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Essential Handlettering Supplies for Beginners

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Handlettering For Beginners: The Essential Supplies

I teach local classes for beginning modern calligraphy hand-letterers and recommend these handlettering supplies to my beginner students. Some tools make it easier to start modern calligraphy lettering, but I want you to remember that no matter which pen or paper you use, it’s going to take a lot of practice to progress in your handlettering journey.

Remember that practice is the most important tool of all.

Post Updated & Revised: 4/16/24

Beginner Handlettering Supplies - what you need to know to start lettering | ChocolateMusings.com

Table of contents

First and Foremost – What am I Talking About? What Style of Handlettering Are These Supplies Good For?

FYI – the lettering style I’m referring to is what I call “Modern Handlettering” or “Modern Calligraphy”. These styles are typically done with a brush pen that allows you to create both thick and thin lines with a flexible tip.

Handlettering is such a fun bandwagon to jump on – the thick and the thin lines, the flourishes beckon, and the thought of making beautifully crafted words makes your heart race and palms sweaty. Maybe not in a good way. Does the idea of picking up a brush pen scare you? Not sure which supplies are essential and which are ‘nice to have’ when starting your handlettering journey?

I get it – I’ve been there. I remember being completely overwhelmed. That’s why I’ve compiled this list of essential handlettering supplies for beginners. So you know what you *really* need to get started with your handlettering journey and what is just eye candy.

My Essential Modern Calligraphy Handlettering Supplies for Beginners

Best Beginner Level Markers:

Whether you follow my recommendations or not, I highly encourage you to choose one marker type to get started. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you have too many choices. Practice for a while with that marker, then expand your collection.

  • Tombow Fudenosuke
    • Hard tip (I prefer this pen for beginners more than other pens – see below for why!)
    • Soft tip
  • Pentel Sign Touch
  • Sharpie

Shop for the Supplies:

Which marker should I choose to learn handlettering? Essential Modern Calligraphy Supplies | ChocolateMusings.com

Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip – The Marker I Recommend for Beginners!

My favorite marker is the hard-tipped Tombow Fudenosuke marker. Even after nearly a decade of lettering, I consistently reach for this marker.

In fact, I recommend starting with the Hard-Tip Tombow Fudenosuke marker when I teach my calligraphy classes.

Why Do I Recommend this Marker Versus Other Markers?

  • It’s a small-tipped marker with enough flexibility to get a thick and thin line, but it’s a little more rigid than the soft-tipped Tombow Fudenosuke Marker. Giving you greater control.
  • With that control, you’ll more easily create consistency in your thick and thin strokes, giving you the confidence to keep going in your lettering journey.
  • If you use high-quality paper or marker paper, these pens will last you a long time!
  • As a bonus, the Fudenosoke hard-tip markers are also available in several color variety packs, so you can change up your marker color.
  • This marker is relatively inexpensive to replace as needed. If you’re going to practice a lot of lettering, consider getting a multi-pack so you can keep one with you, have some at home, or replace them as needed.

Tombow Fudenosuke Soft Tip

This marker has a bit more flex than its hard-tipped counterpart. Which isn’t bad; it just means that you give up a bit of control. Even though I started with the hard-tipped version, other calligraphers swear by the soft-tip version. If you order the dual-pack of Tombow Fudenosuke markers, it comes with both a soft & hard tip marker, so you can choose which you like best.

Tip: Tombow doesn’t make a variety of colors in the soft-tip style. The color variety is only available in the hard-tip version.

How to tell Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip & Soft Tip Markers apart | ChocolateMusings.com

The Difference Between Hard Tip & Soft Tip Tombow Fudenosuke Pens

I visited Tombow USA Headquarters here in Georgia a few years ago at a fun little event. While there, I learned how to tell the difference between the two types of Fudenosuke pens by Tombow. Here are two ways I know to tell the difference.

Here are the Ways to Tell Them Apart:

The first way is the color of the pen casing—the hard-tip pen casing is dark blue, and the soft-tip pen casing is black.

The second way to tell the difference is to look for the letters and numbers by the barcode.

  • WS-BH 150 is the hard-tipped one (H=Hard).
  • WS-BS 150 is the soft-tipped pen (S=Soft).

**UPDATE: Tombow has since added a tiny square with the text “Hard Tip” or “Soft Tip” on their markers. But it’s still very hard to see!

