UPDATE: Beginner Brush Lettering Workshop is now available!!! CLICK HERE to find out more and register. It’s pretty freaking awesome, if I do say so myself.
I’ve had so much fun traveling the last few months. It’s been amazing to be able to go to places I’ve never been before (more places to come soon, I just have to complete a couple things first! Charlotte, NYC and Austin are up on my list!). It’s been wonderful to be able to travel, meet so many creative people and share my love for calligraphy with those I meet.
While at the Inspired Conference in April, I contacted 3 generous companies that provided each attendee with brush markers. Me personally, rad pens and markers are the best kind of swag ever.
I use these markers all the time (and a few others, see below). And get asked constantly what kind of pen/marker I’m using. So here you go. Here’s what I use.
- Copic Multiliner (c/o Copic) – the multiliner is small but lots of flex. It’s got some stiffness to it so the hairlines are more uniform. See it in action here.
- Tombow Dual Brush (c/o Tombow) – this is a preferred marker for a lot of calligraphers. It comes in a million colors (love the bright pallette), too. Not a ton of flex but because of the cone on the side, you still get a fair amount of drama. See the colors blend here.
- Pilot Pocket Brush (c/o JetPens.com – where you can buy all things pen-related) – this one has taken some time to get used to, but I love it for its unruliness. It’s super soft and squishy so you get a lot of drama, even with the hairlines. See it in action here.
You can expect to see a full-fledged class coming soon! But for now, you may as well stock up on some fun pens while you wait. Here are more of my go-to brush markers:
- Sakura koi marker – lots of colors available, portable
- Sakura pigma brush – available in bold, medium and fine points
- Pentel sign pen – fine marker
- Pentel color brush pen – lots of colors, super thick 3/4″ strokes
- Faber Castel pitt pen – fine marker
- Copic sketch marker – lots of colors, best with marker layout paper
Each marker has its own personality and works well on different surfaces. I used the Sakura pigma brush marker to sign my name on the side of a Giovanni’s food truck while in Hawaii. I have a smattering of markers and pens with me at any given time. And many cases it’s come in handy to be able to write on just about any surface at just about any scale.
If lettering isn’t your thing, try using any of these awesome markers for illustrating! Even the most crude drawings look awesome with line-variation. The above I drew for a lesson I taught at church about taking care of our bodies. And of course doughnuts cookies and chocolate had to make an appearance on the handout. :) All things in moderation, right?
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Wow!!! This post knocked me outta the water. You already know my love for brush pens. Thanks for such a great resource… ahem, I’ll be linking to this post in my post this week! ;)
Sharisse, I can’t wait to read your post!!
Please message me about upcoming classes in Texas! Thank you!!!
Sign up for the newsletter or follow on Instagram at http://instagram.com/melissapher to find out when that happens. ;)
Thank you so much for this! I am a beginner and really interested to learn lettering! Your post about brushes cleared up my confusion on what brush to use.
Please let me know about classes in Charlotte, NC or Asheville!
What—I had no idea that Copic made brush Multiliners. Amazon, here I come!
Thank you for this- practicing now with tombow and I’m excited to try the others :)
Is it just me or is interest brush handlettering exploding on social media right now?!
Oh it’s totally blowing up! I love how convenient it is!
[…] Esplin posted a go to guide all about which markers you should consider when starting out your hand lettering adventure. I […]