Supplies for the Faux Calligraphy & Brush Lettering Beginner
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You’ve seen all the fancy lettering videos and photos on Instagram, and now you are ready to try it out for yourself? You’ve come to the right place!
Today, I am going to go over some of my favorite supplies for both faux calligraphy and brush lettering. No matter which route you decide to take in the modern calligraphy world, the supplies that I use are definitely going to get you excited to jump into the world of lettering.
Faux Calligraphy
Since faux calligraphy actually focuses on drawing the letters to make them look like classic calligraphy, you can use any pencil or pen that you have in your home to get started. But if you really want to know what I use almost on a daily basis, here are my faves:
Tombow Mono Drafting Pencil in HB
When you start lettering for the first time, it is always best to sketch your letters out first with a pencil. Any #2 (HB) pencil works just fine. I just happen to use this Tombow pencil quite often so it has quickly been the one I grab first when I am sketching.
This was the very first pen that I used when I was learning how to do faux calligraphy. Since it has a medium sized felt tip, you can create bigger letters and prevent any smudges from you hand running across it.
Sakura Pigma Micron Pens, Black Ink, Sizes 03 & 05
There really is nothing like Pigma Microns and if I had to take one set of pens on a desert island somewhere, these would be them. Trust me, y’all. I never go anywhere without some in my purse. You’re gonna love them.
They are smudge-proof & waterproof and contain archival ink, which means your lettering or drawing will last for YEARS to come without any fading. AND if you use them to letter within your bible, you will be pleased to know that they do not bleed through those very thin pages!
The Complete Book of Chalk Lettering by Valerie McKeehan
Okay, I know what you are thinking. Why would I get a book on chalk lettering if I am wanting to learn about faux calligraphy?
Well for starters, faux calligraphy can be used everywhere! Paper, windows, leather jackets, and, yes, even chalkboards. And Valerie’s book is beautifully illustrated to show you a BUNCH of different lettering styles that you can incorporate into your faux calligraphy. It’s absolutely amazing, y’all. After 4 years of doing modern calligraphy, I still come back to this one to challenge my style of lettering.
Brush Lettering
Brush lettering is a modern calligraphy practice where you use brush pens to create a variety of strokes to compose letters and words. Here are my “go to” brush lettering supplies.
Oh my word. It is literally impossible for you to enter the brush lettering world without hearing about theses luscious pens! And because of that, they were the very first brush pens that I had ever purchased when I wanted to dip my toes into the pool of brush lettering. Each brush pen is dual ended with a brush tip on one end and a fine tip on the other. They also come in so many different colors (108 shades)! The Tombow Dual Brush Pens are also water-based and blendable, which makes they absolutely the pens to turn to if you want to create watercolor brush lettering effects.
Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens: Soft Tip (Black Barrel) & Hard Tip (Blue Barrel)
Now, if I could have only ONE brush pen for the rest of my life, the Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen with a hard tip would be my “ride or die.” It also comes with a soft tip brush, but trust me. If you are a beginner and want a brush that is more forgiving, grab the Fudenosuke with the hard tip. The stiffer brush will help you control those thicker and thinner strokes that you have to master in brush lettering.
Like the Fudenosuke brush, the Pentel Touch Sign brush pen is a great one for lettering smaller letters and words. It comes in a variety of different colors and the barrel is compact enough to make it your perfect traveling companion.
As you can see in the pictures above, I have illustrated just how thin and thick of the upstrokes and downstrokes you can achieve with each brush pen. Depending on your style of brush lettering and the look you are going for will determine which of these you will naturally gravitate to. From the basics of brush lettering, to practice pages, and ways you can even embellish and flourish your strokes, this book has it all. I always come back to it when I am ready to relax with my brush pen and some light hearted giggles.
Modern Calligraphy by Leslie Tieu
If you have every been interested in brush lettering, pointed pen (traditional) calligraphy, or watercolor lettering, you MUST HAVE this book. Leslie (aka @leslie.writes.it.all on Instagram) not only goes over the different tools and supplies she recommends for all three of those types of lettering practices, but the book is FULL of awesome practice sheets. Why do I love it so much? Because not only does she show you the basic letters, but she also give you a TON of different examples on how to brush letter the same letter. In turn, as you practice, you are going to find your distinct style of lettering.
Brush Lettering from A to Z by Emma Witte
If you love lettering education with sarcastic and witty humor sprinkled throughout, then you have to get this book by Emma Witte. You probably know her as the uber talented lady behind @blackchalkco on Instagram. From nailing the different strokes that are associated with brush lettering to practice sheets that break down each letter for you to fun projects to try out, this book really does get you excited to start creating.
Awesome tools for both Lettering types
No matter what lettering style you choose (faux calligraphy, brush lettering, or both), here are some of my favorite tools that I am sure you will absolutely love.
This pen works like magic for me. It can turn any of my lettering from drab to fab in seconds. I use it to add shadows or highlights to my lettering to make it pop off the page. And the constant flow from the tip and the opaque ink make it my must have any time I choose pens to travel with.
Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Brush Pen in Grey
Want a wider brush tip for those lettering shadows? This is the brush pen for you! The grey color is subtle but it makes all the difference in making your letters stand out.
As a beginner, you want to sketch our your lettering designs first before you add ink to them. The Prismacolor Magic Rub Eraser is great for those large pencil marks.
Need to erase around your brush lettering that was done with watercolor? Need to erase a minor pencil mark in such a tiny space? This eraser is perfect for that! When I travel, I definitely take this one along with me.
Canson Bristol 7”x10” Paper Pad
After purchasing a bunch of lettering pens & brush pens, I quickly realized that not every sheet of paper is created equal. If you are going to solely use pens or markers, then smooth paper like this Canson Bristol Paper Pad is the way to go. Your ink and brush pens will glide over the extremely smooth surface. And better yet, you are protecting your investment as the texture of copy paper or watercolor paper can wear and fray your pens over time. If you KNOW you will be using watercolors in your lettering or illustrations, you can also look into purchasing mixed media paper. Just know that the texture may begin to wear out your pens.
The lovely thing about tracing paper is that you can place it over a practice page in a book and practice without ruining the page. This is a great way to practice over and over and over again. And believe me, lettering is just like when you learned how to write your ABCs: you only gets easier the more you are used to drawing these types of strokes. We call this “muscle memory.” Eventually, you can whip out those pretty letters without a second thought!
iPad Pro 12.9 inch with Apple Pencil & the Procreate App
Now, hear me out. You definitely do not need to spend hundreds of dollars for one of these to get really good at faux calligraphy or brush lettering. BUT after you have put in the hours of practice with pen and paper and want to take your lettering to the next level, then this bad boy paired with the Procreate App is gonna open A WHOLE NEW WORLD (cue the Disney sing along) of tools and opportunities for your lettering. Want to make a homemade t-shirt with your lettering? It’s possible. Ready to create your own logo? You can. Want to create unique prints to sell? You got it!
And even if you are just starting out, you can download practice sheets right to the Procreate app and practice brush lettering right on your screen. You save money and a whole bunch of trees! Definitely a win-win situation!
So that’s it folks! Here is a complete list of all the items I shared with you today:
Faux Calligraphy
Brush Lettering
Both Faux Calligraphy & Brush Lettering
iPad Pro 12.9 inch with Apple Pencil & the Procreate App
Did I miss any of your favorite modern calligraphy pens or tools?
Here are some examples of past projects where I used faux calligraphy and brush lettering!
Want to see where I get all of my favorite art supplies?
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