Pro Tip: If you still have trouble figuring out which is which (and you like to use one or the other), put a piece of fancy washi tape around one so you can tell the difference!

Which is which? Tombow Fudenosuke pens. How to identify each one | ChocoalteMusings.com
Lose your favorite marker? Use this trick with washi tape to easily find your favorite marker | ChocolateMusings.com

Other Supplies:

  • Pencil (one that you can use to write softly and erase easily)
  • Eraser (I prefer white pearl & polymer eraser)
  • **Smooth paper (32 lb paper is what I recommend – it’s the most cost-effective), Rhodia & Marker Paper are good options too!
  • Any pen
  • Any Marker with a Bullet Tip (rounded tip, not flat or chisel tip)

**The only supplies you really need to start is the paper. Everything else is not necessary.

What supplies do you need to start handlettering? Do you need all this stuff? Find out what you actually need to start practicing modern calligraphy | ChocolateMusings

The pen & marker are so you can create Faux Modern Calligraphy – I’ll explain this technique later in more detail.

The pencil & eraser are simply good supplies to have on hand so you can write out phrases and organize your lettering. You can also handletter using a pencil – which I’m excited to show you in the future.

TIP: Using printer paper or any old paper can cause your precious brush pens to fray or dry out more quickly. Believe me, it’s frustrating to use a frayed marker tip and try to get those coveted thin upstrokes or pick up what you thought was a brand new brush pen only for it to create streaks instead of lovely lines.

Shop for the Supplies:

Optional Handlettering Supplies for Beginners:

The supplies listed below are not required. I like to use each one of them (and I was surprised at how useful the lightbox was), but they are not required to start lettering.

  • Ruler
  • Laser Level
  • Small Marker Practice Guides (find them in my shop!)
  • Modern Calligraphy Workbooks (in my shop!)
    • Small Marker: Basic Strokes <– Start Here
    • Small Marker: Minuscules (lowercase letters)
    • Large Marker: Basic Strokes <– Start Here
    • Large Marker: Minuscules (lowercase letters)
  • Lightbox (if you don’t want to write on the practice guides)

Shop for the Supplies:

ChocolateMusings.com Shop - Find it in the shop!

Additional More Advanced Markers:

Tombow Dual Brush Pens are large markers—If you start with these beauties, you’re likely to get even more frustrated because they’re not as easy to control. Karin markers are similar to Tombow dual brush pens, so they’re probably not for beginners.

You can letter using paint brushes & water pens, but I would wait until you have the technique down for forming each part of each letter before starting with a paintbrush or water pen.

Shop for the Supplies:

What I Prefer (to this day)

Hands down, I reach for a Tombow Fudenosuke Marker. Hard-tipped version, of course.

I love my Tombow hard-tipped fudenosuke pens.

They also last a long time. After a couple of years of heavy usage, my pens are finally dying. In general, I don’t like the ‘old marker look.’ However, sometimes, that style is fun. So I keep a few old markers around, and I label them so I know which ones are old and which are new.

If you were to peek in my marker drawer, you’d find more hard-tip Tombow Fudenosuke markers than anything else. And I always have one or two in my bag.

Which markers should you start with when beginning modern calligraphy | ChocolateMusings.com

Remember, as I said in the beginning, that practice is the most important tool. So, whichever marker you choose to start your handlettering journey, you must put in the practice to accompany it.

Ready to Start Handlettering?

Get your practice guides & practice workbooks in the shop below!

ChocolateMusings.com Shop - Find it in the shop!

How to Easily Create Faded Drop Shadows With Tombow Markers

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How to create faded drop shadows with Tombow Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #dropshadows #tombowmarkers

Using shadows under lettering or around art creates a 3-D effect that can make your pieces come alive. They stand out against the background and create interest. However, creating shadows is the tricky part. Here’s how to easily create faded drop shadows with Tombow Markers.

How to Easily Create Faded Drop Shadows With Tombow Markers

This tip is one I quite accidentally discovered. I discovered this trick while filming my July Plan With Me Video. I used Sticky Notes to block off areas of the page and watercolor paint around them. Well, let’s say I was a little bit too liberal with the water. And let’s face it, sticky notes don’t block all the water or ink. It’s a fun technique to try, by all means, but it is not one to use if you want solid, straight lines when you peel them off.

After peeling off the sticky notes and revealing a slight mess underneath, I decided to try to make the page look 3-D. Like I punched out pieces of the paper, and there was a shadow cast down below.

