January 10, 2016 9:40 pm
Having the right tools can make all the difference in your brush calligraphy journey. It’s important to find the brush pen or set of pens that you feel comfortable with, understand how to use, and enjoy.
You don’t need a hundred pens, or even ten. You just need one or two, maybe three, that are your “go-to” pens.
Preferably, your brush pens should be different in some way, such as tip size, flex, or color. This gives you options as you complete various projects. For example, you may use a smaller tip pen to write on a gift tag, but a larger, stiffer pen for a poster.
Take a look inside my toolbox to see the five brush pens I am currently using. I’ll describe each one, including pros and cons. Then you can watch my demonstration video where you will see each pen in action.
*This post contains affiliate links. I would greatly appreciate if you would use the links in this post to purchase your supplies. At no extra cost to you, I will receive a small commission that will help me continue to provide free brush calligraphy tutorials and videos!
In action: Tombow dual brush pen
The best part about the dual brushes… The color options are endless! The fun thing can be blended using a blending palette or by putting the ink of one pen onto the tip of another. And they are “self-cleaning,” meaning after you blend them, they will return to their original color as you continue to use them. There is a full set of 96 colors that is on my own wish list.
In action: Tombow Fudenosuke (soft tip)
The hard and soft tips differ in the stiffness of the pen tip. The hard tip is more firm and seems to create thinner hairlines (upstrokes) than soft tip. While the flexibility of the soft tip can make it difficult to control the pen, I really like that the pen tip maintains a degree of firmness, that makes it a great beginner brush pen. If I had to share a downfall, it would be the lack of color options that they come in. Aside from the twin tip (one side is gray), these pens only come in black.
In action: Pentel sign pen (with brush tip)
NOTE: Be sure to get the Pentel sign pen with a brush tip (also called the “fude touch”), do not get the Pentel fine point (not a brush pen).
In action: Koi coloring brush
In addition to the smaller pen size, what I love about the Koi brushes is the firmness of the tip. It achieves smooth strokes and is full of ink and color. The Koi brushes come in either a 12 pack or a 24 pack of colors, which makes for lots of blending and coloring fun!
In action: Sakura pigma professional brush
The interesting thing about the Pigma brushes is that they have a raw look to their strokes. This raw look is sometimes categorized as “frayed” or “furry,” at least in comparison to the pens described above. However, I am loving this look as it better resembles an actual paint brush with bristles, while still being a marker that you do not have to refill or dip into ink.
When choosing a brush pen, it is important to recognizes the differences in pens and your own personal preferences and needs. My best advice is to try as many different pens as you can. And try them more than once! You never know when you will begin to love a pen, or if there is just something better out there than what you currently use.
Some tips for choosing a brush pen:
Check out the following resources for more brush pen reviews and comparisons:
A Simple Guide to Brush Pens by Melissa Esplin
How to Choose a Brush Pen by JetPens
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It’s your turn! Tell me in a comment below:
What’s in your toolbox?
What is your favorite pen from the ones I have described in this post? Which is your least favorite
What brush pen would you like to see me try next?
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Watch more videos on YouTube: piecescalligraphy
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Supplies used in this post and video:
You can view my full list of supplies on my supplies page.
Posted by piecescalligraphy
Categories: Beginner Tips, Calligraphy
Tags: Koi coloring brush, Pentel, Pigma, Sakura, supplies, Tombow dual brush pen
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Lovely post, I’ve always been curious about the Sakura Koi ones, I might actually give them a try when I next do my impulse online shopping for pens. Thanks for those recommendations!
Curious on your view on the Zig Fudebiyori, Akashiya Sai and the Zig Cocoiro? I’ve seen those as a popular brush lettering/calligraphy tools people use and just wondering if you’ve used it and what you thought of them 🙂
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By Marc on January 10, 2016 at 9:50 pm
Hi Marc! Thanks for the suggestions – I have only tried the Cocoiro and that was BRIEFLY. So I will be writing these pen names down to try soon!
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By piecescalligraphy on January 12, 2016 at 8:13 am
I love the Pentel Fude!! It’s so lovely to use and so portable!! I got it upon your recommendation on one of your posts 😉
<3, hannah
https://hannahswifi.wordpress.com
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By hannahswifi on January 10, 2016 at 9:53 pm
Sweet!!! Yeah, you can be sure to always find at least 2-3 of the Pentels in my purse. At all times. 🙂 Enjoy!
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By piecescalligraphy on January 12, 2016 at 8:14 am
Hi Sharisse, I loved your pen comparison video. Thank you! At the moment I’m favoring the Pentel brush pen but at the same time very curious about the Kuretake Pocket Brush Pens. Do you think you could do a demo with these and tell us if beginner’s might like these as well? Thanks again for all of the well done online brush calligraphy instruction!
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By Beverly on January 11, 2016 at 1:19 am
Hi Beverly! Great suggestion! I will need to get a hold of those pocket brush pens and I will surely do a review and share here on the blog. Thanks for stopping by!
