Brush calligraphy tips: How to hold your brush pen at an angle

[@paulainaustria9180]

What I love about your tutorials: they are compact and yet full of helpful advice. Moving the tip after the up-stroke, of course! I was not aware of that until I watched YOU doing so. Thank you!

[@sped17373]

I've watched so many videos of other people showing how to use brush pens and they virtually all hold the pen in a more upright manner--this is the first video that says anything about holding the pen at an angle! Once I made that simple change, using these pens became SO much easier--that plus I found that the Tombow fudesonuke pens suit me much better than the large brush pens. Thank so much for the huge tip on pen holding angle!

[@RowanRitz]

I just started following you. Your the best for me! I've found that holding the pen just below the knuckle of the pointer finger, works best for me. I can't hold it like a regular pen, it has more stability the other way. My hand is more curved, so I understand now about building new muscles. P.S. Maybe I mean more on the knuckle. It gives it more stability and NO shaking. So I can seriously say my thumb pad is sore! Hahaha

[@watermelon1667]

I have this problem : my tip is like a bit thick so its really hard to make my writing thin (?).. any advise?

[@chrbls7727]

Either you buy a brush that the tip is thin or you have to use less pressure when you do the thin part

[@石昊恩-j2i]

I just can’t draw thin lines regardless of tip size XD

[@ay5636]

I feel like you can decrease the angle at which you hold the pen. Like, just let only that much part of the tip touch the paper(in downstrokes) which you want the thickness of your downstrokes to be. Don't let the whole length of the tip touch the paper in your downstrokes. Hope that makes sense.

[@watermelon1667]

oh ahaha I didn't even remember commenting this. Anyways thank you for the replies! My lettering improved very much since I commented this. edit: I am proud to say that I am comfortable in using thick tip brush pens now. I can control the thickness of the strokes easily :)

[@michellekhorozyan5055]

Thank you 😊 so much! I am a beginner and this helped me alot

[@becky8193]

After scouring KZbin yours has been the most helpful and to the point video. THANK YOU!

[@mayherbania3816]

im a left handed person, so everytime i tried to use it , its really difficult for me, is it with my hand or i just need to practice a lot?

[@markangelopinpin2481]

May Herbania You just need practice. There must be no limitations on doing calligraphy...

[@mayherbania3816]

thank you so much!

[@jensterjen]

May Herbania left handed people do opposite. we do thick strokes going up. check out those left handed calligraphy videos

[@mariacarrix7454]

Jen Mol Some lefties like me write like this vid on top, and it actually is a good feeling.

[@mariacarrix7454]

May Herbania not actually, by practicing for weeks or months(?) and even by not attending calligraphy workshops like me, when I started showing it to my friends they actually complimented me instead of saying "not bad". Calligraphy takes lots of practice.

[@ggowc833]

O M G,, yourtutorial make me fall in your art,,love love love,,still keep on writing,,stay tune,,

[@dawntallerico]

Great way to show the angle of holding the brush pen!!

[@shelleysteffens9255]

Thank you!!! FINALLY a good clip on how to properly hold a brush pen...THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

[@rirrae]

Thank you for making this video its really helpfull for me because I don’t know how to use my brush pen and because of your video I now know how to use it =)

[@drmelissawest]

Thank you so much! Your blog and videos are really helpful and I appreciate them very much as I am learning. With much gratitude, Melissa

[@piecescalligraphy]

+Melissa West Hi, Melissa!!! I'm thrilled to hear you enjoying my videos. Thank you so much for watching! Please let me know if you ever have any specific questions I can help with. :) Cheers!

[@fludrbywest3886]

Thank you so much for going to the darker colors and or black!very nice Video , this is soo much help! I have to practice a lot, but your suggestion to pick up the tip before I start from thick to thin, I was very squiggly but I'm getting better! Thank you a bunches

[@piecescalligraphy]

+Martha West Hi, Martha! Thank you for watching! Keep on practicing. I was super squiggly in the beginning, and I can often be if I am not relaxed. Please let me know if you ever have any specific questions I can help with. :) Cheers!

[@markangelopinpin2481]

Whrn doing brush calligraphy, would I use finger movement or whole-arm movement?

[@xEllesirKx]

Mark Angelo Pinpin I mostly use hand movement, and whole-arm if I'm doing a particularly long curve

[@ay5636]

I think whole arm movement really helps. Really move with your brush. Remember to do calligraphy slowly. I feel like it helps your pens to not fray.

[@brittanycopeland9255]

Thank you! This was so helpful!

[@kthrower467]

Such a great tutorial! Thanks so much!

[@piecescalligraphy]

+K Thrower You are so welcome!!! :) :)

[@CookingwithEvrica]

Thank you so much, it helps a lot.

[@mikapolicarpio6567]

Do your techniques also work for other brush pens?

[@mikapolicarpio6567]

Even water brushes

[@piecescalligraphy]

+Mikaela Policarpio Hi Mikaela! Yes! Try these techniques with other brush pens and water brushes. With water brushes, the tips are much more softer and flexible, so you'll have to practice more control over the pen than you would with brush marker pens. Hope that helps!