  • Near Bullet Journal Failure! Peeling away the (supposed) blocked off areas - what a mess! How do I clean it up?
  • Fixing the issue with faded drop shadows gives the page a cool look and transforms the mistake! | ChocolateMusings.com #dropshadow #bulletjournalfix #mistake

Supplies You’ll Need:

Supplies you need for creating perfectly blended drop shadows with Tombow Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #tutorial #howto #blending

Tombow Marker Fun – Combining Colors

Tombow Dual Brush Tip Marker Bouquet | ChocolateMusings.com #tombow #dualbrushmarkers #markers

You’ll know that combining colors is fun if you’ve ever experimented with Tombow Dual Brush Markers. One marker essentially absorbs part of the pigment from another marker if you press the tips together or mop up the color from a palette like a paintbrush.

One nice thing about Tombow markers is that they are self-cleaning. Use the brush tip (or bullet tip for that matter), and the absorbed pigment fades into the marker’s regular color. If using a dark color with a light color, there’s no residual effect except you might be left with a bit of staining on the tip of the light-colored marker.

Colorless Blender Marker – The Key to a Perfectly Blended Shadow

Tombow Colorless Blender - The Key to Making Perfectly Blended Drop Shadows - tips, tricks & how to create perfect shadows using the Tombow Colorless Dual Brush Marker | ChocolateMusings.com #tombow #dualbrushmarker #dropshadow

Up until now, I never used the colorless blender for anything other than attempting to blend two colors together. (Which, by the way, I find only works well on marker paper – not even 32 lb super smooth paper.)

But then a stroke of genius hit me! If I absorb some gray into the colorless blender, the gray will fade automatically to clear. Which is precisely the effect I wanted! The colorless blender is the key to creating a shadow that softly fades away with your Tombow markers! And you can do it without rubbing holes in the paper by blending too. You can even create faded drop shadows without water.

Watch the Video to Create Perfect Fading Shadows with Tombow Markers

Watch the July Plan With Me Video

The inspiration for creating faded drop shadows using Tombow Markers. See the mess I made & how the drop shadows cleaned up a mistake.

Here are some examples of what you can do using this method to create shadows with your Tombows:

  • Shadowed Boxes + Blended Handlettering with Tombow Dual Brush Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #lettering #weeklyspread
  • Boxes for appointments and to-dos, large spaces for writing and notes below - I love the flexibility of bullet journals! | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #weeklies #weeklies
  • Minimal watercolor Weekly - Bright colors + drop shadows make the colors pop on this page | ChocolateMusings.com #weeklyspread #bulletjournal #bujo
  • Large boxes on this weekly spread take care of your appointments and to-dos. Bright, fun colors keep you interested | ChocolateMusings.com #minimalweekly #weeklyspread #weekly

How You Can Easily Create Shadows Using Tombow Markers (2 Methods)

If you press the tips of the markers together, the colorless blender will absorb some of the pigment from the other pen and will mark with that color until it runs out. I found two easy ways to create this effect.

Method 1:

Create a perfectly blended drop shadow - kiss the colorless blender + gray Tombow Markers together then use the colorless blender - you'll get perfectly shaded drop shadows! Get the full tutorial on ChocolateMusings.com #tutorial #howto #tombow

Kiss the markers together at the tip and slowly rotate the colorless blender, so it is evenly saturated all the way around.
Now line the area with the tip to get the darkest shadow against another object or mark. The pigment will eventually be used up, and you’ll have to ‘refill’ the colorless blender with more gray and complete your shadows.
Don’t start in the same place every time – you’re most saturated pigment will always be at the beginning. So if you need to evenly distribute a shadow effect, start at the top one time, and the bottom another time.

Method 2 (Shown in the Video):

Scribble on a plate with Markers to absorb a different color on the tip of the marker - the color will slowly fade away as you use the marker - Get the full blended drop shadow tutorial on ChocolateMusings.com #dropshadow #tutorial #howto

You could scribble the gray marker (or another color) on a palette or plastic bag or plate (like the ceramic plates from your kitchen). Then roll the tip of the colorless blender around to absorb the pigment.

The example video above uses this method to create shadows with the Tombow colorless blender. Because it the fastest way to cover a larger area. I found pressing the tips together took much longer than scribbling on a plate because of how often I had to refill my shadow color. But if you don’t have a plate or palette, then, by all means, use the first method.

