Lettering and calligraphy tools explained
MONOLINE PENS
A monoline tool such as a pencil, a biro or a fibre-tipped pen, is a tool that creates lines that are the same thickness no matter what direction they are drawn in. These tools are a great way to start your adventures into lettering and calligraphy because all lettering styles have an underlying structure made from one or a combination of these forms: a square, a circle, a rectangle or a triangle. Learning how to draw these shapes will give you the strong foundation which is essential before you begin working with a broad-edged pen, a flexible nib or pointed brush. Once you’ve practised the basic shapes you can vary the quality of line to evoke texture, movement and emotions. But the best reason for using these tools is they are portable so you can practise your letterforms whenever and wherever you have a few spare minutes in your busy day.
Monoline lettering
BROAD-EDGED PENS
Broad edged nibs are used to write traditional scripts such as Uncials, Gothic, Carolingian and Italic.
These nibs are different from monoline tools because they have a wide surface which makes it possible to create thick and thin strokes without the need to add pressure. The thickness of the stroke depends on the angle of the nib in relation to the guidelines and the direction in which the stroke is made. These tools are without doubt my favourite pens because they come in such a wide range of sizes and you can use them with inks, gouache and watercolours.
Broad edge calligraphy written with an Automatic pen
FLEXIBLE POINTED NIBS
Unlike the broad-edge pen in order to achieve thick and thin strokes pressure is applied to the down strokes. These nibs are primarily used for writing beautifully, ornate cursive scripts such as Copperplate and Spencerian that were prevalent between the 16th and 19th centuries and also Modern Calligraphy which is a bouncy and informal adaptation.
These scripts are very delicate and precise and whilst I admire the work of those who are capable of writing them I rarely use them in my own calligraphy pieces. Some people may find this odd as they assume that calligraphers know how to write every calligraphy script. But we have different tastes in music and film and we don’t all enjoy the same type of food so it makes sense to me that we will have a preference for certain styles of calligraphy.
Copperplate-style writing.
POINTED BRUSHES
Pointed brush calligraphy is created with either a round brush or a marker pen that has a long, pointed tip. These tools, like flexible nibs, respond to pressure in order to make thin upstrokes and thick downstrokes. But unlike flexible nibs they come in a wide range of sizes and you can make interesting strokes depending on whether you use the belly of the brush or just the tip or a combination of the two.
Brush lettering artwork.