens I’ve ever used. Because I work frequently with mixed media, it’s important for me to have a product that can be up for the task. I have never had an issue with these pens when using them over dried acrylic paint. Their waterproof qualities make them an asset if I decide that I need to do another layer of paint over top of them. The flow of the colour is rich and consistent. The brush tip that is on most styles of the pen, gives it versatility in the type of lines you can create with a single pen. I have a set of Landscape PITT pens that I’ve had for a few years and didn’t used much that haven’t dried out. An important note to mention is that it’s best to store them horizontally, as suggested by Faber-Castell.

I also really love that they are odourless. I avoided using any type of illustration marker in the past because of the inevitable headache that would ensue after using them for a while. These pens allow you to work without those side effects. As artists we are sometimes working for long periods of time with the products that we use. It’s important to me that I have products that aren’t compromising my health and can be used in situations where I can’t open a window for extra ventilation. (It gets cold in Canada in the winter…seriously, I’m not opening a window in -30 degrees Celsius to draw.) Another point, is that the black pens are ACTUALLY black. You may have noticed that sometimes, felt markers or other artist pens will have a bit of a red sheen in them under certain light, I find that really irritating, so it’s awesome that the black is actually a true black.

Some points of improvement on this products are that the “B” or brush tip pens can lose their point if you are too heavy-handed with them. (That isn’t even necessarily a true CON of the product and more just a “user beware” tip.) Also, the pens are disposable, but it would be more environmentally friendly if they were recyclable or refillable somehow.

Product Specs:
– India Ink
– Waterproof and permanent
– Maximum light fastness
– Odourless, acid free, and pH Neutral
– Available in a wide variety of colours and sets
– Available in a variety of nibs including XS, S, F, M, B (brush),
– New sizes available in some colours include SB (Soft Brush), SC (Soft Chisel), and 1.5mm (Bullet nib)