Notes:

By the way, you can do this with any water-based marker. The process is the same!

Question:

What other ways do you use the colorless blender marker from Tombow?
If you want to learn how to handletter using Tombow Markers – check out my workbooks below!

No Matter Which Notebook I use – You’ll Always Find These Supplies Close at Hand

Large Brush Tip Markers

Product Review: Tombow’s 12 New Colors!

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Product Review: Tombow’s 12 New Colors!

Tombow's 12 New Colors - Color Reveal, Product Review + Video | ChocolateMusings.com #tombow #lettering #handlettering

I’m so excited – I picked up Tombow’s 12 new colors. They haven’t added new colors to their dual brush pen line up in a long time.

Tombow added new colors to their brush marker repertoire! 12 to be exact. Confession: I haven’t picked up a brush pen in a good long time (hides face in hands). I think it’s because I frayed the tips SO badly from when I first learned to letter that it’s frustrating! But now with 12 beautiful new colors, the excitement overwhelms me handletter again.

My husband expressed his dismay when I told him I ordered the new markers. Christmas is just a few weeks away. But I knew that these beauties couldn’t wait – and I’m glad I didn’t – they sold out!

Do you want to begin your journey of handlettering? Start here!

New colors in the pack:

  1. #131 Lemon Lime
  2. #291 Alice Blue
  3. #379 Jade Green
  4. #401 Aqua
  5. #403 Bright Blue
  6. #407 Tiki Teal
  7. #569 Jet Blue
  8. #803 Pink Punch
  9. #817 Mauve
  10. #910 Opal
  11. #N49 Warm Gray 8
  12. #N52 Cool Gray 8
Tombow's 12 New Colors - Color Reveal, Product Review + Video | ChocolateMusings.com #tombow #lettering #handlettering

Some colors are hard to capture by themselves! Aqua, Alice Blue, Opal, & Lemon Lime are very light and hard to see the contrast against a white background. But blended with other colors, they create beautiful shades.

Unboxing Video

Watch the Video Below for the Unboxing and color sampling. For those who like real-time lettering, you’re in for a treat. Follow me on YouTube if you haven’t already!

I Couldn’t Wait

The blues/greens completely sold me on the box. As you can tell from the colors of my website, I love me some teal and some aqua. Tombow didn’t disappoint. I haven’t used my markers in a long time, and I think it’s because I frayed the tips early on while learning to letter so lettering frustrated me because I couldn’t get those nice, clean, thin upstrokes.

To avoid fraying, use nice, smooth paper with little ‘tooth’ with your precious markers (I use HP 32lb paper). Don’t use them on sketch or watercolor paper as I did when I started. Admittedly, I struggle with the colorless blender. The picture below shows a couple of attempts. I’m sure like anything else, it takes a lot of practice. It took me nearly 6 months of constantly using a brush pen before I got the hang of it.

Tombow's 12 New Colors - Color Revea + Video Product Review | ChocolateMusings.com #tombow #lettering #handlettering

Beyond Tombow’s 12 New Colors: Extras in the Box

Snatch one of these VIP boxes if you can – sold at TombowUsa.com. The colors are beautiful, and the extras are fun. They included laminated sheets to practice lettering (both upper case and lower case). Tricky letter combinations (at first glance anything connected to an H or an R is tricky!). They included a blending palette with updated colors (now 108 instead of 96!). If the box isn’t available, I heard they’ll be selling the colors individually later.

question mark - chocolatemusings.com

What do you think of the new colors? Which one is your favorite? Do you already use Tombow Dual-Brush Markers?

Now, I’ve got to get creating.

~Tricia

The paper I used

HP 32 LB Smooth Paper 1 Ream
HP 32 LB Smooth Paper Half Case
Tombow 96 Count Markers + Stand (not including new colors)

*I use affiliate links to support my website, any purchases provide a small commission to me at no additional cost to you.

My Muses #2: Favorite Lettering Supplies

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Favorite Lettering Supplies – For Beginners & Beyond

The journey of lettering has evolved for me, and I have new ambitions related to my handlettering adventure.  I thought this week I would share with you my very favorite lettering supplies. This list continuously evolves. I occasionally deduct or add another favorite in the mix based on mood. In general, I have several standard supplies that I love, but that’s not saying that I won’t change it in the future.

