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Chocolate Musings

Set your goals - make the plans - artfully create your life - live it beautifully. Grab the good chocolate and find your muse.

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Home » Get Inspired » Product & Book Reviews

Beginner’s Handlettering Tips

April 17, 2024 Leave a Comment

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

Handlettering basics - lettering is more than just 'writing pretty' it's illustrating each stroke using thick and thin lines to form a letter - Want to learn more? Learn the basics + beyond | ChocolateMusings.com #handletteirng #beginner #brushlettering

Table of contents

  • The Thicks and Thins & The Basics of Modern Calligraphy Handlettering
  • Lettering Styles
  • What is Handlettering (and What is it Not)?
    • What Type of Lettering Is This Not:
  • What is Muscle Memory In Handlettering (and What Do Muscles Have to Do With Calligraphy)?
    • Developing Muscle Memory for Calligraphy is Similar To Riding a Bike
  • The Most Important Thing You Can Do to Learn Modern Calligraphy
  • Getting to Know the Thicks and Thins of Modern Calligraphy
    • Beginner Handlettering Tip: How to Hold Your Marker
    • Start With the Foundations – Basic Strokes
  • What are the Basic Strokes in Modern Calligraphy?
    • Basic Stroke Names:
    • Yes, But When Can I Break The Rules?
  • Additional Tips When Practicing Modern Calligraphy
  • Do You Need Special Supplies to Start Handlettering/Modern Calligraphy?
  • Beginning Handlettering Supplies – Short and Sweet Recommendation
    • Marker Guides, Practice Sheets & Practice Workbooks
  • Did I Miss Anything?

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.

Modern Brush Calligraphy is a Subset of Formal Calligraphy which is a Subset of Typography | ChocolateMusings.com #brushlettering #moderncalligraphy #modernbrushcalligraphy

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.

Modern Brush Calligraphy is a Subset of Formal Calligraphy which is a Subset of Typography | ChocolateMusings.com #brushlettering #moderncalligraphy #modernbrushcalligraphy

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.’

Muscles have a lot to do with writing—you know that. There are muscles in your hand and arm and nerves that send signals to your brain. I’m not going to go into the anatomy or the psychology of the muscle memory effect, but I can tell you that developing certain skills, calligraphy included, creates a connection from your hands to your brain that will stick with you once you’ve learned the skill.

The key is learning how to do it correctly from the beginning.

There are many articles written about muscle memory. Here is one from the Washington Post that sums up muscle memory nicely.

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.

The thick and thins of modern callgraphy handlettering tips to get you started | ChocolateMusings.com

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.

Handlettering Basics - Marker Pressure for creating thick and thin lines in your calligraphy practice | ChocolateMusings.com

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

  • Sale Product on sale
    Learn to Handletter with Small Markers - Lowercase letter practice book | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #moderncalligraphy #lowercase
    Workbook #2 Lowercase Alphabet (Miniscule) Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Small Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Learn to Handletter with Large Markers - Lowercase letter practice book | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #moderncalligraphy #lowercase
    Workbook #2 Lowercase Alphabet (Miniscule) Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Large Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Large Marker Modern Calligraphy Guide Booklet | ChocoalteMusings.com #handletteirng #brushlettering #moderncalligraphy
    Workbook #1 Basic Strokes Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Large Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Modern Calligraphy Handlettering Guide - Basic Strokes for SMALL Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #lettering #brushlettering
    Workbook #1 Basic Strokes Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Small Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart

What are the Basic Strokes in Modern Calligraphy?

Basic Modern Calligraphy Strokes | ChocolateMusings.com

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.

  • Sale Product on sale
    Learn to Handletter with Small Markers - Lowercase letter practice book | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #moderncalligraphy #lowercase
    Workbook #2 Lowercase Alphabet (Miniscule) Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Small Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Learn to Handletter with Large Markers - Lowercase letter practice book | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #moderncalligraphy #lowercase
    Workbook #2 Lowercase Alphabet (Miniscule) Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Large Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Large Marker Modern Calligraphy Guide Booklet | ChocoalteMusings.com #handletteirng #brushlettering #moderncalligraphy
    Workbook #1 Basic Strokes Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Large Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Modern Calligraphy Handlettering Guide - Basic Strokes for SMALL Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #lettering #brushlettering
    Workbook #1 Basic Strokes Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Small Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart

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!

Handlettering Supplies - Short and Sweet - Start Lettering Now
  • 32 Lb HP Premium Paper
  • Basic Modern Calligraphy Strokes Workbook #1 (Small Marker) Print on Smooth, Heavyweight Paper (like HP 32 LB Paper)
    >> Find this Product in the Chocolate Musings Shop!
  • Lowercase Alphabet (Minuscules) Modern Calligraphy Strokes Workbook #2 (Small Marker) Print on Smooth, Heavyweight Paper (like HP 32 LB Paper)
    >> Find this Product in the Chocolate Musings Shop!
  • Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip Marker Packs

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.

What size marker do I recommend to start handlettering? Modern Calligraphy Tips and Tricks | ChocolateMusings.com

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!

  • Sale Product on sale
    Large Marker Calligraphy Guide With & Without Slants
    Large Marker Calligraphy Guide With & Without Slants
    $2.50 Original price was: $2.50.$2.00Current price is: $2.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Small Marker Calligraphy Guide With & Without Slants
    Small Marker Calligraphy Guide With & Without Slants
    $2.50 Original price was: $2.50.$2.00Current price is: $2.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Large Marker Modern Calligraphy Guide Booklet | ChocoalteMusings.com #handletteirng #brushlettering #moderncalligraphy
    Workbook #1 Basic Strokes Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Large Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Modern Calligraphy Handlettering Guide - Basic Strokes for SMALL Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #lettering #brushlettering
    Workbook #1 Basic Strokes Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Small Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Learn to Handletter with Large Markers - Lowercase letter practice book | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #moderncalligraphy #lowercase
    Workbook #2 Lowercase Alphabet (Miniscule) Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Large Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Learn to Handletter with Small Markers - Lowercase letter practice book | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #moderncalligraphy #lowercase
    Workbook #2 Lowercase Alphabet (Miniscule) Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Small Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
Printed guides help your modern calligraphy practice | ChocolateMusings.com
Are you thinking about learning modern calligraphy/handlettering? Here are the tips to get you started as a beginner! | ChocolateMusings.com

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!

