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One of the most common questions that calligraphy beginners have is what pen should i start with?
Answering this question right off the bat is not as simple as you may think, mostly because the answer could be different from person to person.Β
Simply put – the best calligraphy pen for beginners depends on what kind of calligraphy style (script) you want to learn.
Let me present this from a different perspective. Imagine someone asking – what is the best ball for sports?Β
You would probably wonder, well which sport exactly?Β
Pin me!
This is exactly why I decided to create a guide that will help you not only answer the question about the best calligraphy tool, but also to understand why the answer could be different depending on your intent.
Letβs have a quick overview of what we have prepared in this post –
- Different calligraphy scripts – understanding why the answer could vary
- What is the best calligraphy pen to start with?
- What other tools you need to start?
- Final words
Donβt worry, i completely understand that from a beginners perspective this may seem complicated, but believe you will be glad that youβve read this post.
Itβs really important to understand these things before you go out and start spending money on various calligraphy kits or fancy fountain pens.
First we will have a look at the different calligraphy styles (scripts) and then i will give you a recommendation based on the style (script) you are interested to learn.
Ok, letβs cut the chit chat and letβs get down to work!
DIFFERENT CALLIGRAPHY (STYLES) SCRIPTSΒ
As we talked in some of our previous articles, calligraphy is the art of beautiful writing and itβs performed with a variety of specific tools created for that purpose.
HOWEVER, calligraphy is a broad term and there are bunch of different scripts and styles that fall under that term.
This is exactly the reason why the answer to – ββwhat is the best calligraphy penββ could vary from person to person.
For example, a tool for blackletter (gothic) calligraphy has a specific design that you simply wonβt be able to (or you will have a very hard time) to create i.e. the copperplate calligraphy script.
Before you start watching tutorials or buying any supplies there is a very important question you should ask yourself that could determine your direction.
That question is – What calligraphy script do i want to start to learn?
Once youβve figured out that part you can start searching for educational resources and you can start buying supplies for it.
In case you are not sure which one to start with –
donβt worry, thatβs why we are here!
There are hundreds of different calligraphy scripts that you can practice, but we will just go through some of the most popular – we want to avoid too much confusion, especially in the early steps of your calligraphy journey.
Also, itβs important to mention that many scripts can be performed with the same tool, so itβs not like you will have to spend a whole bunch in order to get started – we will get to that part a bit later.
For now letβs have a quick overview on the different (popular) calligraphy scripts – by popular i mean what i personally see most frequently across social media platforms.
I have divided the calligraphy scripts in groups that are based on the same calligraphy tool which will help you to understand their similarities.
If you would like to learn more about the different calligraphy styles and scripts i HIGHLY recommend you getting yourself this book by David Harris.
BROAD (WIDE) NIB CALLIGRAPHY SCRIPTS
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In this group we have all the scripts (most popular) that are performed with a broad (wide) nib.
There are many more scripts that were developed through the history of western calligraphy, but these are the ones i see are being practiced the most.
Blackletter calligraphy
Italic calligraphy
Roman capitals
Uncials
POINTED NIB CALLIGRAPHY SCRIPTS
The second group is all about scripts performed with a pointed nib.
Copperplate
Spencerian
Modern calligraphy
MODERN CALLIGRAPHY (EXPERIMENTAL)
Modern calligraphy is basically a style that deviates from the rules of traditional calligraphy scripts.
I think there are a lot of mixed feelings when it comes to modern calligraphy, from my point of view it really seems like some are against this technique while other donβt practice nothing but modern calligraphy styles.
Personally i enjoy both, i love the rich history behind the traditional calligraphy and the vast variety of well established calligraphy scripts, and i also enjoy the freedom behind modern calligraphy.
I would argue that both have their pros and cons, and to be honest i think that you should always try to step out of your comfort zone and push your creative boundaries.
Making a decision – and sticking to it!
Now that you have an overview on some of the different calligraphy styles, i would encourage you to take your time and decide which one you would like to start with.
In case you are a total beginner i would highly suggest to pick one and stick to it for the first month or two (at least).
This should give you enough time to understand the basics and fundamentals of calligraphy, and at that point you can start exploring different scripts.