[@mikapolicarpio6567]

+piecescalligraphy ok thank you!😊

[@carisdee1]

hello! thank you for posting such detailed information regarding upstrokes. it's really helped me. quick question is, what type of paper do you use for practicing. I've noticed you use some with lines and others with dots, would you mind letting us know what you use? thank!

[@piecescalligraphy]

+carissa orosco Hi again, Carissa!!! :) :) You are so welcome. The paper I'm using here is a Rhodia dot pad. LOVE IT. It is made up of the dots that are in the places where the intersections would be on gridded or graph paper. I love it because it provides guidelines for me to write in a straight line, without being so obnoxious like the lines of graph paper. As for the paper with lines, that is the Rhodia grid pad. Some idea - I love that it allows me to write in a straight line. But I don't prefer the lines to be so prominent, especially when I photography my work to share on Instagram. But it is GREAT for practicing, especially when I am in the draft stage of figuring out how to format a long quote or passage. You can find them both either in stores or online at Blick, or on Amazon, or on Rhodia's website online! Hope this helps!

[@amandatreutler6691]

I'm having trouble with the pen position, and I've realized that maybe I've been holding a pen incorrectly for my entire life! I have two fingers on the top of the pen when I'm writing, even with a regular pen. I wonder if I should retrain myself how to write with a pen the way everyone else does, or if I should just learn how to do these brush strokes with the way I currently hold a pen.

[@mariacarrix7454]

Amanda Treutler tbh I also realized I have the same situation like you. I am also a leftie, so actually I do have a unusual type of writing with a pen, but if you practice more and more in calligraphy with beginner materials, you'd actually be better than before.

[@amandasullivan5566]

That's how I've always written, too. Going to train myself to use one finger on top instead of two.

[@tanvinaik736]

Awesome video

[@alexia5528]

This video helped me a lot ♛

[@saanchimakhija8136]

Thank you!! Helped me alot

[@viletures]

wow..very useful for me as i am a beginner

[@weiyinping1831]

When I hold the brush at an angle, I can't seem to write the thin lines, and every word is thick. Can I correct this without changing the angle? Or do I have to change it..? Please reply.

[@Lea-cy5nn]

Thank you, this is so helpful!

[@javariarashid848]

Love your video.. ❤

[@nehhachadda412]

But love what angle you are holding the pen ?? 30 or 45 degree

[@angelicaschuyler3889]

I'm left handed and I get this residue on my hands which is normal for left handers but my problem is that it stains (when it does) so much and it's so hard to wash it off

[@joxie5619]

At the end of my brush it’s like blunt, what should I do?

[@exqtiq]

I want to know how to do the lettering

[@Pradyuti]

Can you recommend me any free site for calligraphy

[@angelstarfire]

Thank you!

[@khansailyas5000]

Can you please tell at what degree you are holding ypur pen?

[@piecescalligraphy]

I don't have an exact measurement, but roughly 45 degrees in relationship to the page. The main goal is to not be completely upright because the pen tip needs to bend in order to add the thickness to the strokes. Hope that helps!!!

[@khansailyas5000]

@@piecescalligraphy ok...thank you so much😊

[@murilodj]

Muito bom!!!!!

[@piecescalligraphy]

+Murilo Magalhães Obrigado! I hope I said that right. :)

[@hawahawalol91]

It's quite big but if I work with a large space, it's more comfortable to me

[@褐色-e6j]

Thanks

[@erwynmanuel4224]

I have actually a blue tombow brush pen but i dont know how to use it so i just gave to my friend lol

[@ClassicRoyal]

I bought brush pens and the brush itself is to hard and wont bend. Kinda disappointing

[@giratinum]

The pen is made in VIetnam but I cant easily find it in Vietnam :))))))))))

[@mingyee4018]

Trung Nguyễn I relate to this comment so much. So many products are made in my country but I can't even get them here:(.

[@ziiclmn]

Uhh, was I the only one who thought the first texts were edited? 😳😳

[@piecescalligraphy]

+Azzizzah Clemen Oh no, I'll have to check on that! Thanks.

[@reenasolanki4234]

Some to me

[@shrikantmusale4930]

it is very simple

[@piperscoskie3159]

Y’all noticed her tan🤣

[@matane.9986]

I don't think i can do this 'cause I'm a lefty😂

[@prettyperson8107]

Brush pens are so expensive

[@Maiingan125]

I was able to find a set of four brush pens at a dollar store.

[@prettyperson8107]

Cindy oh wich dollar store? hope its just a 21 dollar set

[@paulainaustria9180]

Maybe you want to give a nib and ink a try? They are fun and the "logic" of thin vs thick strokes comes naturally when you use a nib. They are cheap and last!

[@LokeshGarg]

Ikr

[@walking531]

Thicc

[@tanvinaik736]

Are you an Indian

[@sactowntwins]

Mom! ⬇️

[@piecescalligraphy]

Hiiiiiiii

[@lisay1525]

Thank you !