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- Best Overall
- Dryden Luxury Bamboo Fountain Pen with Case
- Classy and luxurious
- Glides over the page
- Doesn’t blotch nor bleed
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- Premium Choice
- Pilot Parallel 4-Nib Calligraphy Pen Set
- 4 individual Parallel Pens
- 2 ink cartridges
- Gradient effect
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- Great Value
- Daveliou Calligraphy Set (19 Piece)
- Black and gold case
- 2 straight dip pens
- Handy pamphlet
- CHECK AVAILABILITY
For the past few years, the internet has witnessed a boom in calligraphy writing. Raw, elegant, handwritten lettering was slapped on everything the people could get their hands on: merchandise, publicity materials, arts and crafts, party invitations and posters… it became a massive trend, and hobbyists and professionals alike hopped on the train.
Calligraphy takes a lot of patience, practice, and getting used to- but once you do learn it, it’s a worthwhile skill. It can save you a lot on gifts and invitations (especially if you’re crafty), and if you really take it seriously, it can even become a source of income.
Nowadays, even professional creatives such as traditional artists, illustrators, graphic designers, and even muralists learn calligraphy, to give them an edge when they incorporate it onto their designs.
So, let’s stop beating around the bush! Not sure about what tools to use, where to start, and how to learn? Don’t worry, because we’ve got all the answers for you! This article is your starter kit to becoming a master calligrapher, so stick around to know everything there is to know about the basics of calligraphy, from the supplies to the different types of styles!
Top Calligraphy Pens for Beginners
In calligraphy, the skill doesn’t entirely rely on the tool, but it does help if you’ve got good products. A pen that easily dries out, splotchy ink, scratchy lines, and bleed on paper can dishearten those trying out calligraphy, especially if they didn’t research much- so continue reading to know more about the best calligraphy pens for beginners like you!
Dryden Luxury Bamboo Fountain Pen with Case
Don’t get intimidated by the name of this calligraphy pen! Yes, it’s classy and luxurious, but it’s also as efficient. The Dryden Luxury Bamboo Fountain Pen is lightweight and glides over the page as you write, making it easy for beginners like you to learn calligraphy.
Aside from this, it doesn’t blotch nor bleed, saving you a lot of paper (and trust me, if you’re learning, you’ll be needing a lot!).
To add, its elegance and sophistication are sure to make you look like a pro- even if you’re still learning!
Pilot Parallel 4-Nib Calligraphy Pen Set
Pilot has been producing high quality writing materials for over 100 years. Whatever the purpose may be for, they’re sure to have it- and that includes calligraphy!
This Pilot Parallel 4-Nib Calligraphy Set comes with four individual Parallel Pens in varying nibs: 1.5 mm, 2.4 mm, 3.8 mm, and 6.0 mm.
Each pen comes with two ink cartridges, and a cool feature is that two different ink colors can flow from the same nib, giving your work that beautiful gradient effect that you see all over Instagram. If you’re feeling more bold and experimental, this set’s a definite must-have for you.
Daveliou Calligraphy Set (19 Piece)
For our third pick, we have the Daveliou Calligraphy Set- which has everything you need to get started on practicing calligraphy.
All packaged in a sophisticated-looking black and gold case, it has two straight dip pens, five colored inks, twelve nibs, and a handy pamphlet showcasing different calligraphy styles to guide you as you practice.
The most important question, however, is how does it write? The nibs are easy to replace and the ink flows well, meaning no more blotchy and scratchy writing!
Kuretake Zig 8-Color Set
The fourth pick is a product great for people of all ages. Kuretake Zig is known for their flexible dual tip brush pens, which come in many colors. This 8-color set is the best one to start with if you’re only practicing; it’s cheap, acid-free, and photo-safe!
To add, the ink is also odorless, non-toxic, and water-based, so it can create gradients and watercolor or paint-like effects. You’ll go color-crazy with how easy these are to blend- so not only are these good for calligraphy, but for illustrating as well!
Daveliou Calligraphy Pen Set (17 Piece)
If you’re looking for a cheaper yet still quality set, then go for the Daveliou Calligraphy Pen Set! It’s pretty much like our third pick, but this one’s geared more towards the Potterhead fans- it has everything you need to get started in wizard calligraphy!
How cool, right? The two straight dip pens, celestial pewter pen rest have unique designs that’s sure to make witchcraft enthusiasts swoon.
It also comes with four non-toxic inks (safety first!) in Raven Black, Noble Purple, Faerie Green, and Starry Silver, twelve nibs, and a blue and silver leaf box.
Duke Sapphire Fude Pen
The Duke Sapphire Fude Pen is an italic calligraphy fountain pen that features the traditional iridium nib, and comes with an intricately-designed cap with a studded sapphire (fancy!) so it doesn’t dry easily, a pen pouch, and one removable converter.
It’s a handy, lightweight pen that allows you to draw fine lines, or write either thinly or thickly- best if you want to work on your strokes!
Plotube Wooden Pen Calligraphy Set
We’re featuring another calligraphy set for our seventh pick! Easy to control and handle, the Plotube Wooden Pen Calligraphy Set is ideal for either beginners or professionals.
You’ll also get your money’s worth with this one, for it comes with a rosewood pen, eleven stainless steel nibs, one golden pen holder, and black ink; it looks fancy enough to serve as a gift for your artsy friends, too!
Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens
Brush pens are probably the most accessible type of pen for beginners- and these Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens are at the top of the game. They come in a pack of three: the Hard, the Soft, and the Twin-Tip. Best for brush calligraphy, hand lettering, and illustration; you might want to grab these to practice on your line control.
The Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens use water-based, pigmented, and odorless ink. They’re non-refillable, but they’re cheap; so still a pretty good buy!
Calligraphy Pens For Beginners Tips
For beginners, one infamous tip is to start with “faux calligraphy”- basically, it’s calligraphy using a simple ballpoint pen. This is a good tip, if you want to improve the way you hold and angle the pen, but not exactly when it’s all you want to be stuck with doing.
In order to improve, you have to explore with the different types of scripts you can create- and a ballpoint pen can only do so much (not to mention that’s it’s super wasteful on ink).
So, let’s learn about the different types of calligraphy and pens in order to help you widen your horizons as a calligrapher!
Different Types of Calligraphy
Before anything else, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with different types of calligraphy styles. As an art form that has been around for hundreds of years, a lot of different scripts have surfaced. With the traditional and modern calligraphy combined, you’ve got a lot of options!
You can start with the basics or look for a particular style that you want to learn- it all depends on what you want, on what feels more like you as a calligrapher.
Below are the more commonly known calligraphy styles that you can start with:
Bookhand
This calligraphy style was used in the 5th to 8th centuries, back when people had to write books by hand- thus the name bookhand. A defining characteristic of this is that the letters are evenly-spaced and balanced, so that they’re easy to read.
Roman
The Roman calligraphy style, or the Antiqua, was one of the first scripts to have the miniscule (lowercase) and majuscule (uppercase) forms. It features both thin and thick strokes, which are also easy to read.
Italic
The Italic calligraphy style, also known as chancery cursive, is a slanted script developed in Italy during the Renaissance. It is said that it was developed because it was faster, unlike the other scripts that were too detailed and took too long to write. Basically, this script was born out of the need for functionality.
Blackletter
The Blackletter calligraphy style is the probably the most infamous of all. Usually associated with Gothic or Old English text, Blackletter consists of thick strokes with distinct points that sets it apart from the more usual curvy calligraphy styles.
Copperplate
This is a style often used as a general term for any calligraphy script written using a pointed pen. However, the term copperplate is actually a reference to the script seen in book printed using the Intaglio printing method.
The Copperplate calligraphy style can be described as curvy, lavish, and round.
Modern Calligraphy
Modern calligraphy combines different styles and techniques in order to create a unique script. Nowadays, a lot of these scripts can be seen on digital typefaces, which are used in modern-day editing. The example shown below is a cursive calligraphy script, or bouncy letters, as they call it.
Types of Calligraphy Pens
Now that you know the different types of styles, it’s time for you to learn the different types of pens. It’s important to know the distinctive qualities of each calligraphy pen, for they all produce different results. If you have a specific calligraphy style that you want to focus on, there’s most likely a pen that’s best suited for achieving that look.
Fountain Pens
Fountain pens, much like the dip pen, have nibs that help streamline the flow of ink onto the paper. The only difference is that with this pen, you won’t have to dip every other time- it already has a built-in ink reservoir or a cartridge. The ink flows through the nib with the help of your hand and, of course, gravity!
Felt Tip Markers
Felt tip markers are known for having a porous material (in this case, felt) as tips. Inside it, an absorbent material filled with ink serves as the ink source. Felt tip markers are known for having various tips, which may be round, narrow, or broad. This is mostly used in modern calligraphy, since the tip allows varying thicknesses. A famous example of a felt tip marker brand is Sharpie- and they have a lot of colors too!
Dip Pens
Dip pens are the predecessor to the fountain pens. These, as mentioned earlier, have nibs connected to a handle made out of wood, bone, metal, or plastic. They have no ink reservoirs or cartridges inside them, so you’ll need a separate ink holder- or an inkwell- where you can dip the nib in.
Oblique Pen
The Oblique pen may look really complicated, but believe it or not, they were actually invented to make writing more comfortable! Oblique pens feature a protruding nib that makes you write at an angle opposite from what you’re used to, which is straight. It takes some getting used to, but if you want to achieve the slanted and thin-looking script, then it’s best to go for the oblique pen.
Feather Calligraphy Pen
Whenever someone talks about calligraphy, or writing during the olden times, this pen is probably the first that comes to mind. The Feather Calligraphy pen, also known as the quill, looks exactly how it’s described: it’s the feather of a bird used for writing. The method of using it, however, is similar to the dip pen, since it doesn’t have an ink reservoir.
Because of its hard tip, it tends to create sharp lines. So if you’re aiming for that ancient vibe, or if you just want to live out your Hogwarts education dreams, then this is the pen for you!
Nibs
Nibs are the parts of the fountain pen, dip pen, and oblique pen from which the ink flows through and comes in contact with the paper. These come in a multitude of shapes, sizes, and flexibility, that in turn produce different styles and strokes. They can also be attached and reattached. Traditional nibs are usually made out of iridium, but nowadays, stainless steel nibs are just as effective and more accessible on the market.
In a nutshell
Now that you know the history, the styles, the different supplies, and best products to use, you’re on your way to being an expert calligrapher. Remember, in calligraphy, practice is key. It’s the only way you can perfect, and eventually even innovate the craft!
And if you’re comfortable with your calligraphy, don’t be afraid to flaunt it- create merchandise, letters to friends and family, gifts, invitations- or just go to town and slap it on everything you get your hands on! That’s the beauty of calligraphy; you can share it with everyone.
We hope this article answered all your questions about calligraphy, and has made you even more eager to start learning. Good luck, and more importantly, have fun!
