When I embarked on my calligraphy journey back in 2016, I started with the modest brush pen. While these days I write calligraphy mostly with a dip pen, brush pens were – and still are – my first love.

I was on maternity leave and had limited time to practice, dictated by my son’s unpredictable sleeping pattern. Writing with a brush pen allowed me to “get straight to it” when I had a moment to spare. Even if that was just 15 minutes, I could still turn it into an enjoyable practice session.

But brush pens are not just a more practical substitute to ‘proper calligraphy’ tools. I love them and recommend them to anyone wanting to learn calligraphy because they are fun to write with, they are versatile and expressive and so straightforward to learn!

Whether you want to use calligraphy in your journalling spreads or for card making, or if you’re simply curious about them, I encourage you to try brush pens for calligraphy. (creative self-expression or relaxation)

Note: this post is dedicated to calligraphy with a brush pen. If you want to know what tools you need for pointed pen calligraphy, then head over to this post.

So, what is a brush pen?

Brush pens look like normal marker pens, however their tip is flexible. If we apply pressure while writing, the tip bends and leaves a thicker mark on the paper. It can produce both thick and thin lines, depending on whether we apply pressure – or not – during writing.

This makes it a versatile tool for calligraphy – you can write in a variety of styles, from traditional styles like Copperplate, to fun modern calligraphy scripts and lettering.

Perhaps THE best feature of brush pens is that you don’t need to buy ink. Sounds obvious, doesn’t it… but the benefits are great! Let’s mention just a few:

• Brush pen calligraphy it is mostly mess-free – no more frustrating smudges ( and if you are a leftie you’ll know this is not just a vanity point).

• It is less time-consuming since you don’t need the extra time to set up your workspace or to clean up your tools after you finish writing. If your time or patience are limited, then brush pens are your best choice for learning calligraphy.

• Brush pen calligraphy is inexpensive – you don’t need extra nibs and ink and you can write on pretty much any paper (with the caveat that some textured surfaces will wear out your marker quicker than smoother papers).

Ok, so what do I need get started?

Ready to try for yourself? Great, here is what you’ll need:

• brush pen;

• paper;

…it really is that simple. I’ll assume you already have a pencil with an eraser and a ruler. If not, add them to the list.

Brush pens

There are two main types of brush pens – small and large.

SMALL BRUSH PENS

Two main brands dominate the market – Tombow Fudenosuke and Pentel Sign Brush. Both look very similar and work exactly the same. They come in black as well as a variety of colours and you can purchase them individually or in sets.

Tombow Fudenosuke is available in hard and soft tip. The softer tip requires less pressure to produce the thicker lines. Personally I use the harder tip more often but there is no right or wrong choice here, just what suits YOU best. I would recommend trying both options and decide for yourself. You can buy them in a convenient 2-pack with a hard and a soft marker.

Pentel Brush handles very similarly to Tombow Fudenosuke and is just a touch softer to write with. Both brands are an ideal starting point for brush pen calligraphy and lettering.

LARGE BRUSH PENS

These are a larger version of the small brush pens with a chunkier felt tip. They work in the same way, although writing with them can feel very different, due to the larger scale.

Their size also allows  them to be more expressive. If you are a fan of watercolour painting you can use them as an alternative to paint brushes for drawing. Some large brush pens are also blendable – you can mix their colours to achieve attractive ombre effects.

The choice of large brush pens is endless and so I’ll mention just a few more popular ones.

Tombow ABT Dual markers are many people’s favourite. They have a brush tip on one end and a monoline tip on the other and come in a variety of colours. This makes them ideal for both calligraphy and lettering enthusiasts.

Karin Brushmarker Pro are my personal favourite for their rich juicy colour. Karin Pro Markers are also perfect for blending.

Other popular brands are Ecoline, Staedtler Brush markers, Artline Supreme and even brands like BIC makes their own version of dual brush markers similar to the Tombow ABT.

It is impossible to list them all (although I love testing any new ones!) so have some fun experimenting and discover your own favourite brand.

