5 Designer Tips to Select a Ballpoint Pen That Will Elevate Your Artwork

Finding the right ballpoint pen for drawing can feel like a daunting task, given the myriad of options available in the market. Whether you’re an avid sketcher or a budding industrial designer, the pen you choose can significantly impact the quality and ease of your work.

This morning, I found myself with an hour to spare before my appointment at the Consulate of France and stumbled upon a pen shop. It was the perfect opportunity to test some pens and share with you 5 expert tips on selecting the best ballpoint pen for your sketching needs.

5 Expert Tips on How to Find the Perfect Ballpoint Pen for Drawing

Let’s test some pens. I’m looking for one with good comfort
that will bring higher results in drawings for your sketchbook!

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5 good practices to choose the best ballpoint pen for you.

There are so many ballpoint pens out there. I could recommend some of my favorites for industrial design sketching, however, a good choice of pen depends also if you have a “heavy wrist”.

Heavy wrist: A tendency to draw too dark.

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TIP 1| Draw something real

The first and most crucial tip is to draw something real.
When testing pens at art shops, you’ll notice many people scribble random lines or words. However, these do not reflect how you’ll use the pen in practice.

• Look around for inspiration. I chose a cute red pencil sharpener to test my pens.
• Choose a ballpoint pen and draw an actual object or scene.
• Use it in real conditions: draw perspective lines, curves, shadows, line weight, and light reflections.

Use it in real conditions: draw perspective lines, curves, shadows, line weight, light reflection…

If you wonder what to draw, simply look around you.
I choose this cute red pencil sharpener to draw.

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TIP 2| The best pen doesn’t blob

• Select a pen that maintains a consistent ink flow without blobbing.
• Avoid pens that blob early, as you’ll spend more time cleaning the nib than sketching.
• If it blobs early, avoid it or you will keep cleaning your nib all the time.
  Plus getting stains on your drawing and hand palm.

Ink blobs are the nemesis of clean sketching:

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TIP 3| Look for a wide pressure sensitivity

• Find a ballpoint pen that offers a wide range of contrast from very light to dark.
• When we draw with a ballpoint pen in design sketching, we do not aim to erase. Starting a sketch light is important.
• Test your pen with plenty of construction lines for example.

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TIP 4| Get a retractable nib

• How many pen caps have you ever lost?
• How many clothes, bags, pencil cases… have you stained by a pen with a missing cap?
• How many times has your pen rolled and dropped on the floor?
• To avoid all these inconveniences, I recommend a retractable pen.
• It is optional, but it is great to sketch on the go!
  (Example: Urban sketching or doodle note-taking)

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TIP 5| Consider a cheap ballpoint pen

This non-branded ballpoint pen cost 5000VND (Vietnamese dong) = USD$0.22 only. Ballpoint pen technology is now a commodity:

• You can find great pens for cheap
  (but also expensive ones with lower quality or defaults.)
• Don’t judge a pen by its price or look.
  But by your own test and experience.
• The simple design of pens is often the best.

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Extra shopping time!

While exploring the pen shop, I couldn’t resist adopting a few more pens and pencils.
A flashy pink 2B graphite pencil from STAEDTLER caught my eye, and I tested it by drawing Doraemon, similar to how I tested the ballpoint pens.

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Conclusion

Next time you’re at a pen shop, take the time to draw something real with potential pens.
It’s the only way to truly gauge their suitability for your sketching needs.

Feel free to send your own pen test drawings to choutac@thedesignsketchbook.com, and let’s share our experiences in finding the perfect pen.

Remember, the pen you choose can be a lifelong companion in your sketching journey. Keep practicing, keep testing, and above all, enjoy the process of selecting the tool that will bring higher results in your design sketchbook!