My favorite Markers for visual notes

Visual notes help a listener remember what a speaker says and also seem to help an audience track the flow of a presentation (more on this in an online workshop I am developing now).  Drawing visual notes is a first step to developing a visual practice.  When people see me work live, they often ask what materials I use for visual note-taking and graphic facilitation.  This is a quick resource for people getting started with visual notes.

I love taking visual notes in a sketchbook or journal while I watch TED talks online, listen to live lectures, or have coffee with friends.  I typically write text and draw doodles in black marker and then add splashes of color here and there.  My style and materials are constantly evolving as I gain practice and learn what works, but this is what I am doing now.

Black outlines. I go back and forth between several black markers. I haven't found the best ink-nib combination, so I oscillate among four types of markers.

• My favorite black marker for sketch notes is the Marvy Memories Artist Pigmented Marker (bullet nib) by Uchida.  You can find it at Michaels stores or order it directly from Uchida.  It also comes in a calligraphy nib.  The Zig Memory System Writer is similar.  Both are pigment-based markers with different size nibs on either end.  These markers don't smear when I color over them with water-based ink.  However, the nibs get flat spots and dry out even before the marker is out of ink.
• My second favorite is the Neuland Outliner.  I love the Outliner ink.  I don't love the 1.0 mm nib on the small Outliner marker.  So I sometimes get empty markers (0.8 mm nib) and fill them with Outliner ink.  The Outliner ink also sometimes dries out and gets flat spots on the nibs.
• Sharpies work well (last a long time, don't get flat spots, and don't smear) but I think they are too toxic to use in public or anywhere except outdoors. 

Colorful markers.  I have two types of markers that I like for coloring my personal visual notes. I used to use a fine nib (~0.5 mm Triplus Fineliner pens from Staedler) to draw colorful sketches alongside my written notes, but my style has changed over the years. I usually color and add shadows with a brush nib marker because it allows me to quickly add a lot of color.

• My current favorite sketch note pens are Tombow Dual Brush pens.  They have a brush nib on one end and a bullet nib on the other.  I have a big pen case full of these markers, but really only use a few regularly.  I suggest you get a good gray for shadows (I like N55) and a few other colors for highlights. 
• My other favorite coloring markers for coloring are Neuland FineOnes with a brush nib.  I like that they are refillable, but I'm not handy with a brush tip, so they don't give me the option of sometimes drawing or writing with the other end of the marker.  I use gray, turquoise, orange, and lime green the most.  I mixed a few shades of beige and brown for people, but Neuland has just come out with a FRIENDS line of people tones.