Paper

You probably already have suitable paper at home so you may not have to buy anything special. Over the years I have tested my trusty marker pens on many pads, planners and notebooks and they have rarely disappointed me.

Basically most smooth papers will work. Thinner papers may show on the reverse but if you’re simply using them for practice that may be just fine.

It is important to mention that larger brush markers leave more ink on the page so you should opt for thicker papers that can absorb the ink without buckling up.

PAPER PADS

A convenient option for practice with both small and large brush pens are pads like Rhodia, Clairefontaine Triomphe or Canson Marker pads. Their paper is smooth and lovely to write on. They come in a variety of sizes, from a handy A5 that you can fit in your handbag, to a larger A3 perfect for creative projects.

Rhodia is probably the most popular and is available in dotted, lined or plain pages. For practice I find that lined is ideal as it saves me from having to rule up my pages. But you might prefer the freedom of dotted or plain pages and they will work equally well.

LASER PAPER

Did you know that you can use laser paper for calligraphy? It is a great option for your lettering practice because it is easy to find and relatively inexpensive.

Laser paper is also perfect for printing traceable work sheets, more about this in a moment.

HP Premium 32 paper is often recommended for calligraphy but here in the UK it can be harder to find. HP Color Choice in either 90gsm* or above is a great alternative.

(*gsm is short for Grams per Square Meter and is a measurement of the weight and thickness of the paper. )

Navigator Colour Document 120gsm is another great option that you can order on Amazon.

Don’t be afraid to try other brands too – simply opt for slightly heavier options that are designed for printing colour documents. Look for clues such as “Colour Documents Printer Paper”, “Colour choice” or “Smooth” on the packaging.

Learning and practice resources

These are totally optional but they can make learning a lot more enjoyable and fun and so I wanted to include some of my favourite books and resources here.

TRACEABLE WORKSHEETS

These often come in a convenient digital format (a .pdf file) that you can download and print. You can start using digital worksheets straight away and re-print them (for your own personal use) as many times as you need.

Lined guide sheets save you valuable time and allow you to write with consistency. (You can grab my free guide sheets here)

Traceable practice sheets include calligraphy drills, words or phrases to trace over for practice. They are a great aid for learning new styles and training your muscle memory.

You can find my own Beginner Hand-Lettering Workbook (for small brush pens) here. More than just a workbook, this is a mini calligraphy course in itself. It covers everything from basic strokes, lower and upper case letters, numbers, punctuation and practice words as well as valuable tips to get started.

BOOKS

Books have been a great source of inspiration and a wealth of practical calligraphy tips in my learning journey. There are a lot of calligraphy and lettering books on the market but here are two of my personal favourites:

Kirsten Burke's Secrets of Brush Calligraphy is a great starting point for anyone new to brush pen calligraphy. The book interactive and fun, full of tips, inspiration and creative projects to try.

Brush Lettering for Relaxation by Amy Latta is another favourite of mine with page after page of creative exercises to try directly in the book.

Where to buy

Tombow Fudenosuke and Tombow ABT Dual brush pens can be ordered from Cult Pens, Scribblers and Amazon.

Pentel Touch Brush Sign and Pentel Twin Tip are available from Cult Pens.

Laser paper is available from Amazon, some WHSmith stores and other retailers.

Paper pads – Rhodia, Clairefontaine Triomphe and Canson Marker Pad can be found on Scribblers, Cult Pens and Blots Pens.

Books – Secrets of Brush Calligraphy and Brush Lettering for Relaxation can both be found on Amazon.

Hey, I’m Ellie,

I am a calligrapher and lettering artist based in Halifax, West Yorkshire where I live with my husband and two amazing kids.

I own more pens then I can count (don’t tell my husband!) and I’m passionate about calligraphy, lettering and all things creative. I believe that creativity nurtures happiness, self-discovery and connects us in a colourful community, and so I love sharing my passion for calligraphy through classes, workbooks and my blog.