I love blending colors and today lets talk about the pro and cons of a Blender Pen vs Water Brush.
You can see the blender pen in action in my How To Blend Markers 6 Ways Including Ziploc Hack post and also under stand the basics of a water brush in my How to Use a Water Brush for Watercolor post. Today let’s compare them side by side.
Blender Pen vs Water Brush


Blender Pen
- The Blender Pen has a brush pen tip and a marker tip.
- The Blender Pen is not refillable and comes with water-based colorless ink in it.
- Upon usage, the brush tip will retain color and needs to clean by scribbling off onto a waste paper
- The finished artwork will look like a marker on paper
- Multiple back and forth required to blend colors properly
- Blends color streakily
- Paper will pill if you use the blender pen on the paper too much
Water Brush
- Paper will not pill, but could warp and bend if you use the water brush too much
- The Water Brush tip has bristles move just like a paintbrush
- The Water Brush comes with a removable barrel that you need to fill with water.
- Upon usage, the bristles will need to be washed- you can either wipe onto a paper or rinse underwater.
- The finished artwork will have a watercolor look and feel
- Easier and quicker to blend colors with
- Blends colors evenly
Watch my IGTV video: Blender pen vs Water Brush 💦
When should you use the Blender Pen?
ALSO READ: Brush Pen Drawing: FLORAL FRAME TUTORIAL
You want to reach for the Blender pen when your illustration needs to have a Marker art feel to it. Your Blender Pen art might have color variations and nuances but the lines will remain crisp. In the end, it will look like a marker on paper.
When should you use the Water Brush?
You want to reach for the Water Brush when you are painting to create a watercolor look. The colors will get super watery, move and mix to create that airy watercolor feel. Your Water Brush art will dry and look like watercolor on paper.
Conclusion: blender pen vs water brush
In conclusion, while comparing a blender pen vs water brush keep in mind that the blender pen is quicker to use, need no drying time and gives a marker art feel. Whereas, the water brush blends colors better, gives a beautiful watercolor look but needs a good amount of drying time.

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