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Blog, featured, Get Creative, Pen & Marker Reviews, Product Reviews, Start Handlettering Here Tagged: beginner, beginning handlettering, calligraphy, handlettering, lettering, lettering supplies, modern calligraphy beginner supplies, supplies

Essential Handlettering Supplies for Beginners

April 16, 2024 3 Comments

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

  • Handlettering For Beginners: The Essential Supplies
  • First and Foremost – What am I Talking About? What Style of Handlettering Are These Supplies Good For?
  • My Essential Modern Calligraphy Handlettering Supplies for Beginners
    • Best Beginner Level Markers:
    • Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip – The Marker I Recommend for Beginners!
    • Tombow Fudenosuke Soft Tip
    • The Difference Between Hard Tip & Soft Tip Tombow Fudenosuke Pens
  • Other Supplies:
  • Optional Handlettering Supplies for Beginners:
  • Additional More Advanced Markers:
  • What I Prefer (to this day)
  • Ready to Start Handlettering?

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:

Essential Handlettering Supplies: Small Tipped Markers
  • Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen – Hard/Soft Tip Set
  • Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip Colors 10-Pack
  • Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip Marker Packs
  • Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tipped Neon Set
  • Tombow Fudenosuke Hard-Tipped Marker – 5 Pack
  • Tombow Fudenosuke Soft Tip Marker Packs
  • Tombow Fudenosuke Store on Amazon
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:

Essential Handlettering Supplies: Other Supplies
  • 32 Lb HP Premium Paper
  • Art Graf – Pack of 2 Pencils with Soft Lead
  • Copic Markers – Multiline Inking Pen Set – Waterproof – 9 Tip Sizes
  • Paper mate White Pearl Eraser (Latex Free)
  • Papermate InkJoy Pens (all versions)
  • Pentel Gold Gel Pen
  • Pentel Hi-Polymer Erasers
  • Pentel Sharp Mechanical Pencil .7mm Metallic
  • Pentel Touch Pen
  • Sakura Pigma Micron Fineliner Pens – Waterproof – 10 Sizes
  • Winsor & Newton Fineliner Pens – Pack of 5 – Waterproof (Assorted Sizes)
  • Zebra Zensations Technical Drawing Fineliner – Waterproof – 6 Pens

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:

Essential Handlettering Supplies: Optional Supplies
  • 12″ Helix Circle Ruler One of my favorite circle maker tools!
    >> Link to Product Amazon
    >> Link to Product Blick.com
  • 12″ Metal Ruler with Cork Base
  • 12″ Rolling Ruler
  • 6″ Metal Ruler with Cork Base
  • 6″ Rolling Ruler
  • Laser Level – Basic
  • Light Box – A4 Multiple Light Levels
ChocolateMusings.com Shop - Find it in the shop!
  • Sale Product on sale
    Learn to Handletter with Small Markers - Lowercase letter practice book | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #moderncalligraphy #lowercase
    Workbook #2 Lowercase Alphabet (Miniscule) Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Small Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Learn to Handletter with Large Markers - Lowercase letter practice book | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #moderncalligraphy #lowercase
    Workbook #2 Lowercase Alphabet (Miniscule) Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Large Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
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  • Sale Product on sale
    Large Marker Modern Calligraphy Guide Booklet | ChocoalteMusings.com #handletteirng #brushlettering #moderncalligraphy
    Workbook #1 Basic Strokes Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Large Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
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  • Sale Product on sale
    Modern Calligraphy Handlettering Guide - Basic Strokes for SMALL Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #lettering #brushlettering
    Workbook #1 Basic Strokes Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Small Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
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  • Sale Product on sale
    Large Marker Calligraphy Guide With & Without Slants
    Large Marker Calligraphy Guide With & Without Slants
    $2.50 Original price was: $2.50.$2.00Current price is: $2.00.
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  • Sale Product on sale
    Small Marker Calligraphy Guide With & Without Slants
    Small Marker Calligraphy Guide With & Without Slants
    $2.50 Original price was: $2.50.$2.00Current price is: $2.00.
    Add to cart
  • Alphabet Inspiration Booklet (Traveler's Notebook)
    Alphabet Inspiration Booklet (Traveler’s Notebook)
    $8.00
    Add to cart

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:

Essential Handlettering Supplies: Large Markers/Advanced Supplies
  • Karin Brushmarker Pro Box
  • Karin BrushPro Markers Mini Box 26 Colors
  • Karin Decobrush Metallic
  • Tombow Dual Brush Markers 10 Pack Brights
  • Tombow Dual Brush Markers 10 Pack Tropical Pack
  • Tombow Dual Brush Pens (ALL OF THEM!)
  • Tombow Fudenosuke Store on Amazon

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!

  • Sale Product on sale
    Learn to Handletter with Small Markers - Lowercase letter practice book | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #moderncalligraphy #lowercase
    Workbook #2 Lowercase Alphabet (Miniscule) Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Small Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Learn to Handletter with Large Markers - Lowercase letter practice book | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #moderncalligraphy #lowercase
    Workbook #2 Lowercase Alphabet (Miniscule) Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Large Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Large Marker Modern Calligraphy Guide Booklet | ChocoalteMusings.com #handletteirng #brushlettering #moderncalligraphy
    Workbook #1 Basic Strokes Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Large Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Modern Calligraphy Handlettering Guide - Basic Strokes for SMALL Markers | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #lettering #brushlettering
    Workbook #1 Basic Strokes Modern Calligraphy Workbook for Small Markers
    $15.00 Original price was: $15.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Large Marker Calligraphy Guide With & Without Slants
    Large Marker Calligraphy Guide With & Without Slants
    $2.50 Original price was: $2.50.$2.00Current price is: $2.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale Product on sale
    Small Marker Calligraphy Guide With & Without Slants
    Small Marker Calligraphy Guide With & Without Slants
    $2.50 Original price was: $2.50.$2.00Current price is: $2.00.
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Filed Under: Blog, Fun with Handlettering, Get Creative, Get Inspired, My Muses (My Favorites & Inspiration), Pen & Marker Reviews, Product & Book Reviews, Product Reviews, Start Handlettering Here, Tutorials & How To Tagged: beginner lettering, handlettering, lettering, supplies, tips & tricks

