What Pen Is This Guide

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“WHAT PEN IS THIS” MODERN CALLIGRAPHY & LETTERING SUPPLIES GUIDE WHAT PEN IS THIS?!

DISCLAIMER

Clickable links within this guide may be a liate links where appropriate. This means that your purchase through direct links in this guide may result in a few cents in payment to me, to support creating further resources like this one! Thank you!

That being said, I will never suggest supplies that I do not personally use and fully recommend.

Using the proper types of paper will ensure a longer life for your pens. If you choose the wrong types, you may end up quickly fraying or drying out your pens- which means more $$ spent on new ones!

In the simplest terms, you’ll want to look for the smoothest paper possible, and with as little “tooth” as you can get. “Tooth” essentially means grittiness- so you know those pretty scrapbook papers you can ﬁnd, or those textured cardstocks? Yeah- those won’t be nice to your pens. Try to always run your hands across the paper you’re choosing and make sure it is nice and smooth.

Over time, you’ll get a feel for which paper will work well, and which won’t.

Let’s take a look at some best recommendations for paper.

These are the paper types I use most often. Read more about each one in the following pages!

RHODIA PADS USE WITH: These come in three types- graph, dot and plain. They are all great, but my favourite is deﬁnitely the BRUSH POINTED DRAWING WATER- dot pad. It’s still got the guidelines, PENS PENS PENS COLOUR but they’re faint so it looks a little prettier to practice on. These also come in tons of different sizes- that part is entirely personal preference.

HP LASERJET 32# USE WITH: Generally, printer paper isn’t great for use with brush pens or pointed pens. However, some laser printer BRUSH POINTED DRAWING WATER- papers tend to be very smooth and PENS PENS PENS COLOUR work well. HP 32# paper is one of those- the package may look different, but just check for the 32# on the front.

TOMOE RIVER USE WITH: Let me be honest: I have never personally tried Tomoe River paper. However, I have seen it highly rated BRUSH POINTED DRAWING WATER- and recommended by other PENS PENS PENS COLOUR credible calligraphy resources, so I have listed it here.

FABRIANO PADS USE WITH: Fabriano is one of the notebooks I use for my doodle journaling. I like that it comes in fun colours, BRUSH POINTED DRAWING WATER- different sizes, and also has the dot PENS PENS PENS COLOUR pad versions. That said, it’s not quite as smooth as Rhodia so using it with pointed pens is di cult.

MOLESKINE USE WITH: Moleskine is a great option for a bunch of different uses- they make all sorts of shapes & sizes of note- BRUSH POINTED DRAWING WATER- books, and they also make them PENS PENS PENS COLOUR with different types of paper. So just make sure you choose the one you need (ie. don’t use the watercolour one on your brush pens!)

WHITELINES USE WITH: Whitelines is another paper I have personally never used, but I’ve heard great things. The lines on BRUSH POINTED DRAWING WATER- these pages are white (duh), so PENS PENS PENS COLOUR theyre not distracting with your work on top!

STRATHMORE TRACING USE WITH: Tracing paper is great for practice with brush pens or drawing pens. It doesn’t suck as much ink out of BRUSH POINTED DRAWING WATER- your pens as regular paper would, PENS PENS PENS COLOUR and you can also use it to trace (uhh, duh) overtop of things you want to practice more! Strathmore is one of my go-to’s.

STAEDTLER VELLUM USE WITH: Vellum is like a thicker, smoother version of tracing paper. It’s still translucent so you can trace with it, BRUSH POINTED DRAWING WATER- but since it’s thicker and smoother, PENS PENS PENS COLOUR you can also use it for pointed pens! It’s a bit more expensive than tracing paper. Staedtler has a great option that is cost effective.

STRATHMORE BRISTOL USE WITH: This is the thick, smooth white paper I use for my ﬁnished lettering pieces.

It is nice and thick quality, but BRUSH POINTED DRAWING WATER- smooth and easy on brush pens or PENS PENS PENS COLOUR pointed pens.

