You may wonder when black drawing inks were invented.  No one really knows for certain but experts generally agree it was more than four thousand years ago and may have been in both China and Egypt at around the same time.

What is ink?  It is extremely fine carbon particles in a solution of water and a binder, usually sold in bottles with eyedropper caps with narrow necks that allow you to fill a pen without spillage.

You can buy colored inks, but you must realize many are made with non-permanent dyes.  Be sure to read the labels so you know what you are buying.

What type of pen should I use?  From the 7th century to the middle of the 19th century writing and drawing was undertaken with the quill pen.  The instrument was replaced by the steel nib pen when a patent was given out to John Mitchell in 1820.  Some artists still use the feather quill pen because of its expressive properties.

Assuming you do not wish to use the quill pen, you still have options.  One of the most popular for artists today is the technical pen.  There are basically three types of technical pens; refillable; disposable; and disposable ink cartridge.

Refillable:  Plastic cartridges come with this and you fill it with your choice of ink.  An example of this is the Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph.

Disposable: Comes with a built in ink supply.  When it runs out, you throw it away.

Disposable Ink Cartridge:  Designed mostly for drafting.  Instead of filling cartridges you buy them already filled and discard them when used.

Other types of pens:  Artist use all types of pens other than technical pens:  Reeds; dip pens, ballpoint pens; felt tip pens; and various markers.

Although I own a set of Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph, the pen of my choice is the steel nib dip pen.  I know you have to be careful of dropping a blob of ink on your drawing, but somehow that is what makes it so exciting.