Brush Pen Tutorial: Basic Strokes of the Letters

Learn the basics of how to handle a brush and gain confidence and fluidity using a brush pen, with Bego Viñuela

Nearly everyone who was taught to write as a child had to do exercises to improve the fluidity of their handwriting. Practicing strokes, curves, ovals, waves... the shapes that build the letters that allow us to express our ideas and feelings, recording an infinite amount of stories.

Italic calligraphy goes one step further in the art of handwriting. Characterized by elegant and decorative lines, refined curves, and a lot of expressiveness, it is more than a means to convey a message: it is the message itself.

Calligrapher Bego Viñuela (@caligrafiabilbao) is an expert in this technique, and here she teaches us the basics of how to handle a brush and create beautiful letters full of strength and visual impact. "There are traits that are shared among the letters. If we work on them a little more and put emphasis on perfecting them, then the letters will be stronger," says Viñuela. Find out below:

Prepare your ink, brush, and paper

You can use either graph or lined paper – in this case, the spacing between the lines also varies, allowing you to make larger or smaller strokes. If you are using lined paper, place it under the blank paper on which you will draw the letters. Use a pointed brush and the ink of your choice.

Lay the brush somewhat flat and apply constant pressure

Laying the brush on the paper will provide a more homogeneous stroke. If you use it at a very vertical, right angle, the bristles will produce a "dirty" streaky effect, which will look like multiple lines.

Begin by trying to make straight parallel strokes, trying to maintain constant and consistent pressure throughout this exercise. You can also subtly vary the pressure and observe the changes that it produces in the stroke. By doing this, you will better understand the flexibility of the brush tip, the amount of ink that is needed for each stroke, and what force is required to obtain a line that more or less wide, more or less opaque, etc.

Find the style of writing that is most comfortable for you

When finding the ideal pressure to apply, it is essential that you find one that is comfortable for you to consistently write with. Remember that you must keep your hand steady while at the same time be able to make small movements. Practice consistently until you understand how to hold the brush at each point a the letter, since it will change slightly depending the shape of each section.

Practice contrasting thin and thick lines

Thicker strokes require greater contact between the bristles and the paper, while for thin strokes you need only gently use the tip of the brush. Remember that, in this style of calligraphy, the thickest lines are made in a downward movement, that is, from top to bottom; and the fine ones, in an ascending movement, when you bring your brush from bottom to top.

Keep consistent spacing between the curves

To make the curves, use this same logic: the thin parts are created as your brush moves upwards, the thick parts as your brush moves downwards. That is: as you go up, only the tip of your brush will touch the page, and as you move down more bristles will be pressed against the paper. This rule isn't random, since it considers the way the paper fibers are arranged and absorb the ink.

For graceful curves, gently twist the brush before shifting into the new direction. Try to keep the distance between curves consistent, and make sure that the lines are parallel. This will help you create a standard which you can then use as a guide when you begin writing words.

Pay close attention to the oval forms

This is one of the most important strokes, since it serves as the base of many different letters. For the oval forms, you are going to draw from left to right, going up with a thin stroke, pressing the brush down to create a thick one, and then, before you reach the bottom curve that connects the two, lifting pressure off your brush and using the tip to create a thin line.

Keep in mind the balance between thin and thick lines. That is to say: make sure the thick lines are not concentrated in the lower or the upper part of the letter. It is important not to forget about placing the transitions between thick and thin at the correct points, that is, the upper and lower curves. Repeat this exercise as many times as you think necessary until you have perfected your way of doing it.

Did you like this tutorial? Remember that you can learn to master brushwork to create letters full of style and emotion with Bego Viñuela in her online course 'Italic Script With a Brush Pen'.

You might also like:

- Introduction to script lettering, a course by Ximena Jiménez
- English Calligraphy from A to Z, a course of Bego Viñuela
- Principles of Brush Pen Calligraphy, a course by Ana Hernandez