ARCHES COLD PRESS USE WITH: Arches is a very high quality, thick, heavy watercolour paper. The cold pressed version is rough to the BRUSH POINTED DRAWING WATER- touch, which is wonderful for wa- PENS PENS PENS COLOUR tercolour effects. However, it can be really tough on your pens. Use it carefully with those!

ARCHES HOT PRESS USE WITH: Arches hot pressed paper is smoother than cold pressed. It’s a better option if you’re looking to use BRUSH POINTED DRAWING WATER- more brush pens on it, or if you like PENS PENS PENS COLOUR the different effect it can make with your watercolours. The bleeds will be a little different, but it is deﬁnite- ly easier on your brush pens.

ARCHES ROUGH USE WITH: Arches rough paper is very, very toothy (ie. textured & rough). I would not suggest using your pens BRUSH POINTED DRAWING WATER- on this paper at all, but it can have PENS PENS PENS COLOUR an amazing effect on your watercolours if you want to use it!

Arches paper is also sold as a “block” instead of in sheets, so that you can paint liberally on the sheet without it warping due to water! Then, when its dry, you peel it off the block. These are a bit more pricey, but deﬁnitely worth it if you have that issue!

STRATHMORE COLD USE WITH: Strathmore is my go-to watercolour paper for practice, because it is still decent quality but it isn’t as BRUSH POINTED DRAWING WATER- expensive as Arches. Since it’s cold PENS PENS PENS COLOUR pressed, again, it’s not great for your brush pens. Be careful with it!

FABRIANO COLD PRESS USE WITH: Fabriano cold press paper is another option for more cost-effective practice, but you can deﬁnitely tell BRUSH POINTED DRAWING WATER- the difference between it and the PENS PENS PENS COLOUR more expensive papers. It’s a little bit less toothy than other cold pressed papers, and the paper itself is a bit less thick.

FABRIANO HOT PRESS USE WITH: Same comments apply to this one as with the Fabriano cold pressed papers, except that since it’s hot BRUSH POINTED DRAWING WATER- pressed it is smoother. Better for PENS PENS PENS COLOUR your brush pens, but not necesarily as good for your watercolours.

Brush pens are ﬂexible-tipped pens that you can use to create the thicks/thins in modern calligraphy. These days, there are SO MANY brush pens to choose from that it can be very overwhelming to choose one that is right for you.

In this section, we’ll separate the groups of brush pens by size- large and small. When we talk about the different size of brush pen, we’re talking about the actual size of the TIP.

You’ll often ﬁnd brush lettering/calligraphy worksheets that specify which size brush pen they should be used with. This is because there is such a huge variation in the size of the tips of some brush pens- and using a large tipped brush pen on worksheets scaled for small pens will be tough, and vice versa. Knowing the difference is key!

Generally speaking, smaller tipped brush pens are also easiest for beginners- though, there are always exceptions! The brush pens you choose will always come down to personal preference. It’s really a process of testing different ones and ﬁnding your favourites.

Let’s take a look at some best recommendations for small and large sized brush pens.

These are the brush pens I use most often. Read more about each one in the following pages!

TOMBOW FUDENOSUKE Available in hard tip, soft tip & dual tip.

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

KURETAKE FUDEGOKOCHI Available in regular, ﬁne & extra ﬁne sizes

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

ZEBRA MISC. FUDES Available in medium, ﬁne & extra ﬁne sizes

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

ZEBRA FUNWARI Similar size brush tip to Tombow hard tip

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

PILOT FUDE MAKASE Similar size brush tip to Zebra extra ﬁne

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

PENTEL SIGN BRUSH PEN Slightly more ﬂexible than Tombow Fudenosuke

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

KURETAKE BIMOJI Available in broad, medium, ﬁne and extra ﬁne

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

KURETAKE ZIG MANGAKA Available in ﬁne & medium. Beautiful dark black.

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

ZIG COCOIRO Great for suuuuuper tiny writing!

