Best Starter Kit for Brush Lettering
Let me help you put that brush pen to paper and get you started learning the ins-and-outs of brush lettering. When you first delve into the world of brush pens, it might be overwhelming, as there are so many options to choose from. It’s important to make sure you start out with tools that are best suited for your needs and stage of learning to prevent your hard-earned cash ending up in the trash. It can also be very discouraging when you attempt a new technique only to be hindered by the tools.
After trying countless brush pens, I discovered some real gems that stand out among the rest. So you don’t have to go through exhausting trial and error like I did, I’ve created this list of recommended tools for the Best Starter Kit for Brush Lettering. Let’s dive in!
Standard Brush Pens
Tombow Dual Brush Pen
The Tombow Dual Brush Pen is probably THE most popular brush pen out there, and for good reason. It lives up to the hype by distributing colour evenly and creates fast and fluid lines thanks to its quick bounce-back—aka the ‘snap’ factor. This pen is able to create bold lines and is available in nearly 100 colours. Since the Tombow Dual Pen is larger than others on the market, it may take some getting used to. So just play around with your hand positioning until you find a comfortable, controlled grip. It’s so worth it!
Tombow Fudenosuke
Tombow Fudenosuke is another great brush pen that is available in both hard and soft tips. The hard tip allows for more intricate details, while the soft top allows for more expressive lines with varied thickness. You can achieve extra fine, fine, and medium strokes by applying more or less pressure. The Fudenosuke tip is also known to bounce back quickly and retain its shape thanks to its elastomeric material. These pens are available in several colours and are about the size of a regular pen, offering a familiar grip.
Pentel Fude Touch Brush Sign Pen
The Fude Touch is easy to control because it has a small, flexible tip to create controlled thick and thin lines. Like the Fudenosuke, it has a regular pen-sized body, allowing for an easy grip. The colours are known to be very bright and have a tendency to maintain their ink strength for a long time. The Fude Touch is also a recommended pen for blending colours in designs, which makes them more versatile if you’re looking to expand your techniques in the future.
Brush with Reservoir
Sakura Koi Water Brush
The Sakura Koi Water Brush is great for both beginners and intermediate artists. If you’re just getting your feet wet with watercolours and don’t want to spend a fortune, this water brush is very affordable, normally costing around $10.
Unlike the other brush pens mentioned, the Sakura Koi Water Brush isn’t pre-inked—the body needs to be filled with either water for pairing with solid watercolour palettes or a liquid ink for drawing or calligraphy. This pen’s built-in refillable water reservoir is not only super convenient, especially while travelling, but also allows you to have some control of the flow of the fluid to the tip of the brush. Simply squeeze the body of the pen, and a drop will appear on the tip. Press harder and more fluid will flow through the brush.
Unlike regular paint brushes, the Sakura Koi Water Brush comes with a cap that covers the entire end. Less mess and ease of travel gives this pen bonus points. If you prefer to use ink, simply add it to the reservoir in place of the water and away you go! Literally. You can take this pen anywhere.
Paper
When it comes to using your marker style brush pens, steer clear of any textured or toothy paper, as it can damage and fray the brush head—that is, with the exception of the Sakura Koi Water Brush, which is meant for wet applications; water brushes thrive on toothy paper. For standard brush pens, textured paper prevents you from attaining a smooth stroke with clean lines. You also want quality paper that doesn’t allow ink to bleed through (though I always recommend adding a contact sheet between the pages just in case).
I recommend Rhodia and Canson XL Marker Paper—they’re smooth, artist quality sheets that won’t disappoint. The Rhodia pads are also available in blank, lined, and dotted to suit your preference.
Now you’re ready to gather your supplies and get lettering! Let me know if The Brush Lettering Starter Kit works for you. Please share with me on Instagram @samdubeau. I’d love to see how your brush lettering comes along!
Recap: Best Starter Kit for Brush Lettering
Brush Pens
Brush with Reservoir
Paper