When I first started designing I built up a collection of numerous tools and products to fill out my “toolbox.” I had triangles, rulers, compasses, curved rulers, pens, pencils, mechanical pencils, big paper, little paper, erasers and the list goes on. It was a box of clutter that i was forever digging through to find just the right item. After doing this for over a decade I have finally been able to get down to the essentials and eliminate the waste. By streamlining the process I have freed up my mind to focus on the design rather than the decision to use (or locate!) one pen or another.
Quality, not quantity, is the key. Only use sharpies that are well inked to draw with. Find a fine liquid-type pen for detailing and stick with it. You can invest in the specialty Staedtler pens but I find them to be rather stiff and often dry out quickly. The fine and ultra fine gel and liquid pens on the market today feel great in your hand and make the artistic motions feel natural and fluid.
