Very smooth, i definitely recommend these if you enjoy milky pens with high pigmentation. I definitely also recommend color swqtching bc the colors are just a tad bit off to the cap color. I would also recommend the company to include swatching sheets with each pen set! Layering can work in some ways, but you may have to wait for it to dry fully! All in all, 9.5/10 for these gel pens the only thing was the way that abducted those 0.5 points, but its not anyones problem nor the manufacturers fault! Love these pens! I recommend these to any artist, beginner, intermediate, or a master. Great if u wanna try a new medium! :)