Basic Script Lettering Tools and Stationery

Discover the markers, pencils, and papers that will open up the world of calligraphy

When starting out in lettering, it’s essential to learn the basics, like the difference between calligraphy, lettering and typography; the foundations of cursive letters; and the toolkit to practice and achieve fluency and dynamism in your script.

That’s why Ximena Jiménez (@jimenezlettering)–a graphic designer specialized in drawing letters of all kinds, shapes, and formats–has shown us how to put together this toolkit so you can begin to paint and draw your own letters.

Getting to know your italic style

The italic style is characterized by its handmade look and the speed and fluidity of the line, which gives an incline effect according to the speed of writing. There is a variety of styles, the most popular include English calligraphy drawn with a pointed tip, italic calligraphy drawn with a flat tip, and the casual style, drawn with brushes.

All these styles have shaped modern calligraphy, a fusion of letters created according to taste, from slower strokes, to faster more irregular ones, but always with the same rhythm according to inclination, stroke, space, height and base.

Basic tools

Ximena Jiménez uses a varied toolkit, but each tool has a specific purpose. It’s important to know that you don’t need the best tools, nor the most expensive, to develop a high quality project. The result will depend on your hand and practice.

- Soft-tipped pencil (low on the HB scale)
- Thick pencil, for wider strokes
- Pencil sharpener
- Eraser (make sure it’s high quality).
- Fine eraser, for smaller details
- A brush pen, the best tool for italics

Markers and ink

Choose your pens and ink according to your comfort and needs, with different tips, lengths, hardness and ink types:

- Felt-tip pens
- Cartridge pen with brush-style tips, for textured quick strokes
- Tombow marker (long and fine tip, ideal for thick lines)
- Prismacolor or Edding marker, ideal for practicing
- A flat or round tipped water for watercolor and illustration

Paper

- School pad, perfect for practice because the paper is quite smooth and cheap
- Tracing paper, far smoother and kinder on markers

Remember that the brush pen should have a flexible marker tip and not a bristle tip (similar to a brush), so it will be much easier to control the stroke. Koi, Zig, Lyra, Kuretake, Faber Castell and Sharpie are all good brands. You can also search for them online as “pencil tip markers”.

If you want to start out in the world of italic design with brush pens, Ximena Jimenez’s course, Introduction to Script Lettering, is the perfect first step to learn how to create and digitize fluent and dynamic script.

You may be interested in:

- Principles of Brush Pen Calligraphy, a course by Ana Hernández
- Calligraphy and Lettering for Restless Hands, a course by Victor Kams
- English Calligraphy from A to Z, a course by Bego Viñuela Galarraga