Lettering became a HUGE part of my life (and finding my way back into the realm of creativity) last April. My husband and I saw this fantastic canvas on display at a relative’s house for Christmas. My mother-in-law saw the same painting and commented how she would love something like that. Since then I was obsessed with learning how to letter so I could put my spin on what I saw and create a canvas for my husband’s mother.

My Muses - Inspiration comes in all shapes and packaging material - a collection of favorite things - beginning lettering supplies

Favorite Handlettering Pens/Markers

If you are starting out and have never picked up a brush pen, I can guarantee you will be frustrated. There were times when I was first beginning that I swept off my entire desktop and declared that I was not cut out to letter. I left everything on the floor for three days one time, staring disgustedly at the mess every time I saw it. Part of the problem is I tried to start with the large brushes and thought I could just take off and do it. In hindsight, I wish I would have known what to start with – so here are my suggestions for different levels of lettering artists. FYI: Contains affiliate links.

Beginner – For a True Greenie (and my favorite STILL)

Start with Tombow Fudenosuke HARD Tipped markers. If you order on Amazon you’ll probably get a set of both soft and hard tip markers.

How to tell them apart:

Hard tip – dark blue marker body (the cap is black). The marker says WS-BH 150 – the H is Hard.

Soft tip – all black marker (the body of the marker matches the cap). The marker says WS-BS 150 – the S is SOFT.

I learned that little tidbit from Marie Browning (@MarieBCreates) when I visited Tombow Headquarters one day for a meet and greet. Tombow USA is headquartered near Atlanta – I literally drive by it on my way to work. They had a fun opportunity to visit the headquarters and craft last October and I won a spot to go.

Tombow Fudenosuke - how to tell them apart two clues - my favorite lettering supplies: Pens & Paper

Once Your Feet Are Wet in Lettering

Let’s be real – there’s no ‘dipping your little toe’ in lettering – you’re up to your neck by now. Once you’ve gotten a feel for lettering and are anxious to try new markers, maybe get a bit of color in your life. Pentel Sign Brush Pens are an excellent way to go.

No idea why I waited so long to get these pens. I’d describe them as a cross between the Tombow Fudenosuke hard and soft-tipped markers. They are pretty dreamy and having a variety of colors is just more fun.

Small Brush Pens

When You’re in so Deep and There’s No Coming Back

Tombow Dual Brush Markers are not for the lettering faint of heart. They will take some practice. But they blend and write so nice once you have the technique down. If you’re not sure what to start with – get the Bright pack & the Primary pack to start with. Lots of great blending options with these packs.

If you are really ambitious…there’s always the full 96 pack. I have the 96 pack, but I’m not allowed to open it yet. If you become a regular reader of the blog, you’ll find out why soon.

Large Brush Tip Markers

Watercolor Lettering

Water pens are amazing. They have a water-well inside the pen and you squeeze it for more or less water. I use them with watercolor paints AND with markers. Scribble some markers (Tombow or Crayola Supertips or any other kind you have) onto Ziploc bag or another smooth surface, and use the pigment with your water pens or paint brushes. (I’ve claimed a regular, smooth, kitchen plate!)

If you want to start with watercolor paints, I picked up the artist’s loft pan sets at Michael’s one day. The pearlescent watercolor set is gorgeous with that extra shimmer.

Favorite Paper – Brush Lettering

When using brush pens, keep in mind that these babies fray if used on anything but smooth paper. Frayed brush marker tips make for frustrated artists (by the way, did you know that the moment you touch a brush pen or other art supply – you become an artist?!). A splayed tip on a marker makes it nearly impossible to achieve that coveted ultra-thin up-stroke.

Taking good care of your brushes also means using some excellent paper with a smooth finish. The best paper is marker paper. SO smooth and silky. But my favorite paper in bulk is HP 32lb paper. The first ream is 250 sheets, which lasts me about a month and a half depending on my ambitions for the month or how many practice sheets I use. The second is 500 sheets – double the fun. What did I get? I ordered a half case. 1500 Sheets of paper shipped right to my door. It was on sale and will last me about 2 years at the rate I am going.

Paper

Favorite Paper – Watercolor Lettering

Watercolor lettering is like regular watercolor painting. So naturally, the best option is watercolor paper. Anything less than 140 lb paper will buckle.

I would NOT recommend using your brush pens on this paper – not unless you have a weird desire to buy the same marker over and over again because the tip is completely destroyed. 

