Liner is an indispensable thing in the arsenal of every artist. This is not a pen, not a felt-tip pen or a brush, but he can draw with all three types.
Who needs it and why?
Answering the question “what is a liner”, one cannot help but say who needs it and for what purposes.
Liner is used by artists to apply complex touches. Thanks to him, these strokes will not need to be corrected, since they are applied very easily. They are used in manga drawing, where each stroke can create a completely different emotion.
If you are not a professional artist yet, then you can try the zentangle technique. It's easy, and even beginners can create a masterpiece here. Zentangle drawing liners are very budget friendly and won't really hit your pocket. There are more expensive, professional models, but you don’t need to buy such models if you are a beginner.
Also, the liner is used to draw letters on postcards and just for making graffiti or calligraphic inscriptions.
What is good?
Now that you have learned what a liner is, you are definitely interested in the pros and cons of using such a “pen”.
Pros:
- low price;
- light and smooth strokes;
- variety in thickness and manner of applying strokes;
- waterproof ink: do not spread when exposed to water;
- dry quickly on paper;
- a simplified version of complex professional pens: speedograph and re-feeder;
- many colors.
Minuses:
- dries quickly, so you need to use it often;
- fakes come across;
- cheap can break quickly.
Tips for choosing and using
Artists with extensive experience can explain to beginners what a liner is and give advice on choosing it. And each of them says that it makes no sense to focus on the price. You can buy a cheap liner, and it will last a long time, pleasing with beautiful touches. And you can buy expensive, while throwing money away.
If possible, then before you intend to purchase such a pen, test it. Look how she writes, what lines she gives out, whether she dries quickly, if she spreads, and doesn’t flow when in contact with water. More important is not the brand of the pen, not the reviews of others, but personally your feelings from her. Such a tool is selected for the owner.
As for use, it must be said that the liner handle requires careful care. It must be stored only in a closed form and in a horizontal position. It is also not recommended to drop the pen and press hard when writing and drawing, because the core can go into the case. These are not the most difficult rules, however they will help to keep the pen for a long time.
Popular models
If you have only recently learned what a liner is, or you are starting to get acquainted with these convenient and functional pens, then a few examples can help you understand how different they can be.
Sakura Pigma Micron is an expensive professional model. This liner is made of environmentally friendly material. Ink with high water resistance and color loss protection. The line is 0.45 mm.
Faber Castell - cheaper liners, popular with both experienced artists and beginners. The lines do not flow, dry quickly, are easy to apply. It is worth noting that the strokes are thinner than claimed. For example, 0.8 mm writes as 0.6 mm.
Stabilo is a well-known liner that is often confused with a pen. Very cheap model with a large palette of colors. However, its price does not make it bad: it does not flow, dries well and makes quality touches of 0.4 mm.
Here are three different options from completely different categories. However, in the store you may be confused by the amount that actually exists. As already noted above, try not to rely on the reviews or advice of the seller, trust only personal feelings. The trial and error method in this case works perfectly.