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By piecescalligraphy on January 12, 2016 at 8:15 am
Santa brought me a set of the Pentel Sign brush pens for Christmas, and I’m just loving them. I find them easier to work with than the Tombow brush pens. Their tips are a bit smaller than the Tombow pens and the brush tip is a bit less flexible, making it easier for me to achieve fine strokes.
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By Andrea Goo on January 11, 2016 at 2:24 am
WOO HOO!!! So glad you like them. I honestly love both Pentels and Tombow dual brushes in their own way… sort of like a mom with her children! They are all different, but equally loved. 😉 It’s so hard for me to play favorites! Anyway, enjoy and happy writing!
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By piecescalligraphy on January 12, 2016 at 8:16 am
This is very helpful Sharisse – thank you! It’s so fun to experiment with new pens. Question – how did you get that lovely gradient effect in your signature? Was that from blending Tombows or a watercolor pen?
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By Erin on January 11, 2016 at 4:25 am
Hi Erin! I used a Koi coloring brush in my signature. The gradient is a combination of the juicy ink in the Koi brush pen and probably the filters I used in a photo app, which enhanced the gradient. No blending at all, which makes the Koi pens really fun and easy to use. 🙂
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By piecescalligraphy on January 12, 2016 at 8:17 am
I have learned so much since following your blog! Thanks for all the great tips, information and fabulous lettering!
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By kthrow on January 12, 2016 at 5:45 pm
THRILLED to hear that. Thanks for sharing and happy writing! Let me know if you have any questions.
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By piecescalligraphy on January 18, 2016 at 10:11 pm
Hi Sharisse! I am loving your blog! I was curious if you have tried the Copic brush pens? If so, how do they compare to the five you have posted about? Thanks so much! I look forward to learning more from you. 🙂
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By Kristin on January 16, 2016 at 9:41 am
Hey Kristin! Thank you for visiting! And NO! I have not (yet) tried the Copic brush pens. Molly of Poppy and Mint Design raves about them… I will certainly add that to my “must-try” list! Thanks again and happy writing!
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By piecescalligraphy on January 20, 2016 at 9:51 am
wow, I’m in love with that tombow pen ♥ still love my pentel brush on marker paper the most but I’ll keep that pen in mind 😀 can imagine it to be wonderful in addition
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By Mona on February 12, 2016 at 11:46 pm
It’s great to experience as many pens as you can! Some pens are more fitting in certain situations than others. And you definitely develop your favorites over time. 🙂 I’d be interested to see what you think of the Tombow pens!
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By piecescalligraphy on February 14, 2016 at 7:33 pm
if I buy and try one, I’ll give you a short feedback (or make a blogpost, we will see). It will be interesting because I mainly use those pens for inking drawings, not for calligraphy
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By Mona on February 15, 2016 at 9:30 pm
Sounds good! Looking forward to hearing from you!
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By piecescalligraphy on February 17, 2016 at 8:19 am
[…] A comparison of my favorite brush calligraphy pens […]
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By pieces calligraphy on February 14, 2016 at 6:50 pm
Love love love this blog post! I’m more use to nib and ink so I’m trying to expand into the brush lettering word–which I have to admit, I think you are at the top of! Thanks for the advice on pens. I have a jillion Tomboy Dual Brush Pens, but haven’t ventured past that point! Can’t wait to try out the others.
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By Jessica Shubert on February 27, 2016 at 5:27 am
Thanks so much, Jessica! Let me know how your brush lettering adventures go! 🙂
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By piecescalligraphy on March 1, 2016 at 10:09 pm
Hi Sharisse! you know what, i really wanted to learn brush calligraphy but i didn’t know what to do, i didn’t know how to learn it, and i thought that lefty (i’m lefty) can’t do it. until i accidentally saw you on pinterest and i saw your tutorials, tips, etc one by one and it is so helpful!! I have learned so much, thank you!
i’m still beginner, i dont know much about brush pens. how long the brush pen will last? i use Sakura Koi Watercolor Brush Pens when practicing, but after 2 days, the ink is finished, is that okay? thankyou!
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By Renata Amelia Kussoy on June 4, 2016 at 7:30 am
Hi Renata! So glad you found me. Hmm, I have had my Koi coloring brushes for a couple of months now and they’re still full of ink and write really well. Maybe the cap was not tight enough? Are all of your pens dried up, or just certain ones?
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By piecescalligraphy on June 19, 2016 at 1:46 pm
Thank you for this review! It’s very helpful. I am new at handlettering and wondering which one of these sets is the best for a leftie? Actually I am thinking of tombow or koi – which one would you recommend to me as a leftie? Or maybe another one I’ve not already thought about?
Thanks!
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By Miriam on September 27, 2016 at 12:52 am
Hey Miriam! Either type of pen (Tombow or Koi) would be fine. Honestly, lefties can use any pen righties use. The key is to learn how to best have your grip and pen angle/direction. Did you see my lefty series? Take a look and let me know if you have any questions. (You can find the lefty section here: piecescalligraphy.com/learn)
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By piecescalligraphy on November 9, 2016 at 8:25 am
[…] get started with brush pen calligraphy, you’ll need a few basic supplies. First, you’ll need a brush pen. You can find brush […]
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