I like the Canson watercolor paper on a regular basis. My watercolor lettering techniques don’t fully saturate the pages unlike painting a full-watercolor scene. In which case, there is nothing like using cotton paper. Many people who start their watercolor journey scoff at the idea of spending so much on paper. But trust me, when you get to the point and try it, you’ll understand.

I like different sizes of paper – big, small, some as big as your head (please tell me you know the reference and you sang along!)

Some of my favorite watercolor paper.

Hot Press vs. Cold Press

There is some discussion if Hot Press or Cold Press paper is better. To be honest, it is a personal preference. Hot-press paper is more smooth. Cold-press paper has more ‘tooth’ to it (there is more texture) and is rougher. My recommendation is to try them both in small samples and see what you like.

There are lots of supplies out there and many of them require time to develop the skills needed to get used to them. I hope I provided some inspiration for you and your lettering journey. Let me know what you think!

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Question:

What are your favorite lettering supplies?

plan your life so you live beautifully

Modern Calligraphy – There is Beauty in the Process

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Developing a Talent: There is Beauty in the Process

A few months ago, I set out on learning how to paint on canvas in the beautiful thick-and-thin stroke writing. I had NO IDEA what a process it was, I also had no idea how fun it was. I didn’t realize that my hand needed the training to know when to push harder on the brush to make the gorgeous thick downstrokes or that my hand would shake so badly when trying to make coveted thin upstroke. And who in their right mind would think it would be so difficult to make an oval? I learned all these things and more. Though I am far from being the ultimate source of lettering, I have come far in the process. There are many methods, and they are not all called calligraphy. The definitions are interwoven and not clear – this could be called faux calligraphy or even modern calligraphy. I will certainly try to bring a better definition next time.

Whenever you are starting a journey of developing a talent any sort – there will be pain, frustration, and tears. Time will pass and seem like there is no improvement. But then all at once, you begin to see progress and know that all of your perseverance has been worth it. There is beauty in the process. Sometimes you cannot see the beauty when you are in the middle, but once you can step back and see your progress, the journey can be more stunning than even the end result.

Things I never expected to happen during this process:

  • The muscles in my hand are stronger, I’ve developed muscle memory so the movement is nearly automatic.
  • I want to practice every day, especially since I got past the initial development part of practicing. It’s now actually fun to practice.
  • I have heard that it takes 10,000 hours to master something. I do plan on mastering hand lettering. Every day I practice is another step closer to my 10,000 hours logged. But 10,000 hours is a long time.
  • I’ve gained a love for the process. I wanted to just jump from beginner to incredible, but that is not a realistic expectation. If you are in the middle of a talent acquisition of your own, gain an appreciation for where I am now regardless of how close I am to what I consider ‘the end’.
  • my handwriting has improved – overall. Even on my notes at work, I see little extra flourishes and sometimes a ‘bounce’ in my letters. Some days I stop for a moment and smile inwardly at this sub-conscious result of practicing my lettering for months.
  • There is beauty in the process – not just the end result.

I discovered that there are lots of different ways to letter a word. Here is one method to start learning where the thick and thin strokes would go.

Downstrokes are thick

When you start the letter at the top and come down, those lines will be thick.

Upstrokes are thin

Anytime your pen/pencil starts going upward, use the lightest pressure and those strokes stay thin.

Faux/Modern Calligraphy:

This does method does not need a brush pen or anything fancy. I used a PaperMate Flair pen in this case, but you could use anything.

  1. I started with writing out the word but left extra spacing between the letters.
  2. Then on either side of any downstroke, I added extra width to the line as you can see in the ‘b’ and the ‘e’
  3. Fill in the extra lines
  4. Keep going until your downstrokes are completely filled
Faux Calligraphy, Modern Calligraphy, hand lettering, what ever it is called, there is a process and it is beautiful

Now What?

Once you have the basic shapes completed and the down strokes are as thick as you want, you can keep it as-is or you can start embellishing. Add white strokes to the thick parts. Then add highlights to one side of the letters and a slight shadow to the other side. (I always think about where the light is coming from so I don’t get my highlights and shadows mixed up). Then if you want, add more strokes around the edges. Remember that there is beauty in the process – not just in the end result.

In my December 2017 Welcome page, I talk about another method to add fonts to your journaling or pages. Read the post here!

Faux Calligraphy, Modern Calligraphy, hand lettering, what ever it is called, there is a process and it is beautiful

Remember to plan your life so you live beautifully.

~Tricia