Product Review: Lightwish Acrylic Dual Tip Markers

September 13, 2023 Leave a Comment

Honest Review: Lightwish Acrylic Markers - ins and outs, good and bad. 
| ChocolateMusings.com

Table of contents

  • Product Review of the Lightwish Acrylic Dual Tip Markers
  • Expectations for the Lightwish Acrylic Dual-Tipped Markers
  • What The Marker Set Was Really Like – The Good, The Bad, and Would I Buy Again?
    • Flex Tip Markers
    • Lightwish Acrylic Dual Tip Marker Features
    • Colors
  • What I Tried
    • Bullet Journal Pages & Layering
    • Window & Glass
    • Faux Leather Soccer Ball
    • Croc Decoration
  • Would I Buy These Markers Again?
  • Where to Find/Links
Lightwish Acrylic Markers Product Review | Marker Color Features | ChocolateMusings.com

Product Review of the Lightwish Acrylic Dual Tip Markers

Product review of the Lightwish 48-color Dual-Brush Flex Tip Acrylic Paint Markers. I tested these markers on products and applications that I use regularly and tried to answer the questions I’d like to have answered. If I missed anything you’d like to know, please leave a comment.

Disclaimer: A representative from Lightwish contacted me and sent me the Lightwish Acrylic Dual Tip Markers – 48 Colors for free. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Lightwish Acrylic Dual-Tip Brush Markers Review Summary

4.5 out of 5

48 Dual Tipped Brush Pen Acrylic Paint Markers (also available in 60 colors).

Durability of Ink
4 out of 5
When tested on various surfaces, how well did the ink hold up?
Ease of Use
4.5 out of 5
How easy was it to use the markers from start to project completion?
Features & Colors
4.4 out of 5
Variety of colors and other features.
Price
5 out of 5
Value for the money.

Pros

Easy to use, no "activation' necessary

Good price for what you receive

Brush Pen – great for making thin & thick lines

Dual color markers – take up less space for more colors.

Variety of color choices. It seems especially great for landscapes.

Markers come with a carrying case to keep them together and secure.

Self-Cleaning Marker Tips

Cons

No color names, only numbers

Less ink for each color (dual tip = two colors per marker)

No activating paint could mean the markers dry out before reaching customers. (This didn't happen to me, but it's something to note.

Flex tip could get damaged with a lot of coloring.

Buy this Product

Buy on Amazon

Expectations for the Lightwish Acrylic Dual-Tipped Markers

Unlike many reviewers, I form opinions about the product before trying it. Then, I see how the product matches up with my expectations. So, here’s what I expected.

I expected these markers to be similar to all the other broad-tip acrylic paint markers I’ve used. No, I didn’t carefully look at the picture before I got them because it clearly shows a tapered tip. However, after I saw the tapered tip, I did not expect the marker tip to be flexible. After using the markers, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the features and how the products I tested held up to use. Although there were some features I’d like to see, nothing was a deal breaker.

I wanted to test at least these few things about the Lightwish Acrylic Markers:

  1. The durability of the markers.
  2. How opaque is the ink? I.e., how thickly do you need to apply the ink for good coverage?
  3. How fast do the markers dry out? (Time will tell with this one – I’ll update this post in 6 months.)
  4. Does the ink bleed through the paper in notebooks?
  5. How hard is it to remove the markers on glass surfaces once applied?

What else would you like to know about these markers?

What The Marker Set Was Really Like – The Good, The Bad, and Would I Buy Again?

Most of the acrylic markers I’ve tried have a stubby tip that you push down to ‘activate’ the paint. These Lightwish acrylic markers don’t require activation. I was surprised and also a little concerned. The only reason to be concerned was that they might dry out before getting to the consumer. But I didn’t have any issues with dry marker tips. In fact, all of the colors flowed nicely and continued to do so afterward.

One thing I was not able to test when it came to marker flow is how long they stay ‘fresh’ after opening the first time. Other acrylic markers tend to dry out quickly, so I recommend using them as soon as possible for any projects.

Flex Tip Markers

Surprisingly, the markers were true flex tip markers – meaning I could use them in modern calligraphy lettering without having to do the faux calligraphy technique. The nib wasn’t as flexible as, say, Tombow Dual Brush Pens, but I could get some great thin and thick lines when lettering.

The markers came in a clear, snap-shut carrying case. They snap in and out of place in the carrying case – which is very convenient. The markers stay together and secure in their carrying case. The case makes it easy to keep track of and store them horizontally.

Lightwish Acrylic Dual Tip Marker Features

Each Lightwish acrylic marker is dual-tipped, which I can see as both a pro & a con. For one thing, it takes up less space to get more colors! But if you need a lot of one color (like black), you might risk running out of ink before your project is through.

Dual Brush Tip Markers Color Choices | ChocolateMusings.com
Dual Brush Tip Markers Color Choices | ChocolateMusings.com

Colors

The 48-pack marker set came with lots of blues and greens to choose from. Plenty of purple and a few variations of gray mixed in. One color I expected to have more variety in was red despite the orange-red options. I guess I expected more options in the red-purple tones. Though I’m sure combined with orange and purples, you could get a larger variety if that was a big deal.

If Lightwish were to ask me what color I would take out and replace with a red-purple, I would look at the green, thinking that we could sacrifice one of those beautiful colors for another red. Maybe one of the sky/cerulean blue options. Of course, I’d probably end up relenting the loss of that color as well. This is probably why they haven’t (nor ever will) asked me my opinions on color choices.

