Can you teach me how to do that?!
“You have the prettiest handwriting, can you teach me how to do that?!”
One of the most asked questions I get as a calligrapher.
(Scroll down for the quick list of supplies.)
Awww, thank you. It takes A LOT of practice. Truth is, I am still learning. Every single day I still practice. I started studying calligraphy and lettering in 2017, after I requested a set of Tombow Dual Brush Pens for Christmas in 2016. Once I had that initial calligraphy specific tool, I was hooked.
While I can’t teach you overnight how to “write like I do,” I can share with you all the wisdom I’ve learned over nearly five years of practicing calligraphy. Stick around, and I’ll share my journey, resources, tips, tools, and all things lettering and calligraphy here on the blog. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter, so you don’t miss a thing (I promise I won’t fill your inbox with junk, just golden tips from the calligraphy world, printables, and new product and supplies from the shop)!
What calligraphy supplies I started with:
I asked my husband for this specific set of Tombow Dual Brush Pens after seeing them on a whim on Pinterest. He delivered, and I started doodling. Here is some of my first attempts:
And here is my attempt today, nearly 5 years later. It takes a lot of practice, friends!
I practiced and practiced until the ends wore completely out. I didn’t know in the beginning I needed certain paper (notice the regular notebook paper above) so the nylon tips wouldn’t fray. I’ve tried lots over the years, and my favorites to practice with are Rhodia Dot Pads, tracing paper, or a ream of HP 32 Laserjet paper. Basically, you’re looking for a higher weight of paper so it is smooth enough your pens won’t fray and the ink won’t feather.
Because I was loving the dual brush pens so much, I looked into what other supplies Tombow had to offer. I bought the beginning lettering and advanced lettering kit, and then realized they had a smaller version of a brush pen that I had no idea about. The Tombow Fudenosuke is a brush pen with a smaller nib than the dual brush, so it results in much smaller lettering. It comes in a soft or a hard tip. I loved this new size that allowed for things like envelope addressing, but they only came in black, so I often practiced with the dual brush pens most for the bright colors. I even got the entire set so I could try all the fun color combos! A close comparison I found while looking for color in a small brush pen nib, was the Pentel Sign Pens. A few years later, Tombow heard the cries from the calligraphy community and released the Fudenosuke pens in color!
I stuck with these main supplies for a good while before I started to branch out into other brands and supplies, which I will share more about in future posts. If you are brand new to calligraphy, you should note that these are flexible nibs, and there will be a learning curve. Although, I think they are the best option for anyone starting in their calligraphy journey. In fact, these are the exact tools I include in my beginner brush lettering course. Knowing what I know now, though, I would have started with a good old fashioned pencil.
Just give me the list:
A good pencil! Ticonderoga is perfect, or Blackwing if it is in your budget.
Tombow Dual Brush Pens 10 pack or the entire set if it is in your budget.
Tombow Fudenosuke two pack hard and soft tip in black
Pentel Sign Pens original colors and new colors!
Let me know if you have tried any of these or have them in your calligraphers tool kit. Do you love them, hate them, not sure yet? Stay tuned and I’ll give you my best tips for figuring out how to start writing with that flexible nib!