Skipping from one script to another as a complete beginner will definitely slow down your progress and on top of that it will cost you more – and thatβs something we want to avoid.
Ok, now that you understand that ββthe best pen for calligraphyββ highly depends on your choice we can proceed to the recommendation part.
BEST CALLIGRAPHY PENS TO START WITH
Let me start this part by saying that you absolutely do not need fancy tools to do calligraphy – and more important, a more expensive tool will not improve your skills.
Quite often i see on various Facebook groups people linking to calligraphy kits (50$+ in value) and asking if these are good for beginners.Β
Starting with calligraphy doesnβt need to be expensive at all, and there is a variety of tools that are good quality and Β do not cost a fortune.
The best calligraphy pen for beginners (broad nib scripts)
If you are interested to start with a calligraphy script that is performed with a broad (wide) nib pen, the best tool you can start with is the Pilot Parallel pen.
This is one of the most popular calligraphy tools and for a good reason!
The Pilot Parallel pen is basically a fountain pen with two flat metal plates pressed at each other as the tip of the pen.
For those who donβt know what a fountain pen is – itβs a pen that has ink cartridges stored in the body of the pen instead of having to dip the pen in the ink every few strokes.
This makes it even easier for beginners since it doesnβt require any preparations before being able to use the pen – also it will help to prevent creating a mess π
The Pilot Parallel pen comes in 4 different sizes –
- 1.5 mm wide nib
- 2.4 mm wide nib
- 3.8 mm wide nib
- 6.0 mm wide nib
My personal favorite is the 3.8 mm one which gives you neither too big or too small strokes.
You can get the whole set (all 4 of them) for around 20$ and if you are really on a budget, the single pen is around 8$.
Each pen comes with two ink cartridges, a nib cleaner and small booklet – like an instructional manual that guides you through some basic strokes.
If you want to stock up on the ink cartridges, Pilot has an offer of 3 boxes (12 cartridges each) for around 8$ – i would highly recommend that you only use the ink cartridges made by Pilot.
Iβve heard other people saying that using different brands may cause issues like clogging the metal nib.
In case you are interested in a calligraphy script that requires a broad (wide) nib tool (like the ones we mentioned earlier), the Parallel Pen is definitely your top choice!
The best pen for calligraphy beginners (pointed nib scripts)
For this category things are a bit different.
We have to turn to more traditional tools as there arenβt any reliable options for fountain pens.
The first thing you need to choose is whether to go with a straight holder or an oblique holder – my pick here goes definitely to the oblique holder.
You see using these tools require you to learn and master a different kind of hold – you donβt hold and write with these pens like you do with a normal ballpoint pen.
The oblique pen holder allows you to hold the pen in a more comfortable position, and at least in my case, i found it much easier to handle compared to the straight holder.
Aside from the pen holder we have the calligraphy nibs.
There are a lot of different nibs and they all vary in sizes, flexibility etc.
I’m going to make your life easier and simply recommend an affordable set so you donβt have to hunt the parts individually.
Recommendation 1 – The Speedball oblique pen set
In this set you get an oblique holder and 2 different kinds of nibs – 6 in total + the price is very affordable, around 12$!
Recommendation 2 – Manuscript oblique calligraphy set
This set is great! It includes an oblique holder, 3 different kind of nibs and a small black ink bottle.
The price on this one is slightly higher compared to the Speedball but it includes the ink which the Speedball doesnβt.
In case you are interested in crafting your own set you can simply buy the parts separately.
Here are a few recommendations for the best calligraphy nibs –
The look of traditional scripts can also be achieved with felt tip brush pens.
In case you want to do it with a brush pen i would recommend a smaller size brush pen such as the –
Along with your holder and nib you will also need some ink (duh).
Again you have a pretty wide choice when it comes to ink but for now iβll just give you a quick recommendation –
The best calligraphy pens for beginners (modern calligraphy & experimental)
The last part we are going to talk about are the pens for modern calligraphy and other experimental styles.
For modern calligraphy it seems that the most popular tools are felt tip brush pens.
Brush pens are much easier to start with and they have a lower learning curve compared to traditional dip pens
We wrote 2 review post on the top 5 best brush pens that you can start with, and if this is the direction you would like to start with i would recommend you checking them out.