I love to have color names for each color – and unfortunately, these Lightwish Acrylic Dual Tip Markers only have numbers but no names. I tried to run the names on the package through a translator (because they have Chinese symbols printed on them), but the translator couldn’t pick up the symbols.

Lightwish Color selection - Dual Tipped Brush Markers | ChocolateMusings.com
Dark Color Selection Dual Tipped Brush Markers | ChocolateMusings.com
Light Color Selection Dual Tipped Brush Markers | ChocolateMusings.com

What I Tried

Bullet Journal Pages & Layering

I used the markers when setting up one of my months in my bullet journal. I layered the colors thickly on top of each other, but they never bled through. And except where I purposefully left ridges on the edges of my marker painting, there was very little texture left by the paint. Something I was surprised by – usually, acrylic markers have a distinct texture left by the paint on the page. The texture was very minimal, if any. In some cases, it felt like I used Crayola Supertip Markers on the page instead of acrylic paint markers.

I tried layering many colors, and the colors blended well enough for acrylics. The colors did dry very quickly, so it was not easy to blend, but that’s to be expected with all acrylic markers. The marker tips were self-cleaning (meaning continued use of the marker after combining with another color – the marker returned to the original color and was not stained.)

Mermaid under the sea acrylic bullet journal weekly | ChocolateMusings.com
Mushroom Weekly  Bullet Journal Layout |  Acrylic Marker Review | ChocolateMusings.com
Simple Whale & Boat Line Drawing | Bullet Journal Collection | ChocolateMusings.com
Lightwish Marker Test Page - Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com
Book Magic Weekly Bullet Journal Layout | Lightwish Acrylic Marker Review | Bullet Journal Test | ChocolateMusings.com

About My Notebook

Some call me a paper & pen snob. I embrace it and admit it readily. The pages in my notebooks are thick. (I currently use an Archer and Olive A5 dot-grid notebook). And I prefer thicker paper to thinner paper like that in the Leuchtturm1917, Hobinochi Cousin, and Moleskine notebooks.

Some pre-made planner books have equally thin pages – so your results could be different than mine. I did, however, test the markers in an old Leuchtturm1917 notebook (they’ve since changed their paper slightly), and the Lightwish acrylic markers did not bleed through. They did ghost but did not bleed.

Need to know the difference between ghosting and bleeding? Read this post!

Ghosting vs Bleeding - What's the Difference? | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #ghosting #bleeding

Window & Glass

Handlettering on glass was extremely satisfying and fun. I loved not having to use the faux-calligraphy method of creating the thicks and thins of the calligraphy letters. I also loved the variance of ink levels when lettering. You can especially see this in the star shape I made in the picture below.

Removing the ink afterward was not easy. And I didn’t let it sit for long before trying to remove it. Please note before using it on a surface you want to reuse.

Can I do thicks and thins with these markers? You bet! On windows? yep! | Acrylic Marker Review | ChocolateMusings.com
Thins, thicks, how do these markers hold up to windows and other materials? Marker Review | ChocolateMusings.com

Faux Leather Soccer Ball

My six-year-old started soccer not long ago, and his coach gave him a soccer ball (standard issue – just like all the other kids on the team). The coach recommended decorating the soccer ball or writing his name on it so it didn’t get mixed up with all the other kids.

Well, we received the markers the same day we got the ball. Cue the markers! We had a ton of fun decorating the white sections of the ball with various colors from the Lightwish acrylic marker pack.

Surprisingly, the paint stuck. The paint has stuck through wet, dewy grass, kicks/scratches with cleats, and general six-year-old soccer ball use, plus a puppy who thinks he is a pro soccer player.

Lightwish Acrylic Markers Review - Markers vs. Six-Year-Old and Soccer Ball | ChocolateMusings.com

Croc Decoration

A friend recently asked me to create custom Crocs for her daughter. She couldn’t find the right size on Etsy for her daughter, so I gave it a go. Well, it kind of flopped. The acrylic-based markers I used at the time cracked in the creases almost immediately. It was disheartening and rather disappointing. Unfortunately, the same thing happened with the Lightwish Acrylic Markers. I would not recommend using these markers on Crocs or equivalent.

Would I Buy These Markers Again?

The takeaway for this product is to test with a small section or on a scratch piece to make sure the marker will ‘stick’ to the product. Overall, I thought the Lightwish Acrylic Markers were excellent and versatile.

Would I buy these markers? Yes! I would. In my opinion, I thought the value of the cost was great. And I enjoyed having a variety of colors. I especially liked how smooth the finish was on paper. In general, the markers were opaque enough that I didn’t have to color over and over again. They were easily layered/and blended well enough.

For my purposes, these markers fit nicely into my collection and work well with the products that I regularly use.

Where to Find/Links

Find the Lightwish Acrylic Markers featured in this review on Amazon!

Shop Amazon Now
Lightwish Acrylic Markers Product Review | Marker Color Features | ChocolateMusings.com
Lightwish Acrylic Markers Product Review | Bullet Journal Test | ChocolateMusings.com

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Filed Under: Blog, Get Inspired, Pen & Marker Reviews, Product & Book Reviews Tagged: acrylic markers, markers, product review

How to Solve a Problem (in Reverse)

January 11, 2022 Leave a Comment

How to Solve a Problem (in reverse) ideas for working through the silly things that hold you back | ChocolateMusings.com

How to Solve a Problem (in Reverse)

How to solve a problem in reverse – get motivated and find answers to your questions by giving yourself reversed solutions or how NOT to solve your problem. The reverse problem-solving method is enlightening, motivating, and a little silly.

Do you have issues solving your problems? Do you have a nagging concern or something you desperately want to change, and no solution seems to work? Whether it’s what to fix for dinner, what color to paint your house, or how to get out of your dead-end job, we all have problems big and small where the solutions elude us. I came across a way to problem-solve in reverse, and it’s very intriguing and somewhat comical.

