After doing long research, I am finally here to answer all your questions. Can You Use Calligraphy Pens for Manga Drawing? Which calligraphy pen/ nib is best for drawing manga? And all the differences. How to Prepare Calligraphy nib for Manga Drawing?

Can You Use Calligraphy Pens for Manga Drawing? You can absolutely use calligraphy pen for manga. Tachikawa G nib and Nikko G nib are the best to draw manga. People Call them Manga nibs. And they are very famous for drawing manga among artists.

Can You Use Calligraphy Pens for Manga Drawing?

Actually, to be honest I am not a manga expert. Therefore before writing this article I did a long research about manga drawings. And here are all the things I end up with.

Can You Use Calligraphy Pens for Manga Drawing?- it’s a great idea to use calligraphy pen for manga. Lot of people use calligraphy nibs and pens for manga drawings.

And honestly even though you can use calligraphy pens for manga. I should have to be clear that using calligraphy pen for manga drawing will not make you instantly a great artist.

Or it will not magically make your drawing like manga. Your talent and skill will remain the same. And if you are good at manga drawing you can figure out your way with any equipment.

But characteristic wise calligraphy pens are suitable for manga. Specially using G nibs for manga drawing is a very good idea.

So why is a calligraphy pen a good idea for manga drawing?- Unlike other nibs, calligraphy nibs are durable and less flexible. Means they do not bend that much, therefore they provide sharp and crisp lines. Other nibs tend to bend and are not able to provide good quality sharp lines like calligraphy nib.

This feature of providing good quality sharp lines/ edges make calligraphy nibs an ideal choice for manga drawing. 

You can see the image below. It’s from a tachikawa G nib, which is also famous as manga nib. You can see sharp and clear lines from this nib. 

Therefore it’s a good option to look at calligraphy nibs. G nibs are especially good because of their durability. Here is article to help you get started for giving you some best tips for drawing with calligraphy nib.- Can Calligraphy Pens Be Used for Drawing? And How?- InkSmooth

This will surely help you to draw with calligraphy pens. And how to prepare it step by step.

Which Calligraphy Pen/ Nib is Best for Drawing Manga?

Drawing manga needs good quality sharp lines and edges. Therefore Nikko G nib and Tachikawa G nib are the best options to go with. These do not tend to bend much and provide you with good sharp lines and edges to play with. 

Also because they are G nibs they are well known for their durability and long lastness. They will last you way longer than any other calligraphy nib.

How Long Do Calligraphy Nibs Last?- Master Guide- InkSmooth here is our guide to help you understand all calligraphy nibs. Their features and how long they’re gonna last you. There is a detailed chart about each type of nib. 

And according to that chart Nikko G nib and Tachikawa G nib will last you 42 Hours of total writing. So these nibs are the best nibs from the entire range of calligraphy nibs. Writing, durability, detailing wise they are the best. And also they lost long. Any company’s G nibs are ideal for calligraphy and drawing.

What type of Drawing Can you Expect From Calligraphy Pens?

So I am not gonna just bring theoretical  knowledge and send you away. It’s my responsibility to take you deeper into the topic. So if you’re thinking about using calligraphy pen/ nibs for manga drawing, what exactly do you expect?

To be honest my drawing is not that good. So therefore I took images from Chroma Moma Youtube channel’s. They have 152k subs. And here is an image from them.

This is a drawing you can expect from Tachikawa G nib. The edges are perfectly sharp and it distributes ink properly.

Though i must tell you, you can’t use heavy pressure because otherwise your paper will bleed. So you can go up to 80% pressure. But it also depends on your paper, still I am giving maximum detailed information.

How to Prepare Calligraphy nib for Manga Drawing?

Calligraphy nibs are available at a pretty cheap price. The best tip for preparing it for manga drawing is, After buying it wash it with liquid soap or hand wash and with toothbrush. Because it contains a type of oil to protect it from rust. So washing that before using is a good idea. 

Something like this.

So wash before using it and wipe it clean with cloth. It’s the best tip you can get. Then replace your old nib with a new one. And then you can use it normally.

First dip your nib into ink and start drawing. If you’re using calligraphy nib for the first time then it’s a good idea to first try it out on different paper. See how it feels and what result it produces. 

You’ll find calligraphy nib a bit more thick and less flexible than others. It will instantly feels different to you. But in a good way!

Is It Worth Updating to Calligraphy Pen/ Nib for Manga Drawing?

Honestly speaking it’s not worth it to buy calligraphy pen/ nib especially for manga. Means you can do all the things with other nibs also. There is nothing special exclusive you can only do with calligraphy nib. Therefore buying a separate nib just for manga drawing is not compulsory.

In simple words it will not make sense to make a special purchase just for this. But if you want to buy something for manga drawing or you’re a beginner and want to purchase then it’ll make sense to buy calligraphy pen and nib.

So if you’re either wise making a purchase. For example your nibs are worn out or something like that then it’s a best option to buy calligraphy nib. Because they had the advantage of sharp and clean edges. 

But if you already had everything in stock and already made a purchase. Then it’s not worth it to specially buy calligraphy pens or nibs. 

In that case I’ll advise you to use your current equipment and develop your skills. and afterwards when you want to make your next purchase simply buy a Calligraphy G nib. And use it with your regular pen.

Surly calligraphy pens and nibs are very good choices for manga drawing. But it’s not that important where you can not draw without it. But if you didn’t made purchase till now or you had extra money for it, then it’s a good idea to buy calligraphy nibs for manga drawing. It’s not at all a waste of money. 

Did you get my point? It’s not essential but rather than buying your regular stuff you can start to buy calligraphy nibs from next time!!