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

TOMBOW DUAL BRUSH Many colour options, great for blending & large lettering

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

KOI WATERCOLOR BRUSH PENS Many colour options, slightly smaller/stiffer than Tombow

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

ARTISTS LOFT DUAL TIP Very similar to Tombow, but slightly less expensive

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

ARTLINE STIX Stiffer tip than most large brush pens, great for ombre

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

ECOLINE BRUSH Very juicy, ﬂexible tips. Great for dipping into liquid watercolour

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

SHARPIE STAINED Intended for fabric, but fantastic on paper as well!

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

EDDING COLORPEN BRUSH Nice colour selection, slightly smaller than Tombow COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

KURETAKE FUDEBIYORI METALLICS Amaaaaazing metallic colours & durable tip

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

JANE DAVENPORT MERMAID Fun for pre-loaded liquid watercolour- dicult to use

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

PENTEL COLOR BRUSH Difficult bristle tip to maneuver, great pigment COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

ZIG CLEANCOLOR Beautiful colours, difficult bristle tip to maneuver COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

FABER CASTELL PITT Huge colour selection, but fray very quickly

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

MARVY COLOR IN Affordable, fun colours, fairly ﬂexible tip

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

PENTEL POCKET BRUSH Great dark black pigment, dicult bristle tip to use

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

MICRON BRUSH Really great archival pigmented ink, very ﬂexible

COLOUR OPTIONS? YES / NO

In this section, we’ll be looking at various drawing materials outside of brush pens- so pens & pencils that do not have ﬂexible tips.

This category will include some the best tools for sketching, embellishing or detailing your work.

Let’s take a look at some best recommendations for drawing tools.

These are the drawing tools I use most often. Read more about each one in the following pages!

PALOMINO BLACKWING PENCIL There are multiple types of Blackwing pencil, all with slightly different lead types. I love them all. The erasers are also replaceable, which is great.

STAEDTLER MARS LUMOGRAPH I keep a set of Mars Lumograph pencils around so that I have all of the different leads I might be looking for at any given time.

STAEDTLER MARS TECHNICAL PENCIL I have loved this mechanical pencil since I used it for hand drafting in university. It is a little different than most mechanical pencils and requires it’s own specialized sharpener and tubes of lead- but I love the weight of it and the way it ﬁts my hand.

TOMBOW MONO SAND ERASER This eraser saves my life frequently. The texture of this eraser is gritty so it can erase ink! It even erases ink from pointed pen. It is pure magic.

TOMBOW DUST CATCH ERASER Don’t misunderstand this eraser- it still creates some pieces of rubber “dust” as you use it, but they just clump together so much nicer than most other erasers and make less mess.

PIGMA MICRON PEN Micron pens are my absolute go-to pens for drawing. They are archival quality ink which means not only that they’re super pigmented and dark, but they don’t fade over time and you can also use them overtop or underneath water (within reason).

TOMBOW MONO DRAWING PEN Tombow also makes a great, simple drawing pen in 3 different sizes. They’re great for miscellaneous doodles and use in my sketchbook.

TOMBOW TWINTONE MARKERS I don’t generally use a ton of colour in my doodles or for my journal, but I do love the pastel version of these twintone markers by Tombow when I do! They have a thicker side and a thinner side which is great, too.

STAEDTLER TRIPLUS FINELINER These ﬁneliners are also great for doodling and adding pops of colour- though I don’t use much colour in my work, I do use these in my planner!

SHARPIE Sharpie is still my go-to for permanent marker, on surfaces that won’t bleed. I rarely use them on paper, but I use them tons on surfaces like wood hangers, for example.

UNIBALL SIGNO WHITE Uniball Signo is my faaaavourite white gel pen. It is far more opaque than most, and doesn’t bleed into other inks so you can use it overtop of things.

SAKURA GELLYROLL The Gellyroll is similar to the Signo, except a little less opaque and thick. It comes in multiple sizes, and one of them is quite ﬁne and great for use on delicate areas.

UNI POSCA ULTRA FINE This is a paint pen so it can be a little thick/wet for paper sometimes, but the “ultra ﬁne” size is FANTASTIC for adding little white embellisments on lettering.