In case you are really on a tight budget and you want to start right away creating some satisfying thick and thins, you can always start with a pencil.
Thatβs right, a pencil with a softer lead can also be used for calligraphy – check out this video
WHAT OTHER TOOLS DO YOU NEED TO START?
Ok so we covered the basic writing tools but we still need a few more things before you can start practicing.
Paper –
We already wrote a more extensive guide where we talk about the different types of papers and which one you should get depending on the tool that you use.
Since you’re already here im just going to mention a few recommendations.
When you are dealing with calligraphy there is an absolute must for paper – it has to be bleed-proof!
Here are a few suggestions –
- Rhodia
- Canson marker pad
- HP Premium 32 Β – great for printing practice sheets!
These are great papers for practice, however, for finished work you should use thicker paper as the above mentioned ones tend to wrinkle easier.
The Rolling Ruler
– im going to say this one time loud and clear –
YOU NEED GUIDELINES FOR CALLIGRAPHY!!
You canβt eyeball your letters especially as a beginner, you need guidelines – period.
They will make your life so much easier and you will improve much quicker with them.
There is an awesome ruler that i constantly recommend, a ruler made specifically with the purpose of drawing parallel lines quickly and efficiently.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the – ROLLING RULER Β ( yeaahh! clap clap clap (crowd going crazy) clap clap)
Aside from the paper and the rolling ruler you will also need a pencil and an eraser to draw your guidelines.
FINAL WORDS
So a quick recap of the whole story –
If you are a beginner, ask yourself what kind of calligraphy would you like to practice before you purchase any kind of pen.
As i said, you really donβt need to spend a lot of money in order to start, and i would advise you to get just the very fundamental tools.
After the first few months of consistent practicing you will start to develop a feeling for calligraphy and your own personal style, and at that point you can start considering to expand your toolbox.
You should definitely join our Facebook group where you can share your work, ask questions, get feedback, network with other lettering and calligraphy artists, and much more.
Keep practicing and until the next time,
Stay AWESOME!
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Thank you for all the information. I am look in Gabi to starting from scratch so very helpful info!
You are welcome π
What’s the best pen for spencerian penmanship? After reading your article I was still unsure
Sorry about that Robert! For Spencerian, you will need a pointed pen. An oblique holder and a nib to be more specific. I hope this helps!
Hello! Can you recommend the best calligraphy ink to use as a beginner?
Hey Erika, when we talk about calligraphy ink we also need to talk about the pens/nibs and paper as well. The same ink will behave differently on different kinds of paper or if used with different nibs. These are the calligraphy nuances you will start to notice with time and practice. The more tools you will try and work with, the more you will become aware of the small differences. Considering I am still an amateur as well my knowledge is fairly limited. I’ve tested a lot of different tools and inks as well. A good starting point is – Speedball Indian black ink, Winsor & Newton calligraphy ink, Sumi ink, and perhaps my favorite – gouache. Gouache is great for multiple reasons, but the main two are the color choice and the liberty of adjusting the consistency of the liquid. Let me know if you have any other questions, and i will do my best to help you out π
Hey there! I need a piece of advice I can’t really find anywhere. I would like to offer a calligraphy pen to a friend for Christmas and I found some pretty cool ones but I am wondering what is best between a dip calligraphy pen or a fountain pen. Thanks a lot!
Hey Cris, Sorry for replying so late. I am writing a gift guide as we speak, however, in the meantime I would suggest that you go with a dip pen rather than a fountain pen. Dip pens are in my opinion a more professional tool for calligraphy than fountain pens.
Just one minor note. After I read this article I bought the oblique calligraphy pen only to find out that left-handed people fare MUCH better with the standard calligraphy pen that is not offset since lefties write at a 55-60 degree slant naturally.
Everything else has been very helpful to this left-handed newbie!
Hey Amy, thank you so much for your comment – you are absolutely right! That piece of information totally slipt from my mind, and i’ll be sure to include it in the next update. Cheers! π
Probably the best article I’ve read on Calligraphy with detailed information of everything one would require. Thank you so much.
Thank you Archana! It makes me so happy to hear that π