Fude Pen Review: Sailor Mitsuo Aida Double-Sided Brush Pen
In the past, I've reviewed fude pens in large batches, but since I've developed a pretty good idea of what I'm looking for in an inking pen, I'm better able to hone in on pens I think will work for me. When I saw the double sided Sailor Mitsuo Aida on Jetpens, I thought it looked like a well rounded brush. You have a fine tip for delicate linework, and a larger, 'medium' tip for fills and possibly thicker lineweights. I was excited to give it a try, and the Mitsuo Aida did not disappoint.
At $4.45, the Mitsuo Aida is a little more expensive than most fude pens available on Jetpens, but it definitely has a lot to offer the comic artist.
The Mitsuo Aida double sided pen features a poem by the poet and calligrapher, Mitsuo Aida. It comes in four different body colors, although the ink in all is black. According to Jetpens, it's waterproof when completely dry, a feature I'll have to test out with my watercolors soon. I'll probably edit this post with the results, so consider bookmarking it and revisiting in a couple weeks!
The package is written entirely in Japanese, so I had to rely on Jetpens for information regarding this interesting pen. I tried to get some close up photos though, in case any of my readers are fluent and would like to translate this for themselves. If you'd like to share your translation, feel free to leave it in the comments, and I'll add it to this post (with credit to you, of course).
The barrel of the Mitsuo Aida is a little thicker than the Kuretake Fudegokochi, but doesn't feel awkward or ungainly in my hand.
Unlike later double sided fude pens I've tested, the caps can post on either end of the pen. According to Jetpens, the tips are 'fine' and 'medium', but to me, it feels more like a 'medium' and a 'large'. The smaller tip has a lot of give, and is a lot of fun to ink with. The larger tip is a lot like Copic's large brush multiliner, and is capable of pulling very fine lines if you have a delicate hand.
The caps post to each other, insuring you don't lose a cap while you ink.
Below is a sketch I inked with the Mitsuo Aida. This pen is a lot of fun to ink with, and is quite capable all on its own. I've added this versatile pen to my every day carry.
I taped down my little piece of watercolor, and applied a wash of just water to see if the Mitsuo Aida would run. As you can see, the ink stayed fast.
At $4.45, the Mitsuo Aida is a little more expensive than most fude pens available on Jetpens, but it definitely has a lot to offer the comic artist.
The Mitsuo Aida double sided pen features a poem by the poet and calligrapher, Mitsuo Aida. It comes in four different body colors, although the ink in all is black. According to Jetpens, it's waterproof when completely dry, a feature I'll have to test out with my watercolors soon. I'll probably edit this post with the results, so consider bookmarking it and revisiting in a couple weeks!
The package is written entirely in Japanese, so I had to rely on Jetpens for information regarding this interesting pen. I tried to get some close up photos though, in case any of my readers are fluent and would like to translate this for themselves. If you'd like to share your translation, feel free to leave it in the comments, and I'll add it to this post (with credit to you, of course).
The barrel of the Mitsuo Aida is a little thicker than the Kuretake Fudegokochi, but doesn't feel awkward or ungainly in my hand.
Unlike later double sided fude pens I've tested, the caps can post on either end of the pen. According to Jetpens, the tips are 'fine' and 'medium', but to me, it feels more like a 'medium' and a 'large'. The smaller tip has a lot of give, and is a lot of fun to ink with. The larger tip is a lot like Copic's large brush multiliner, and is capable of pulling very fine lines if you have a delicate hand.
The caps post to each other, insuring you don't lose a cap while you ink.
Below is a sketch I inked with the Mitsuo Aida. This pen is a lot of fun to ink with, and is quite capable all on its own. I've added this versatile pen to my every day carry.
If you're looking for an all-in-one brush pen or fude pen for your on the go sketching, the Mitsuo Aida is a strong choice for your everyday carry.
Watercolor Field Test
The evening I wrote this post, I sketched up a little doodle of Kara on watercolor paper. I inked it, let it dry overnight, and erased the graphite pencil using a Mono eraser. Inking on watercolor paper DID remove some of the ink, but that's to be expected given the nature of inking on watercolor paper. The resulting lineart is no more faded than a lineart inked with a brush and India ink would be after erasing.
The Mitsuo Aida handles just fine on watercolor paper, and there wasn't any spidering or feathering of lines.
I taped down my little piece of watercolor, and applied a wash of just water to see if the Mitsuo Aida would run. As you can see, the ink stayed fast.
And here's the finished piece. As yall can see, Mitsuo Aida fude pens are indeed waterproof, making them fantastic for inking sketches intended for watercolor.
My verdict? I love this pen! Especially now that I know I can use it with watercolors, I love it even more. I'm so excited to really get to play around with these when things start winding down over here.
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