The paintbrushes section refers not only to simple paintbrushes, but also waterbrushes- which you can ﬁll with water or liquid paint!

Many of these brushes are commonly associated with painting, but they can also be used for lettering & calligraphy and are becoming more and more popular.

They can be a little bit tougher to use as a beginner, however. Depending on your own goals, you may want to start by using brush pens before jumping to paintbrushes for your work.

Let’s take a look at some best recommendations for paintbrushes.

These are the paintbrushes I use most often. Learn more about each one in the following pages!

PENTEL AQUASH These brushes have a screw off top so you can pre-ﬁll them with water (or ink, or liquid watercolour!) . They come in a few different sizes.

KOI WATERBRUSH The Koi version of the waterbrush comes in multiple sizes as well, and I find their extra fine version is the smallest I can find- I love it!

PRINCETON SNAP! BRUSH These brushes are on the cheap end but they are my absolute favourite- they hold their shape really well and come in tons of different sizes that are great for lettering.

GRUMBACHER GOLDENEDGE These brushes are slightly more expensive but are also a great option similar to the above.

WINSOR NEWTON COTMAN I ﬁnd these brushes are a little rougher, so they’re sometimes great for pieces where you want to include some texture!

Pointed pen is the use of a nib & ink for your calligraphy or lettering. It can be a little bit daunting to understand the tools required and how to use them, but it can have one of the most beautiful outcomes!

For pointed pen you need a few different supplies- speciﬁcally nibs, holders, and inks.

There are tons of different supplies that can be used for pointed pen, but in this guide we will explore some of the most popular for beginners.

If you’re interested in getting started with pointed pen calligraphy and need a few pointers to start out, this video might be helpful:

HOW TO SET UP A POINTED PEN

Let’s take a look at some best recommendations for pointed pen beginners.

These are the pointed pen I use most often. Learn more about each one in the following pages!

STRAIGHT OR OBLIQUE? WHICH IS BEST FOR YOU? It’s entirely personal preference. The oblique holder takes some getting used to, so picking up a straight holder will tend to be a little easier right off the bat. But if you are attempting a style that requires you to write on a speciﬁc angle (ie. Copperplate at 55 degrees), you may ﬁnd the oblique helps you correct that automatically. With straight holders, you may need to turn your page instead.

SPEEDBALL STRAIGHT HOLDER BUDGET LEVEL

SPEEDBALL OBLIQUE HOLDER BUDGET LEVEL

TACHIKAWA STRAIGHT HOLDER BUDGET LEVEL

GENERALS CORK HOLDER BUDGET LEVEL

LUIS CREATIONS MOBLIQUE BUDGET LEVEL

ZILLER WOOD OBLIQUE BUDGET LEVEL

LAURA HOOPER OBLIQUE BUDGET LEVEL

ASH BUSH HOLDERS BUDGET LEVEL

TOMS STUDIO OBLIQUES BUDGET LEVEL

Remember: for modern calligraphy, you want ﬂexible tipped tools.

The nibs you choose should be POINTED- not broad edged or chiseled as you often ﬁnd in older calligraphy kits.

ZEBRA/NIKKO/TACHIKAWA ‘G’ Best beginner nib. Sturdy but ﬂexible enough!

BEGINNER FRIENDLINESS

HUNT 512 Another great beginner nib. Not quite as ﬁne.

BEGINNER FRIENDLINESS

BRAUSE 351 “BLUE PUMPKIN” NIce ﬁne lines, but can be pretty ﬁnicky.

BEGINNER FRIENDLINESS

HUNT 101 Can create VERY thick lines- sucks a lot of ink!

BEGINNER FRIENDLINESS

HUNT 22B Great all round nib- beautiful hairlines!

BEGINNER FRIENDLINESS

BRAUSE EF 66 Great for very small script.

BEGINNER FRIENDLINESS

KURETAKE SUMI INK Sumi ink is my favourite for pointed pen. It can be diluted with water for whatever consistency you like, and it has a beautiful matte ﬁnish when it dries.

