Sharpie Permanent Marker

With me being a graphic designer, i feel that i have alot of work to do all the time when it comes to computer work and creating things which are new and fresh, the best way to get these ideas out of your head, before you jump in with a computer and create something which looks exactly like what you did (went straight on the computer) its best to get a more hand made look, and for this you need the best tools. These for me are excellent when it comes to creating and getting ideas down on paper, you can have any stock/paper and still achieve a very similar effect with these pens!

Price and Availability
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You can find these pens all over the shot these days, from Asda to most stationary companies like staples and other shops like that, there not badly prices however as they are classed as premium brands of pens then you will have to pay that little more for what would normally be a cheaper pen. These pens are nearly always in stock in the larger stationary supermarkets, but if you are to go to Asda or Morrisons then you may struggle to find them around the begging of term time for the kids as that's when most mothers go on a stationary shopping frenzy.

Below is a quick list of the best places that i found prices on around the internet, you may be able to find cheaper if you continue to look.

Sharpie pack 1 (x1 of each ... Black, Red, Green, Blue)

WHSmith - 5.39
Amazon - 2.29
Asda - 4.00

Sharpie pack 2 (x1 Black)

Asda - 1.00
WHSmith - 2.99
Amazon - 6.70 (makes no sense to me either)

Appearance and Design.
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The design of this pen is so that it can fit comfortably into your hand, and be used for a long period of time, the pen is created out of a strong plastic which is highly durable and is very hard to snap! with just a simple branding on the side of the pen so you know that the type of pen is Sharpie and is then marked as there design, there is nothing really special to look at about this pen and so complicated features to get you all muddled up with, instead you can simply marvel at the colour spectrum you start to build up when buying lots of these pens. The colour caps at the end signify which pen colour you have selected, unless you start to mix up the end of the caps then these are a great way to show which is which pen.

The lid has a small hook like thing on it which allows you so clip it onto your shirt pocket so you dont loose it or even onto your jeans, this comes in handy if you have no pockets on your trousers or no pockets at all cause your sat in your pajamas getting some last minute design work done.
Once you have built up a collection then you are able to create some wonderful pieces of art and there for have a very bold and proud image created from these wonderful pens.

The lid is a click on lid which comes in hand to keep the nib in good shape and keep the pen fresh, there isnt anything worse then when you have to buy a new pen cause the lid wasn't clicked on right, you know it with these pens as there is a satisfying feeling when it clicks on and a small click.

When drawn upon paper with this lid it gives over a very smooth and clear ink mark which drys instantly and cannot then be smudged (unless you go over the same spot continuously) this is perfect for when you need something to be neat and precise. If you are to do this over and over again however the pen on your hand is rather hard to get off and the smell which can come from the pen can start to give you a head ache if you are one of these people which need to get real close to the paper. If you are to shade an area in you can get a smooth result as long as you continue to do this in one fluent movement, if you are to stop and go back to it later then you have a problem and you get a cross over mark which shows up where it has gone darker then before.

And remember colouring fans. Colour in one direction, none of this scribble to colour. these pens are for professionals.

Other must knows.
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I wouldn't really recommend these pens for younger artists and want to be drawers as they are permanent so any little tinkers that can run around and draw on your walls of your house or something like that would have a field day and end up costing you a small / large fortune.

Pens are not refillable so if you are going to be colouring in, find a pen more suitable for this cause the ink can run out rather fast if you are shading in large areas, these are more for drawing the lines into a simple drawing or at a push shading simple small areas to highlight your attention towards something.

Dont muddle up the pen lids, this can create a massive headache trying to find the right colour later when you just want to shade something red for example and its secretly under the green pen lid cover (my sister got a lecture from me for doing just this haha)

Overall
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These are a very nice pen to add to a collection of artist material which you would use on a daily basis if you are in university or a design job. well worth a buy if your looking for a good price for usability.