Each brush pen is different. Some are great for sketching, others are better for fine details (JetPens offers this handy brush pen guide). Last time, I reviewed the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen, which many cartoonists love (including myself).
Note: this post first appeared on my other website, clattertron.com.
Today, I’m reviewing another Pentel Brush Pen, the Fude Extra Fine Tip Brush Pen. (I learned about both pens via the Inktober website)
Read my review below!
Pentel Fude Extra Fine Tip Brush: Out of the Box
Like the Pocket Brush Pen, the Fude requires you to manually “load” the ink.
L: Pentel Fude ink chamber. R: Brush tip.
The ink cartridge is actually the body of the pen, in the left side of the photo above (you can hear the ink inside if you shake the pen). None of the instructions were in English, but the pictures told me what to do.
With the ink loaded, it was time to have some fun.
Pentel Fude Extra Fine Tip Brush: Strokes
Unlike the Pocket Brush Pen, the Fude pen required me to add more ink to the tip with regular squeezes (or at least to get it flowing). Take caution: the ink can flow very easy and fast if you squeeze too hard, and you can end up with a lot of ink on the page.
Pentel Fude strokes.
The strokes are thin and with a steady hand, you can really do some fine detail work (hence the Super Fine name).
Writing with the Pentel Fude Extra Fine Tip.
Pentel Fude Extra Fine Tip List O’ Fun
List time!
- The handle is the ink cartridge, so be careful. It feels like a good poke from something sharp to the sides would cause ink to spill out.
- The Fude’s body can make it awkward to hold at times, especially if you are not really accustomed to holding a brush.
- The body reminds me of water brush pens.
- With the cap on, the Fude is about 7 inches long, and a good inch and a half longer than the Pocket Brush Pen.
The Fude Extra Fine Tip is pretty long.
- Ink won’t spill out of the body if you unscrew the brush tip, as long as you don’t give it a squeeze (and even then, it would take some effort). Still, be careful.
- The ink does not dry as fast as I would like, especially if there is a lot of ink in the brush tip.
My practice strokes weren’t 100% dry when I closed my sketchbook.
- The ink is not waterproof or water-resistant. It bleeds easily when exposed to water (which could be used for a fun effect).
L: Practice strokes with the tip (bottom) and edge (top). R: Water applied to dry ink.
- Like the Pocket Brush, I can sketch really fast with the Fude.
Pentel Fude Extra Fine Tip Brush Final Thoughts
The Fude isn’t the Pentel Pocket Brush, and it doesn’t try to be. I like the Fude’s finer lines, but between the two I would still go with the Pentel Pocket Brush (especially with the Pocket Brush’s faster drying ink and smaller size).
However, it isn’t fair to compare the two head to head, as they are very different. The Pocket Brush Pen was built for portability and the Fude for finer touches.
If you want to experiment with a finer brush pen, then give the Fude Extra Fine Tip a try. If you want an easy to use, portable pen, then stick with the Pentel Pocket Brush. If you plan to use watercolor, then I can’t recommend either (a PITT Pen Brush or Micron brush pen works great with watercolor, in my experience).
I like the Fude Extra Fine Tip though, and I’m sure with additional practice, I will like it even more.
As I said last time, no matter which brush pen you get: PRACTICE and have fun!
Sketches made with the Fude Extra Fine Tip Brush Pen.
