For those who’ve done such things - what sort of pens would one want to get if one were to want to draw on a person? So as to create freeheand, temporary tattoos. Ideally, ones that will linger a while and fade rather than smear.
I drew some neat designs on myself with fine-line marking pens once. I used several different colors, and the results were very attractive. Most of the ink came off with a good scrubbing in the shower, but the blue-toned inks were a bit tenacious. It was a week or so before every trace of my artwork was gone.
Ask your local art supply store? They might have a good idea of what pens are the most indelible.
Or experiment with the nearest Sharpie to see how long it lasts – they make extra fine ones these days, don’t they?
As the mother of two small artistically-inclined children, I can verify the Sharpie ink lingers for a while, but not indefinitely. And, yes, they do make fine point versions.
I’ve always used regular BIC pens.
Hmmmm. I was hoping for more definitive input… blast.
Sharpee markers, available at most drug stores - One of my artist friends temporarily tatooed me with a black one. They didn’t smear, and eventually came off (I scrubbed a lot - the would fade gradually if left alone). They come in some different colors, and a few different sizes as well.
So, ordinary, mundane Sharpee permanent markers.
Seems simple enough… that’s what I use for labelling DVDs, too…
Yup! Looked pretty real, too. It’s what happens when I get drunk at karaoke bars and one of my friends happens to have a sharpee on hand. 
While I’ve never used them, I’ve seen lots of henna tattoo kits. Most of the descriptions I’ve seen say that they last for several weeks. I’ve seen them is several food co-ops.
This may be a mistaken impression, but doesn’t henna only come in the one color?
Yes.
You can try a thin VBall pen. This may take some experimentation, though.
VBall? Vat is zis Vball of vich you spek?
It’s an ordinary pen. The only reason I even suggest it is, I have written on people (for fun) with it. It doesn’t seem to smudge if you give it time to dry, and it lasts for a few days.
Look in any office supply catalog. Mine are made by Pilot.
Just a ballpoint pen, then? Whence ‘VBall’?
I think it comes in basically brown and black (might be wrong), but it’s much harder to use than a pen. I had a kit awhile ago, and while I got it to work ok, the henna was hard to handle. The one I had came with little plastic bags to squeeze the henna out of, kind of like decorating a cake. It takes a steady hand and more practice to use than a marker or pen does.
Sharpies color very well on skin, and if necessary will come off with makeup remover.
VBall is a particular type of semi-soft tip pen. It’s very special. Seriously, I don’t know what it means, but it works.
As for henna, you can also do it with a toothpick, but it takes a *lot * of time and care. It comes in red & black, not brown, unless you don’t leave it on long enough, then it’s sort of orangey. Henna has the HUGE disadvantage (IMO) of making you sit there for as long as you possibly can to let the color sink into your skin. You are at an inherent disadvantage, if like me, your skin is already brown. It looks gorgeous on white skin, though, but it’s not really for guys.
Then again, I’m sure you’d *prefer * to be drawing on females.
The problem with Sharpies is two-fold. They ain’t cheap. And it’s hard to find a fine-point Sharpie, and do you want big fat lines?
Pfft. Any excuse to buy office supplies is a good one - fine-point permanent markers aren’t that expensive or hard to find.
Sharpies work extremely well, and fade, not smear. They also come in a variety of colors, though I’m not certain how healthy they are for skin.