One of my issues is finding the motivation to solve a problem. Adding research or additional tasks to my everyday life seems overwhelming, so in some cases, I decide that the problem is smaller than the solution itself. Sometimes the answer is living with the problem. But that way of thinking only applies to some situations, not all. If the problem bothers me that much, well, then it’s time to come up with a real solution.

Table of contents

  • How to Solve a Problem (in Reverse)
  • Where I Found This Reverse Problem-Solving Idea:
  • Curious About Reverse Problem Solving? Here’s how to do it:
  • What Problems Do You NOT Want to Solve?
  • Reverse Problem-Solving Example – How to Keep a Messy, Disorganized House
    • Reverse Idea: Don’t Organize Anything!
    • How to Keep a Messy House Conclusion:
  • How Do I Keep Myself Out of a Routine?
    • Some Other Things to Consider When Trying to Throw Routines to the Wolves:
  • Problem-Solving in Reverse: How NOT to Lose Weight
  • Reverse Problem-Solving Conclusion
  • What Other Problems do you NOT Want to Solve?
  • Find More Posts on Habits
  • Here are some additional articles I found helpful for creating routines:
Need to Solve a Problem? Try this reverse method to help you identify the thoughts that are holding you back | ChocolateMusings.com

Where I Found This Reverse Problem-Solving Idea:

While reading the Decision-Making Blueprint by Patrick Edblad, I found a ridiculous solution that made absolute sense. It’s called Inversion. The chapter is subtitled “Thinking backward instead of forward.”

First of all, let me ask the question for all of us: “What”? And the second question is, “how does this apply to my life issues?”

According to the German mathematician Carl Jacobi, the best way to clarify your thinking was to restate problems in their inverse. That sounds complicated. It also sounds like the kind of math my algebra teacher told me I’d use every day.

After reading a little more and trying to restate the question in reverse, it’s ridiculously insightful and surprisingly quite fun. Perhaps here is how we will use that advanced math in our lives, but not in the way our high school math teachers envisioned. Word-problem solving at its best.

Curious About Reverse Problem Solving? Here’s how to do it:

Think of your problem; instead of trying to solve it, you ask yourself how NOT to do it. No answer is too ridiculous. In fact, some of the most absurd-sounding answers might be closer to the truth than we like to admit.

What Problems Do You NOT Want to Solve?

Let’s ask you the question: What problems do you NOT want to solve? Getting in a routine? Going to bed on time? Planning out your day the night before? Here’s how I would think backward about those questions.

Reverse Problem-Solving Example – How to Keep a Messy, Disorganized House

Here’s an example of how to use this problem-solving technique.

First, start with the problem: I can’t keep my house organized.

Now, instead of brainstorming how to set habits and come up with different ideas and tasks, I chose to jot down everything I wasn’t going to keep my house organized.

For example, to keep my house in a disorganized array, I should leave the dishes in the sink and never load them in the dishwasher. If the dishes find their way into the dishwasher, the clean dishes should stay in that dishwasher for several days or a week to ensure they are dry.

To make sure my floors stay at their crummy best, I should sweep only once a week or less. The counters should NEVER be cleared, and laundry should be allowed to pile up so we have to climb over the mounds.

Reverse Idea: Don’t Organize Anything!

All cleaning supplies should be hard to get to for more disorganized fun. I should have to hunt for the correct cleaning item. Playing a game of hide and seek seems fun! Under no circumstances should it be put away after it’s used. When I run out or am low on supply, the best way to make sure that I don’t have it on hand for the next time I need it is to try and remember my shopping list all in my head. We should not ever keep a written shopping list.

Every drawer should be a junk drawer with any item thrown in it. Things do not have a ‘home’ location. If an activity makes you feel organized, avoid doing it at all costs. In fact, why not mix empty wrappers and unusable items with usable items for added confusion and inconvenience?

Finally, the best way to stay disorganized is to pile everything together and discontinue filing. Mail should never be sorted when it comes in. Optimal disorganization means I should touch everything more than once, preferably get lost at least once before I have to use it again.

How to Keep a Messy House Conclusion:

Doing this exercise makes me smile because the actions seem so ridiculous when spelled out like this. The sad truth is that developing these spectacular ways to keep me disorganized was not hard. Because, at some point or another, I must admit (at least a small amount of) guilt!

I also have to admit that I stretched ideas and made them seem more ridiculous than normal life.

From the perspective of keeping a disorganized house, it’s easier to see what habits to change or which ones I need to work on.

How Do I Keep Myself Out of a Routine?

First of all, when reverse problem-solving the life-routine question, I would never ask what plans I’ll make. Secondly, having a contingency plan for when I fall off the wagon would be the furthest thing from my thought process. Thirdly, who wants a routine to stick, anyway?

Excellent tips to keep me away from those pesky routines that might streamline processes and make caring for myself, my house, and my family.

How do you start a new habit or routine? Questions asked | ChocolateMusings.com #habit #routine #journal

Some Other Things to Consider When Trying to Throw Routines to the Wolves:

For one thing, I would never plan anything. If I had a planner, I would carry it around, never open it, or make sure to leave it at home instead of packing it in my purse. I would not set reminders to help me start a routine. Nor would I read any books from those who have experience in creating routines or habits.

Adopting the mindset that routines make you boring will drive you from creating any schedule. In fact, routinely telling yourself that routines are for losers or fuddy-duddies. (Did I just say fuddy-duddy? Also, did you see what I did there? Creating a routine of anti-routine!)

I got the idea of fuddy-duddy from an interview with Anna Quindlen by Gretchen Rubin. She talks about her routines and how she used to view them versus how she sees them now.

Problem-Solving in Reverse: How NOT to Lose Weight

First things first, stop and get a candy bar every day on your way home from work. On Saturdays, visit Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and stock up on sweet enough, gooey goodness to last the rest of the week. Another way to make sure those pounds pack on is to make sure TV is the top priority. When planning meals, takeout and drive-thru should appear on the schedule at least 4 nights per week, and be sure to sprinkle in some quick breakfast stops.