WINSOR NEWTON INDIA INK India ink is similar to sumi ink in its ease-of-use, but can gum up your nib a little quicker and will require more rinsing. It dries shinier than sumi ink, so it can be used for different applications.

MISC OTHER INK OPTIONS The inks below are readily available at most art stores, and they are OK options- but not ideal. I suggest staying away from these if it’s possible- they may give you headaches!

W&N DRAWING INKS SPEEDBALL INK HIGGINS ETERNAL

LOOKING FOR A SPECIFIC COLOUR OF INK? YOU SHOULD MIX YOUR OWN!

(PREFERABLY DISTILLED) (YOUR COLOUR OF CHOICE) (A LIIIIIITTLE BIT OF) WATER GOUACHE PAINT GUM ARABIC

Watercolour paint is becoming more and more popular for use in lettering & calligraphy. Using watercolour paint or liquid watercolours with a paintbrush or waterbrush (see the earlier section on this!) allows you to create some fun techniques (like blending!) that you couldn't easily achieve using brush pens.

Generally speaking, the higher quality (read: more expensive) watercolour paints will be easiest to use and give you the best results.

There are many, many types of watercolour paint and liquid waterco- HIGGINS ETERNAL lours. For the purposes of this supplies guide, we’ll be exploring those that are tried & tested for techniques speciﬁcally related to lettering & calligraphy.

Let’s take a look at some best recommendations for watercolour paints & liquid watercolours.

These are the watercolours & paints I use most often. Learn more about each one in the following pages!

WINSOR & NEWTON PROFESSIONAL My favourite w/c paints. Amazing colours & quality.

BUDGET LEVEL QUALITY:

WINSOR & NEWTON COTMAN Very similar to above, but slightly cheaper grade.

BUDGET LEVEL QUALITY:

WINSOR & NEWTON COTMAN PAN SET Same cotman paints, but in a dried pan set.

BUDGET LEVEL QUALITY:

ARTISTS LOFT WATERCOLOR PAN Fine for playing around, but very chalky colours.

BUDGET LEVEL QUALITY:

SEE A FUN LESSON ON HOW TO USE LIQUID WATERCOLOURS... www.thehappyevercrafter.com/liss-letters

ARTISTS LOFT LIQUID WATERCOLOR Limited colour choices, but fun for playing around.

BUDGET LEVEL QUALITY:

ECOLINE LIQUID WATERCOLOR Amazing vibrant colours, great quality for price.

BUDGET LEVEL QUALITY:

DR. PH MARTIN’S RADIANT CONCENTRATED WATERCOLOR Beautiful (& huge) selection of colours, super bright!

BUDGET LEVEL QUALITY:

***Dr.PH Martin also makes other inks and watercolours that look similar- “hydrus” and “bombay”. Both are also great, but these radiant watercolors are by far the most beautiful colors!

DR. PH MARTIN’S BLEEDPROOF WHITE Bleedproof white has tons of different uses and it is a *must have* in my toolbox! It can be mixed with water and used as a white paint, or you can mix it with even more water to create white pointed pen ink. It is the most opaque white you will ﬁnd!

FINETEC GOLD/PEARL PALLETTES Finetec is a great metallic pan set. It works much better than attempting pre-made metallic inks for pointed pen, or it can be used directly as a metallic paint as well! Simply mix with water when you need it.

PEARLEX METALLIC PIGMENT POWDERS Pearlex is a line of powders that you can mix into paint or inks to add metallic shimmer & colour! It comes in a ton of different metallic colours. It requires a bit of practice to get the right consistency.

WINSOR NEWTON IRIDESCENT MEDIUM Iridescent medium is a shimmery medium that can be mixed directly into paint or ink, or added on top of a ﬁnished piece afterward. It gives it a shiny, metallic look that is a bit more subtle.

Let’s take a look at some best recommendations for paint and chalk pens.

These are the paint & chalk pens I use most often. Learn more about each one in the following pages!

SHARPIE OIL-BASED REMOVE WITH: