The Thicks and Thins & The Basics of Modern Calligraphy Handlettering

Do you want to start handlettering? Here are some beginner’s handlettering tips to get you started!

First, we’ll get on the same page when it comes to the modern calligraphy handlettering style. Then we’ll talk briefly about supplies (because I have another post highlighting supplies for beginner lettering). Finally, we’ll talk about tips and tricks to get you started lettering in the modern calligraphy style!

Brush Lettering or Handlettering is more than “writing pretty.” It is illustrating individual strokes to create thick and thin lines to form letters and then turn those letters into words.

Revised 4/17/2024

Lettering Styles

Before we jump into the beginner’s handlettering tips, let’s talk a little about what type of lettering I mean. When I say handlettering, I mean ‘modern calligraphy,’ the kind with brush pens (like the images below). The type of lettering that you see in planners (like artistic bullet journals) or on trending artwork hung on walls.

There are many lettering styles (don’t believe me, ask Google). But what I am referring to is handlettering with a brush pen or using thick and thin lines to emulate the look of calligraphy made with a flexible tip.

Some call this style ‘modern calligraphy,’ some brush lettering, brush calligraphy, etc. Most people don’t care what you call it. Occasionally, you’ll run into someone persnickety who demands it’s called something different, but I wouldn’t worry too much about them. It’s hard to function when your panties are in a wad.

What is Handlettering (and What is it Not)?

My Definition: Modern Brush Calligraphy in my realm is using a brush marker (or similar) to create thick and thin lines using individual strokes and combining those strokes into letters.

It’s not just writing in cursive and making some parts of the letters thick and some parts thin.

Because you form letters by combining different strokes from your brush or marker, it will look a lot like cursive, and yes, typically, the characters link together like cursive writing.

However, cursive is designed for speed (brush lettering is not done quickly). It also (usually) doesn’t leave enough space to allow for the desired thicks and thins, like the modern brush lettering or hand lettering you see on Instagram and Pinterest.

Honestly, you’ll get different definitions depending on where you go, and they’re all kind of melding together. Here, I’ll call it about modern brush lettering, modern calligraphy, brush calligraphy, or a combination of those words.

What Type of Lettering Is This Not:

What I’m not talking about:

I’m not talking about ‘traditional’ calligraphy, Copperplate calligraphy, or lettering with a dip pen and ink. Those types of calligraphy tend to be too formal for what I’m going for here. I consider modern calligraphy to be a subset of calligraphy, which then is a subset of typography or lettering.

FYI: Some calligraphy ‘snobs’ may tell you that brush calligraphy is not calligraphy at all. You can choose to listen to self-appointed gatekeepers of the lettering world, or you can move on with your life and make beautiful letters with a brush pen/marker.

Whew. I’m not a calligraphy snob, and I think it’s silly to be snobbish.

I started doing modern calligraphy or brush lettering so I could make pretty headers in my bullet journal. If you’re here, I’m guessing that you’ve seen this type of handlettering and are curious about what you need to get started.

Here’s a huge beginner’s handlettering tip: don’t worry about what other people say and how others define what this type of lettering is – go with someone who wants to teach you and let someone else deal with the labels..

What is Muscle Memory In Handlettering (and What Do Muscles Have to Do With Calligraphy)?

As mentioned above, there’s so much variety in lettering. The best way to start is to decide what style you want to learn and practice making that style until you can do it without thinking. Many people call this ‘muscle memory.’

Developing Muscle Memory for Calligraphy is Similar To Riding a Bike

Developing muscle memory for your calligraphy skills is similar to riding a bike. Those skills will come back naturally once you’ve developed and trained those muscles to know what to do in certain circumstances (such as sitting on a bike and pushing the pedals while keeping your balance and propelling the bike forward).

Now, it’s not saying you won’t be a little rusty and need a little catch-up training if you’ve let time pass by without keeping up your practice, but learning modern calligraphy is a skill that will stick with you once you’ve developed muscle memory.

Here’s a Modern Calligraphy Tip: Like learning to ride a bike, you’ll need to practice to develop muscle memory. Once you’ve trained your hand and brain, they will automatically know what to do when you pick up that brush pen.

The Most Important Thing You Can Do to Learn Modern Calligraphy

Practice.

I’m not joking. I’m not trying to keep a secret from you or gatekeep information. Consistent practice is the ultimate tool for learning modern calligraphy lettering.

Whatever tool you use will never help you get better or learn modern calligraphy if it sits on your desk or is hidden in a drawer. The number one thing you need to do to learn modern calligraphy is to practice consistently. 15 minutes per day would do it. More if you have time. Practicing each day is better than for 4 hours on a Sunday. But if you only have Sundays – by all means, every week is better than once a month or never at all.

Practice each stroke 10 times. Practice 100 times—keep going until you’ve practiced the basic strokes a million times each. It’s with practice that you’ll create consistency in your letters.

With practice, you’ll create muscle memory. The strokes will come naturally. They’ll become a part of your hand-to-brain coordination, and you won’t have to concentrate on each stroke. With practice, learning modern calligraphy lettering will become an instinct. These strokes will become so natural that you won’t have to think about them. Practice so much that you dream about the beautiful strokes.

Getting to Know the Thicks and Thins of Modern Calligraphy

Calligraphy is composed of thick and thin strokes. Knowing where to create thick strokes and where to create thin strokes is part of the learning process.

Beginner Handlettering Tip: How to Hold Your Marker

Hold your marker at a 45-degree angle so you can easily add or remove pressure to the marker as you make the strokes. It’s important to note that you’re not pressing straight down on the tip of the marker. You won’t damage the marker as long as you have the marker angled as illustrated.

Commit these handlettering tips to memory (even if you’re not a beginner):

When pushing your marker ‘up,’ the stroke is thin. Up = Thin.

When pulling your marker ‘down,’ the stroke is thick. Down = Thick.

But here’s another beginner’s handlettering tip (that even more advanced calligraphy students might not know): Fonts of all types follow the thick/thin rule. If the font has any variation in width, it will follow this rule.

Start With the Foundations – Basic Strokes

Now you’re all set to practice. But what do you practice? Ah! The next beginner’s handlettering tip is to practice the right strokes.

Start with the foundations. Practice the basic strokes and get those down. They will help you flourish with modern calligraphy. I promise your foundation in modern calligraphy will be so much more stable than if you start with letters or flourishing or any other method. The foundational knowledge will literally build on itself.

Once you have the basic strokes committed to muscle memory, then you can move on to minuscule letters – or lowercase letters. The letters in modern calligraphy are composed of combinations of the basic strokes.

Tip! Here’s Where You Can Start Learning Modern Calligraphy! Find my Practice Workbooks from the ChocolateMusings Shop

What are the Basic Strokes in Modern Calligraphy?

Here are the basic strokes in modern calligraphy: Upstroke, Downstroke, Underturn, Overturn, Compound Curve, Oval, Ascending Loop, and Descending Loop.

Practice these strokes until you’re sick of them (then practice them until your hand naturally knows how to create them). Then, you’re ready to combine them into letters. With little to no modification, these strokes will help you form the letters of the alphabet!

Tip: You’ll learn these names as a beginner, but knowing the names is not important once you get the motion down. I teach calligraphy, and sometimes I forget the names!

Basic Stroke Names:

• Upstroke: This is the starting stroke for letters and usually the connector stroke between letters. Push up with the tip of your brush marker—this should be the thinnest stroke.
• Downstroke: Start this stroke by pulling down and pushing with the belly of the brush marker. This will be the thickest stroke.
• Underturn: Start this stroke thick on the down stroke, then turn and curve upwards into an upstroke
• Overturn: This stroke starts thin. Push your marker up with a thin upstroke, then curve and pull down to a thick downstroke.
• Compound Curve: Start this stroke with a thin upstroke, curve like you’re doing an overturn, then curve again to an underturn.
• Oval: This stroke starts in the middle on the right side. Push up using a thin stroke on the tip of your brush, curve to the left, push down with a thick stroke, curve around the bottom, transition again to the thin upstroke, and complete the loop.
• Ascending Loop: Start with the loop, push up and around with a thin line, and then pull down on the downstroke.
• Descending Loop: Create this stroke by starting with the thick downstroke. Pull your marker down, then lighten the pressure as you curve around and connect the thin upstroke.

In my basic and lowercase (minuscule) lettering books, I’ll teach you how to make these strokes, how to hold your pen, and how to combine these strokes.

Yes, But When Can I Break The Rules?

I’m all for creating your own style. I support it and encourage it. But like most things, you must know the rules so you can break them.

Here’s another beginner’s handlettering tip: Once you have basic strokes down and you can form letters without thinking using this basic style, then you can start customizing letters with your own flourishes and finesse.

One of the biggest beginner handlettering tips I can give you is: don’t skip the basic strokes.

I’ll say it again, however. Learning the basics takes practice. Whatever you do, don’t skip the foundations.

I hate to admit it, but that’s what I did at the beginning. That’s why I’m so passionate about teaching you the right way. Learn from my mistakes! I tried to skip learning the basic strokes and jump into creating letters and phrases. My lettering looked awful. There was no consistency in shape or sizing. The thicks and thins of my letters were shaky and didn’t look…right.

However, when I went back and learned the basic strokes, that’s when lettering made sense. That’s when my letters looked uniform and, well, pretty.

Additional Tips When Practicing Modern Calligraphy

Go Slow

You’re not in a race! Make each stroke carefully. As a handlettering beginner, take this tip seriously. If you want to create muscle memory, teach your muscles how to create the stroke properly.

Learn the Basics

We’ve covered this in other lettering tips above, but it’s worth repeating: Learn the basic strokes!

Stick to the Strokes

Now, this rule won’t last forever. Once you learn the basic strokes and create muscle memory, you’re free to create your own style. But while you are in the process of learning, stick to the strokes!

Angle Your Pen

Use a 45-degree angle on your pen. It will feel weird at first (if this isn’t the way you hold your pen), but it will allow you to create thick and thin strokes. Remember all that talk about muscle memory and practice? Yes, this is part of it.

Losen Your Grip

It’s easy to slip into the habit of holding tightly to your marker, especially if you’re struggling. But your hand will get tired (faster), and it will be very hard to transition from one stroke to another. Shake out your hand and loosely hold your marker.

Another beginner’s tip: Don’t hold your marker too close to the bottom or too close to the top of the marker barrel. Too close to the paper will not allow you enough movement to make the strokes, and too far away will make your strokes… well, squirrely.

Allow for Mistakes

This beginner’s tip goes without saying, but I feel like I need to remind you that every person started as a beginner at some point. You won’t start out as a pro calligrapher. Allow yourself to make mistakes and allow yourself to be a beginner. Follow the process I’ve outlined and spend some time practicing every day. Your practice sessions won’t be perfect, and it might be months before that muscle memory is built up.

PRACTICE.

Sorry if you’re sick of me saying that word. But the biggest tip I can give a beginner to handlettering is to practice. Practice every day if you can. Practice just a little bit each day. You won’t get a sculpted 6-pack on your abs if you do crunches once. But if you do a little each day, in no time you’ll see those muscles develop in beautiful ways.

Start practicing all the time. Practice in spare moments while waiting for your kids at their activity. Or you can practice while dinner is in the oven. Practice any chance you can fit it in, but the point is to choose some simple supplies and start doing it.

Do You Need Special Supplies to Start Handlettering/Modern Calligraphy?

Honestly, you don’t need specific supplies. I’ve seen amazing modern lettering done with just a pencil and paper or a ballpoint pen and paper.

However, the people who make this art know the principles of creating thick and thin lines with their tools. Modern calligraphy is all about thick and thin lines. Using a brush pen or brush marker makes it easier to start handlettering.

• Read this post on beginner’s handlettering supplies for more on what supplies you need (and what I recommend for beginners)!

Read on if you’re looking for the short and sweet version of handlettering supplies – those supplies that will get you started and on your way to practicing all those lovely letters and strokes.

Beginning Handlettering Supplies – Short and Sweet Recommendation

Even though you could dive right into large-tipped brushes, paint brushes with watercolor, water pens or many other supplies, I recommend getting a small-tipped marker (start with the Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip). Pick up some good paper and the Basic Strokes Small Marker Workbook #1 from my shop.

Here are the Basic Supplies I Suggest to Start Lettering Now!

Beginner’s TIP: I find that if you start with a smaller brush tip and learn the technique of forming the various strokes, your knowledge will translate to the larger brush markers more easily.

However, I have a friend who preferred to start with the Tombow Dual Brush Tips and worked down to smaller brushes.

I say give it a try if you have them to see how they work for you.

Marker Guides, Practice Sheets & Practice Workbooks

Use these sheets to practice your lettering. The guides help create consistency in your strokes and uniformity in your letter heights. You can find guides for large and smaller Markers in my shop!

Did I Miss Anything?

Are there any other tips you’d like me to cover? Which supplies have you used? Seriously, I’d love to know. Good luck lettering!