The best brush pens
For hand lettering, bullet journals and colouring that looks painted: brush pens for first-timers and keen hobbyists.
A brush pen has a flexible tip that draws a thin line with a light touch and a thick one when you press, which is the whole secret of modern brush lettering. Colour sets often add a fine tip at the other end for outlines and small writing.
If lettering is the goal, start with a small, firm tip, as it's easier to control. For colouring and painting effects, a big set of water-based colours, or watercolour pens you blend with a wet brush, gives the most fun for the money.
What matters
- A small, firm tip for learning lettering; bigger, softer tips for colouring.
- A fine tip at the other end for outlines and details.
- Water-based ink if you want to blend with water.
- Enough colours: 18 to 24 to start, 72 or more for colouring books.
#1 of 5
Best overall
Artecho Dual Tip Brush Pens (72 colours, with carry bag)
£10–£20 Price range
Each pen has a flexible 1–2mm brush at one end for colouring and lettering and a 0.4mm fine tip at the other for outlines, in 72 water-based colours that layer and blend. The carry bag keeps them together for colouring on the sofa or on holiday.
What owners say: Owners find them fantastic, with vibrant colours, a handy storage case and great value, and say they suit children and adults alike for colouring.
A closer look: Swatch all 72 on a sheet of the paper you'll use, as colours look different on the cap. For smooth blends, go from light to dark while the first layer is still damp.
- 72 colours
- Brush tip (1–2mm) and 0.4mm fine tip
- Water-based, acid-free ink
- Odourless and non-toxic
- Carry bag
Best for: Colouring books and journals
- Pens
- 72 colours
- Tips
- Brush 1–2mm + 0.4mm fine
#2 of 5
Most colours
BEMAYSZ Dual Tip Brush Pens (108 colours)
£10–£20 Price range
A huge palette for adult colouring books, bullet journals and manga, each pen with a soft 1–4mm brush for filling in and shading and a fine tip for outlines and detail. The caps match the ink, so the right colour is easy to spot.
What owners say: Owners love the colour selection and the case that keeps everything neat, and find the pens long-lasting and quick-drying, with fine tips that are perfect for pinpoint detail and no bleed-through.
A closer look: The maker's advice for a long life: push the caps on firmly and keep the set somewhere cool and dry. With this many colours, arranging them by colour family makes the right one quicker to find.
- 108 colours
- 1–4mm brush tip plus fine tip
- Colour-matched caps
- Water-based, odourless ink
- Quick-drying
Best for: Adult colouring books
- Pens
- 108 colours
- Tips
- Brush 1–4mm + fine tip
#3 of 5
Best for hand lettering
Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens (hard and soft tip, black, 2-pack)
£7.95 RRP
The small, springy brush tip that hand-letterers start with: press for a thick downstroke, ease off for a hairline upstroke, and learn control on the firmer hard tip before trying the soft one. Tombow's name is Japanese for dragonfly, a symbol of good luck there, and the firm began in 1913 as a pencil shop in Asakusa, Tokyo.
What owners say: Owners say they're excellent for modern calligraphy and precise lettering, easy to control and smooth, and a big help for beginners improving their hand lettering.
Heads up: Push the caps on firmly after every session so the tips don't dry out.
A closer look: Letter on smooth, non-textured paper, as Tombow recommends, such as laser printer paper or a marker pad: rough paper wears a brush tip down quickly. Free brush-lettering practice sheets online make a good companion.
- 2 pens: hard and soft tip
- Line changes with pressure
- Extra-fine to medium strokes
- Black water-based ink
- Made for calligraphy and lettering
Best for: Learning hand lettering
- Pens
- 2, black
- Tips
- Brush only (hard and soft)
#4 of 5
Best budget
STAEDTLER 3001 Double-Ended Watercolour Brush Pens (18 colours)
Under £10 Price range
Watercolour pens that behave like a paintbrush: colour in, then run a wet brush over the ink and it melts into a wash. The brush end draws from 1mm to 6mm and the fine end from 0.5 to 0.8mm.
What owners say: Owners find them excellent quality and value, easy to use, and say the colours blend well with water for watercolour effects.
A closer look: Pair them with a water brush, the kind with water in the handle, and you have a tidy travel paint kit for a holiday journal. Scribble colour onto a plastic lid and pick it up with the wet brush for softer, paler washes.
- 18 colours
- Brush tip 1–6mm
- Fine tip 0.5–0.8mm
- Blends with water
- Double-ended
Best for: Watercolour effects on a budget
- Pens
- 18 colours
- Tips
- Brush 1–6mm + fine 0.5–0.8mm
#5 of 5
Best for watercolour effects
Amteker Watercolour Brush Pens (24 colours + 2 water brushes)
£10–£20 Price range
Twenty-four soft nylon brush pens plus two water brushes: a complete watercolour kit with no paint to set up. Colour in, then blend and soften with the water brush, for journals, cards and colouring templates.
What owners say: Owners find them good quality and easy to use, with rich colours and plenty of versatility, and a nice start for beginners, grandchildren included.
Heads up: For the softest blends, use proper watercolour paper: thin printer paper wrinkles when it gets wet.
A closer look: Fill the water brushes at the tap, squeeze the barrel gently as you paint, and wipe the tip on a tissue between colours to keep them clean.
- 24 colours
- 2 water brush pens
- Soft nylon brush tips
- Water-based, non-toxic
- EN71 certified
Best for: A first watercolour kit
- Pens
- 24 colours + 2 water brushes
- Tips
- Nylon brush tip
How they compare
| Feature | #1Artecho 72 | #2BEMAYSZ 108 | #3Tombow Fudenosuke | #4Staedtler 3001 | #5Amteker 24+2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Most colours | Best for hand lettering | Best budget | Best for watercolour effects | |
| Picked Rating | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.9 |
| Price | £10–£20 Price range | £10–£20 Price range | £7.95 RRP | Under £10 Price range | £10–£20 Price range |
| Pens | 72 colours | 108 colours | 2, black | 18 colours | 24 colours + 2 water brushes |
| Tips | Brush 1–2mm + 0.4mm fine | Brush 1–4mm + fine tip | Brush only (hard and soft) | Brush 1–6mm + fine 0.5–0.8mm | Nylon brush tip |
| Best for | Colouring books and journals | Adult colouring books | Learning hand lettering | Watercolour effects on a budget | A first watercolour kit |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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