The best nib for drawing manga is the Zebra G Nib. This nib flexes with pressure to create dynamic line variation. Zebra’s G nib is even a little more flexible than other G nibs. Beginners may find it too lively to control easily, but it will reward hard work and practice.

Most other types of nibs are stiffer and more predictable; read our guide to The Best Nibs for Drawing Manga for other recommendations.

We recommend the classic Tachikawa Model 40 Comic Pen Nib Holder for drawing manga. It features double rubber rings that can hold both standard nibs and small circular quill nibs. They also aren’t at risk of rusting like nib holders with metal rings. Its wide rubber grip is comfortable to hold. It comes with a cap that’s large enough to go over most nibs so you can travel with your pen—or protect your fingers from accidental pokes.

Our Beginner’s Guide to Nibs and Nib Holders gives a comprehensive overview of alternatives.

We have so many great drawing inks, we didn’t want to limit ourselves to just one recommendation! Both Deleter Black 4 Manga Ink and Kuretake ZIG Cartoonist Super Black Ink 60 are ultra-dark and resistant to both water and alcohol-based markers.

Speedball Super Black India Ink is equally resistant and dries quickly; it has a little bit of that classic India ink smell, but it’s a great beginner ink.

Our guide to The Best Drawing Inks provides plenty of more recommendations and ink test results.

Using smooth paper is crucial to keep your nib moving fluidly across the page. Your paper should also resist feathering (when ink wicks along absorbent paper fibers and looks fuzzy) and bleeding (ink leaking through to the back of the page). Choosing tight-grained paper, where the fibers are short, uniform, and densely woven, prevents these issues.

High-quality Deleter Comic Paper comes in multiple sizes and even offers some sheets with helpful organizational layout tools in the margins. Please note that it's optimized for viscous dip pen inks; watery fountain pen inks will feather.

Nibs often come with a coating from the manufacturer to protect them before they’re used. The coating must be removed because it prevents ink from clinging to the nib properly.

Clean the nib with acetone, rubbing alcohol, or a nib cleaning solution to get the coating off before using it. You can use a cotton swab or soft toothbrush to rub both sides of the nib with your preferred cleaner.

Installation differs slightly between standard nibs, which have larger bases, and quill nibs, which typically have small, circular bases.

For standard nibs, take the base of the nib and gently push it into the outer ring of the nib holder. This ring should have a diameter of about 1/4” or 6 mm. The fit may be tight depending on the nib holder and nib combination, but it should never be loose or wiggle in the holder.

When using a quill nib like the Tachikawa Mapping Nib or Speedball Hunt 102 Crow Quill Nib, insert the circular base of the nib into the nib holder. The smaller ring in the nib holder has a diameter of about 1/8” or 3 mm.

• Submerge most of the nib into the ink, but make sure to not dip any part of the nib holder into the ink.
• Wipe off the excess ink by scraping the nib against the lip of the bottle.
• Do some practice strokes on scratch paper before you start drawing to make sure the ink produces even lines without blobs or skipping.
• Allow ink to dry before going over it again. Drawing over wet ink may ruin the paper by weakening and tearing damp fibers.

• Hold the nib holder as you would a pen. The convex side of the nib should face up and the concave side should always face down.
• Keep your hand relaxed and move your whole arm as you draw.
• Always pull the nib towards your dominant hand. You can also pull the nib sideways. Never push—the nib will catch on the paper and splatter ink. It can even break.
• Start drawing from the left (or non-dominant) side of the paper and move downwards to avoid accidental smudging.
• Round objects should be created in two or more strokes to prevent pushing the nib upwards.

Apply various kinds of strokes to indicate texture. For example, short, choppy strokes can be used to create density that looks like fur, while long strokes can be used for smooth objects such as hair. Refer to the “Practicing Strokes” section below to see all the tones and textures you can use.

Use different line weights to create emphasis in your artwork. Thick lines are best for outlines while fine lines are good for details. Varying line widths also conveys movement and depth.

There are a variety of techniques you can employ for shading. Hatching and stippling are the most common, but other textures and tones produce different effects. When filling in large areas, choose a brush pen rather than a nib to save time.