Beginner Hand Lettering Series- Best Pens

Hi Friends!

This is the first post in my Beginner Hand Lettering Series. I can’t wait to share everything I WISH I had known when I was just starting to learn. Today, it’s all about pens! The most frequently asked question I get on Instagram is “What pen should I use? I’m a beginner!” Now I know there is SO MUCH out there so I am keeping it as simple as possible. Everything I recommend is something I have used and truly enjoy.

Knowing which pens to use is very important. Embassaringlsy enough I started with the WRONG ones which led to wasted time and money. EEEK! I thought to myself “I’ll never be able to do this!”  You want to set yourself up for success. I recommend starting with small tip brushed pens and then moving to a larger tip. In my experience, working with pens I wasn’t ready for only lead to discouragement and frustration.

Small Tip Brush Pens

1. Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip Pen– this pen has a firm tip (great for newbies who need practice getting those thin upstrokes!)
2. Tombow Fudenosuke Soft Tip Pen- a more flexible tip (great for adding more style to your letters)
3. Tombow Fudenosuke 2 Pack, Hard, and Soft Tip – A pack including one of the hard tip and one of the soft! I bought this at first so I could get practice with both!
4. Tombow Fudenosuke Colors- the same great hard tip pens that are great for controlling your thin upstrokes -now in color! Yay!
5. Pentel Arts Sign Pen Touch, Fude Brush Tip Pens– I have been obsessed ever since I picked these up. The colors are vibrant and they produce distinct thick and thin strokes! Note: If you love color then I suggest these over the Tombow Fude colors.

When you feel you are comfortable using a small tip brush pen, then you are ready to move to the next sizes!

Medium to Large Tip Brush Pens

1. Artline Stix Brush Pens– vibrant, colorful and water-based pens that connect like legos for creative designs! They are still firm enough to help with controlling your strokes. You can blend with these really well.
2. Sharpie Brush Pens- permanent ink pens (that won’t smear) with a super flexible brush tip to allow extremely thin and thick strokes! I am obsessed with the distinct look of these brush pens.
3. Tombow Dual Brush Pens- (Brights Pack) You can’t get any better than Tombow Dual Brush Pens. One side is a fine tip pen perfect for faux calligraphy or drawing. The other side is a large brush pen with juicy ink. It’s perfect for larger-scale lettering and blending beautiful colors. These pens are incredible! However, they are not super beginner-friendly. I am telling you this not to steer you away but to let you know if you start with these you may become frustrated. Work towards them.
4. Tombow Dual Brush Pens FULL SET – don’t waste your time buying each set individually, you can get the entire set with a holder and a blending palette.
5. Prismascholar Brush Pens- these budget-friendly pens are easier to control than the dual brushes (in my opinion) and have great colors! You’ll love them!

Other:

1. Crayola Super tip Markers- these are not brush pens but they are great for practicing thin upstrokes and thick downstrokes! I even added them to my recent giveaway because they can truly help a beginner! Consistency is key. I used these for pages and pages of practice when I first started. I find myself reaching for them a lot still to this day! You can get an entire pack for real cheap and use them on regular copy paper… yay!
2. Crayola Broad Line Markers– another great option for lettering without a big price tag.
3. Beginner Hand Lettering Set- You can purchase this set which includes a pencil and an eraser. The hard tip pen, the soft tip pen, and two dual brush pens. The perfect combination!

I can’t wait to hear which pens you decide to start with! Do you have any of the pens I listed above? Let me know by leaving a comment, finding me on Instagram or sending me a note at Jennie@JenniesLetters.com

Want more?

You can shop for my hand lettering practice worksheets (iPad / Procreate compatible) in my shop here

Shop everything I use for hand lettering here

Find me on Pinterest here