Sakura Pigma Micron Pens

It seems that sketchers all over the world are in love with Sakura Pigma Micron fineliner pens, a.k.a. Microns.

Here in Japan they are called Sakura Micron Pigma (the order is different) and have dark blue barrels instead of the iconic beige barrels.

I have tried to love these pens in the past but a few things kept me from warming up to them:

First, I had artistic objections:

1. They have minimal line variation, and any pressure could shorten the life of the delicate tip.

2. They have a fixed line width which forces me to switch between pens as I draw.

But the discovery of the Pigma FINE tip (a.k.a. PN outside of Japan) answered these artistic objections.

With the FINE (PN) tip I can get subtle line variation and a few line weights by varying the pressure, and the tip is able to withstand the pressure.

But I also had a few general objections to Microns:

1. They are made of disposable plastic with lots of print on the barrel that makes them look cheap.

2. They are too thin and light and feel cheap (in the past I used to sketch with expensive fountain pens).

3. The barrel has a sharp hard ridge where I rest my index finger.

Then I discovered the Pigma holder that answered these general objections.

1. Now they look and feel like nice metal pens that I can use for years to come, and I can consider the pen inside as a disposable cartridge and nib unit.

2. Now the pens are little thicker, have a little weight, and feel better in the hand.

3. The hard ridge is gone now, so it doesn't hurt the index finger.

And the further discovery of clips for the Pigma holder allows me to carry them in the pocket as before. (These clips are even harder to find than the holders).

I could get subtle line variation with just the FINE tip, but I settled on three sizes so I could get a wider range of line widths:

08 for broad lines
FINE for medium lines and width variation
005 for extra fine lines

Of course, I have to carry all three of them in my pocket to get the effects I want from several line widths.

But the FINE point by itself is sufficient if I only want to carry one pen, especially if watercolor might obscure extra fine hatch lines anyway.

And these Pigma Microns are my first choice for ink and watercolor drawings.

In the past I have always used Platinum Carbon ink in fountain pens for ink and watercolor, but lately I have had some unexpected disasters when I applied watercolor over the ink drawing.

It may have something to do with the weather or maybe the age of the ink, but my first hint is when my ink drawing turns into a muddy gray mess.

But the ink in these Pigma Microns is always reliably water-proof, which is why so many sketchers swear by them for ink and watercolor sketching.

I still prefer fude nib fountain pens with flowing ink for sketching because they are more gratifying (I was a fountain pen snob for many years).

But one thing in the Pigma Micron's favor is that you don't have to think about the angle of the pen, and that makes them more intuitive to use.

That ease-of-use plus the fast-drying waterproof ink makes them the ultimate sketching pen for many artists.

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