One final suggestion using the reverse problem-solving method and ensuring those pounds stay packed on your hips is increasing your soda intake.

Sounds ridiculous, right? Thinking in reverse adds a bit of comedic relief to problem-solving. If you thought about it, you could add some hilarious bits of advice that run a little too close to reality.

Follow My Health Journey and see what I use to get healthy & lose weight.

  • handmade game board tracker for classrooms, teachers & bullet journals | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bujo #tracker #gameboard
    Printable Tracker Game Board – Turn anything into a game!
    $6.00
    Select options

Reverse Problem-Solving Conclusion

Though problem-solving in reverse doesn’t provide all the answers, the realizations that it paints open your mind to the pitfalls or games you play with yourself. If you want to stick to a routine, maybe it’s your mindset instead of the method. Reverse problem-solving is admittedly eye-opening, and if I’m candid with myself, it’s a bit humbling.

Problem Solving in Reverse brings out the humor in the situation. Fun, silly responses often evoke the truth more than thinking about solving the problem and becoming frustrated. I find that I’m more honest about the things I need to change and concede that I do some of these actions, which directly impede the progress I DO want to make.

What Other Problems do you NOT Want to Solve?

Here are some additional suggestions for compiling your list using the reverse problem-solving method.

  • How to lose your temper all the time with your kids.
  • How to wake up tired.
  • What I am going to do to avoid exercise?
  • How to make myself miserable (and bring everyone down around me).
  • I’m excited to waste hours of my time scrolling through social media! Here’s how I do it.
  • How I plan to burn bridges and ruin relationships.
  • Who needs a successful marriage? Here’s my course for divorce.
  • Budgeting, smudgeting, why I spend my money on Amazon trinkets and fast food, and how you can blow your paycheck, too.

What other problems do you not want to solve? I’d love to know in the comments below. While you think about that, I’m off to clean my kitchen. But first, I’m going to put my bullet journal in my purse, so I’ll make sure to bring it with me.

Find More Posts on Habits

  • Battle With Stuff #2: How to Create Decluttering Habits
  • Advice For My Younger Self
  • Weekly Time Block Spreads for Your Bullet Journal
  • Find Your Inspiration (When It’s Lost)
  • Things to Learn From Your Friend’s Weight Loss

Here are some additional articles I found helpful for creating routines:

  • Zapier – Daily Routines
  • Goalcast – Establish a daily routine
  • Gretchen Rubin: Search on Routines

Here are some books I’ve read on organizing, decluttering, and habits. I’d love a recommendation and add it to my list. Let me know if you have more to add in the comments below.  

 

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Filed Under: Blog, Find Your Happy, Get Organized & Start Planning, Habits, Journal Prompts & Ideas, Product & Book Reviews Tagged: how to, journaling, Problem solving, Tutorial

Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review (Bullet Journal Version)

October 19, 2021 Leave a Comment

Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review - for Bullet Jouranalists | ChocolateMusings.com
Chalkola Acrylic Markers in a Glass Jar | ChocolateMusings.com
Cover Lettering with Chalkola Acrylic Markers - the markers went 6 months untouched | ChocolateMusings.com

I’m excited to review these Chalkola Acrylic Markers. Just a heads up, I reviewed these markers for use in my bullet journal and on paper. I love to use a lot of art supplies when I bullet journal. Sometimes I branch out and use the supplies outside of a notebook (a few of which I’ll highlight, here) but in general, I tend to stick pretty close to my notebooks and paper. I hope I cover everything you’d like to know in this Chalkola Acrylic Marker review – especially when it comes to bullet journaling. If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them in the comments below.

By the way, Chalkola sent me these acrylic markers, but with no pretense. They just said they liked my art on Instagram. So any opinions are mine & mine alone. You can learn more about my disclosures here. By the way, check me out on Instagram @ChocolateMusingsCreates

Table of contents

  • About the Acrylic Markers:
    • Colors in the 20-Color Pack
  • The Basics: How to Paint with Chalkola Acrylic Markers
  • Questions I Asked as I Reviewed the Acrylic Markers by Chalkola
  • Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review – Bullet Journal Cover:
    • What I Learned From the Notebook Cover Experiment
    • What I’d Do Differently
  • How Well Do They Clean-Up (After a Mistake)?
  • Inside the Notebook – Marker Review
  • Bleed Through Review
  • Reactivating the Markers Six-Months Later – Will They Still Work?
  • How Do Six-Month Old Markers Work?
  • Summary – Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review

About the Acrylic Markers:

The Chalkola Acrylic Markers I received came in a pack of 20 colors with an easily reversible 3mm bullet tip or chisel tip. They have a new 1mm extra-fine tip that I’m excited to try. But I used the 3mm tip markers equipped with the bullet tip for my test.

Find the Markers Here:

  • Amazon
  • Chalkola Website – Use this link for 10% off!

Colors in the 20-Color Pack

  • Candy Apple Red
  • Deep Cherise Pink
  • Electric Pink (?)
  • French Rose
  • Sherbet Orange
  • Warm Ivory
  • Orchid Purple
  • Taffy Pink (?)
  • Pineapple Yellow
  • Luminous Yellow
  • Lime Green
  • Royal Blue
  • Soft Blue
  • Turquoise
  • Emerald Green
  • Coffee Brown
  • Bright Gold
  • Metallic Silver
  • Pitch Black
  • Milky White (which is written there, I promise!)
Chalkola Acrylic Marker Swatches + Paint Marker Product Review | ChocolateMusings.com

The coffee looks more like a coffee diluted with a lot of creamers. I couldn’t tell the difference between taffy and electric pink. I’d love to see another shade of red or green instead of the selection of pinks. Overall, I like the quality and intensity of the colors. They’re semi-opaque, but you can add extra layers for a more opaque look.

Close up of acrylic markers in my bullet journal | ChocolateMusings.com
Chalkola Acrylic Markers Color Swatch Bullet Journal Spread | ChocolateMusings.com

The Basics: How to Paint with Chalkola Acrylic Markers

Before starting, activate all of your markers.

To activate your markers, shake the marker with the capped side upright several times before removing the cap. The box recommends shaking for 30 seconds per pen. When finished, remove the lid and press the marker’s tip up and down quickly several times on a piece of paper to get the ink flowing.

The box recommends using these acrylic paint markers on rocks, wood, metal, plastic, glass, ceramics, porcelain, and fabric. But you know I’ll test on other materials including my faux leather bullet journal cover and, of course, paper. I’m excited to see how they work in my notebook as well.

When finished, recap tightly and store them in a horizontal position.

Box Front View of the Chalkola 3mm Acrylic Paint Markers | ChocolateMusings.com
Back view of the Chalkola 3mm Acrylic Markers - Instructions on How to Activate | ChocolateMusings.com
Colors in the Chalkola 20 count Acrylic Paint Marker Box - Marker Review | ChocolateMusings.com
Colors in the Chalkola 20 count Acrylic Paint Marker Box - Marker Review | ChocolateMusings.com

Questions I Asked as I Reviewed the Acrylic Markers by Chalkola

First of all, I wanted to see how Chalkola acrylic markers worked on all sorts of surfaces (including the faux leather bullet journal cover). I don’t do a whole lot of other crafting, so I am sure these markers have many other uses – more than what I tested.

With watercolors, I know how to blend colors and transition from one color to another. But I wasn’t so sure what would happen with these Chalkola acrylic markers, especially on my bullet journal cover. So that’s what I set out to do.

  • Which Materials are best for the Chalkola Acrylic Markers?
  • Are the markers easy to use?
  • Is the paint permanent after it dries?
  • Does it rub off or wear off easily?
  • Can I remove the Chalkola Acrylic Paint after it dried – even from my bullet journal cover?
  • Can I fix mistakes (remove paint) while wet?
  • How quickly do Chalkola Acrylic Paint Makers dry?
  • Could I easily blend the colors?
  • What blending technique should I use?
  • If I used the marker tips to blend, how easily do they clean afterward?
  • Do the marker tips stain? (Meaning does the tip of the Chalkola Acrylic Marker self-clean, or does the tip continue to look dirty from the other colors.)
  • How would the colors look on a dark surface?
  • How well do the markers work after 6 months of non-use?

Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review – Bullet Journal Cover:

Since I bullet journal, I of course want see what I can use in (or on) my notebook. So I decided to paint the cover of my faux leather notebook Tumbitri Meri. If you’d like to know more about the Tumbitri Meri notebook I’m currently using, you can read (or watch) the review here.

The company logo was debossed in gold on the front cover – which I figured would be a good test on different surface materials for these Chalkola Acrylic Paint Markers.

Tumbitri Meri Notebook in Purple 220 Pages, 160 GSM comes with gold ruler with templates - great for bullet journaling | ChocolateMusings.com

What I Learned From the Notebook Cover Experiment

Painting the cover of my new bullet journal with Chalkola Acrylic Markers would help me learn several things about them. In this experiment, using the Chalkola Acrylic Paint Markers on my bullet journal cover, I discovered in real life how the markers performed.

Here’s what I learned:

  • The ink dried quickly, so I had to work in small sections.
  • The colors blended easily if I pushed down on the marker to release a little more paint. Like combining other water-based markers (like Tombows), the shades blended easier if I used the lighter color to mix. I used darker colors over the top of the logo to hide it better.
  • After mixing colors, I’d scribble on a piece of paper off to the side and clean the marker’s tip. It worked like a dream, and even the white marker didn’t stain. So every time I colored, the color was pure instead of muddied with another color.
  • The colors are not entirely opaque but become less and less transparent with each additional layer.
  • I found that if you add a base layer, let it dry, you could color over it again and enhance the color. You could blend with other colors at that point as well.
  • The markers needed multiple coats to cover dark surfaces.
  • If they started streaking, you could wait for them to dry and go over the same area again without a problem.
  • After letting the acrylic paint dry for a couple of minutes, I gingerly touched the paint. It was not tacky in the least. There were no visible or textured raised areas like you might find when painting with acrylic paint from a tube.

Read more about the process I used to paint the notebook cover in this post.

What I’d Do Differently

  • Next time I won’t be as shy about blending colors. Knowing that I can quickly and efficiently clean the marker tips makes all the difference in confidently mixing colors without worrying that I’ll ruin the tip or permanently stain it.

If you want to decorate your bullet journal or planner cover, I’d say these acrylic paint markers are the way to go. Check out how I used these markers in my September Leaves Theme. I even blended small areas of color directly on the paper.

Step 9: Add finishing details - here I added wispy tendrils at the base of the feather in white acrylic marker | ChocolateMusings.com
Cover Lettering with Chalkola Acrylic Markers - the markers went 6 months untouched | ChocolateMusings.com
Step 7: If you used a template, remove the vinyl or tape to reveal your design. | ChocolateMusings.com
How I painted my bullet journal notebook cover with acrylic markers - step-by-step pictures | ChocolateMusings.com

How Well Do They Clean-Up (After a Mistake)?

I colored outside the template lines a few times (gasp!) but removed the color with water and a Q-tip while the paint was still wet. The paint didn’t bleed under the template as it was not overly wet, so it stayed where I put it. In my second experiment (6-months later), I pushed down too hard and got a big blob of paint on the notebook cover. It cleaned up nicely with a few swipes of a wet Q-Tip.

If you mess up on an area where the paint’s already dried, use a bit of water or rubbing alcohol and a Q-Tip and rub at the mistake. The color will start to fade away. You might, however, see a different result based on the type of surface you’re painting.

Six months later, the paint looks great on the cover. I take my bullet journal everywhere in my purse. I would give the durability an A.

Inside the Notebook – Marker Review

Not only did I use the markers on the outside of my notebook but I also used them inside. Don’t worry, I’ll give you those details for this Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review.

In one case, I covered most of the page with paint (teal future log pages + argyle sweater cover page). If I colored slowly, I reduced the streaking. Probably because the paint was drying so quickly. One nice thing that I could cover the entire page in color and the page didn’t buckle as it does with watercolor. And for a layered design look like the argyle sweater cover page, just wait until the paint is dry and color over it. Since I use notebooks with thick pages, I had no trouble with bleeding.

I had trouble writing over the paint with my regular gel pens, but fineliners seemed to work just fine. I also used some lettering pens (Fudenosuke and Pentel Touch) which worked well over the markers (page with boxes & yellow box).

As far as testing on black paper, I did a pretty terrible job about documenting how the colors showed up on black paper vs. white paper, but I did notice quite a bit more streaks on dark paper. The dark paper required more layers just like the dark notebook covers. I think if I slowed down those streaks would go away and if you let the paint dry in between layers, the coverage would be better. When I get some 1mm pens, I’ll test it out better on black paper.

Blending and pen test with acrylic markers | ChocolateMusings.com
Argyle Sweater Bullet Journal Cover Page | ChocolateMusings.com
Fun painted future log page with full color paint | ChocolateMusings.com
Full Color Pages - No Wrinkles! | ChocolateMusings.com
Full page coverage using acrylic markers - without wrinkling | ChocolateMusings.com

Bleed Through Review

The markers didn’t bleed through in my regular notebook. It does have thicker pages (160gsm) than a Leuchtturm or Exceed notebook. So I also tried a notebook with super thin pages (the thinnest pages I could find!). As you can see from the first and second pictures, the markers ghosted but didn’t bleed through on this thin paper any worse than the regular pens I use on it.

Acrylic Marker Test vs. Thin Page Notebook - how did they do? | ChocolateMusings.com
Thin Paper vs. Acrylic Markers | ChocolateMusings.com
Acrylic Marker Test in a Thin-Paged Notebook - Still Fares Great! | ChocolateMusings.com
Ghosting vs Bleeding - What's the Difference? | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #ghosting #bleeding
Fading to fall leaves September Bullet Journal Plan with Me - Creative & Productive Bullet Journal Ideas & Spreads | ChocolateMusings.com

Find the Markers Here:

  • Amazon
  • Chalkola Website – Use this link for 10% off!

Reactivating the Markers Six-Months Later – Will They Still Work?

After an unexpected break from all things creativity (2020, am I right?!), I came back to this half-finished post and decided to dedicate a portion of the review to how well the Chalkola Acrylic Markers faired six months after opening them and activating them.

When I cracked open the box, I half expected each marker to be completely dry. After shaking them and ‘re-activating’ them, they seemed to work better than I expected. I think the markers laid horizontally (for the most part) during my six-month hiatus, which probably helped.

There was only one marker that I had issues reactivating. That was (I think) the electric pink. That was the only marker I switched the tip from round tip to chisel tip and left it that way. Not sure if that had anything to do with it, but that’s what I observed. I was able to coax the changeable tip out and could see that the paint had dried around where the tip met the reservoir.

I soaked the tip in a bit of water (hey! it was that or the trash can at this point) and stuck a pin down the marker tube to see if I could break up the dried paint. Amazingly, it worked. I could tell that the marker wanted to roll over and die, but it reactivated for my little experiment. I figure if I worked at it a little more, I could restore it further.

How Do Six-Month Old Markers Work?

All of the swatches below were done after the 6-month period. Certainly not like new, but I was surprised that they weren’t completely sealed over.

Chalkola Acrylic Markers Color Swatch Bullet Journal Spread | ChocolateMusings.com
Cover Lettering with Chalkola Acrylic Markers - the markers went 6 months untouched | ChocolateMusings.com

In good fashion, I created another cover with the markers to test blendability (is that a word?) and the flow of the markers. As you can see, I struggled a bit with the blue on the end. I had to make a pool of ink in a couple of instances and dip the markers into the pool to get the right amount of ink. Sometimes I pushed too long and hard to get more ink flowing and created ink blobs, but even these large blobs cleaned up with a Q-tip.

I would rather use these markers when they are fresh and newly activated, but what else can you expect from acrylic markers? In general, I was pleasantly surprised that they worked at all and were easy to reactivate for the most part.

Summary – Chalkola Acrylic Marker Review

Find the Markers Here:

  • Amazon
  • Chalkola Website – Use this link for 10% off!

The markers are straightforward and easy to use. Once they’re activated, there is not much effort to start creating. I haven’t tried extremely hard to remove the paint, but it doesn’t seem to scratch off or rub off easily. If you like a variety of supplies for your bullet journal, I would definitely add these to your list!

I’d love to know what you thought of this review and if you’ve tried acrylic markers in your bullet journal or notebook. Leave me a comment below!

  • Tutorial: How Watercolor Paint with Markers in Your Bullet Journal
  • Beginning Lettering Supplies
  • April Plan With Me 2019- Recipe Art Inspired
  • September Leaves with Acrylic Markers- Planner Set Up

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Filed Under: Blog, Bullet Journal, Creating Art - Watercolor, Painting & Drawing, Get Creative, Get Inspired, Get Organized & Start Planning, Pen & Marker Reviews, Product & Book Reviews, Tutorials & How To Tagged: acrylic markers, bullet journal cover, new bullet journal, product review

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About Me


Hi! I'm Tricia, the creative behind ChocolateMusings.com, I know how it feels to lose your inner muse. After years of darkness (which I call the dark ages of my life), I found my inner muse hiding in the forgotten corners of my soul, I vowed never to lose sight of her again.

Bullet journaling helped reignite the passion for art and living life again while organizing my days. I also discovered modern calligraphy and watercolor. Since then, my use of the bullet journal system has evlolved and I call it 'creative planning'. Here on the blog, I show you how to use your planner to ignite your inner muse and explore creativity and art while staying beautifully organized and living a joyful life.

I invite you to grab some good chocolate and dive into my musings. Let’s ignite your inner muse.

Read more on the about me page. You can also find my policies and disclosures here.

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