March 3, 2023 Stationery Pal Team

A Beginner’s Guide to Upgraded Calligraphy (or Coloring!)

Hello there!

If you are reading this blog, you probably consider yourself as a beginner in calligraphy. Well, you’ve come to the right place! Here at StationeryPal, we share various tips and inspirations for journaling and crafts using different stationery products.

Calligraphy is a popular hand lettering characterized by its decorative and novel strokes which varies in width. It is a passion for some and a hobby of many because it is super fun to learn!

Ideally, brush pens are used in calligraphy because of its extended tip that allows you to create those pressure-sensitive brush strokes. And when we talk of brush pens, there are TONS out there. There is no singular brush pen that calligraphists use – it's usually a mix of various brands that offer different qualities. The downside being: this may cost more.

BUT! Here at StationeryPal, we have just the perfect brush pen that is beginner-friendly and is offered at an ideal price! The Kuretake Zig Brushables. And if it's from Kuretake Zig, know that you're in for a great deal of quality products!

The Kuretake Zig Brushables is a dual tip brush pen. Unlike other brands with a brush pen on one tip and a marker on the other, the Brushables is a literal two brush pen in one! The other end is color while the other is 50% tip. You have two tones in one brush pen! This is ideal for blending colors, shading, and creating gradient effects.

If you are sensitive to odor, don't fret! The ink used is odorless, Xylene-free, and acid-free. It also uses water-based pigment and is permanent once the ink is dried.

The tip is stable enough for you to create fine strokes but soft enough to allow for more fluid and wider weights. For beginners, this design will help you to practice your hand control until you get the hang of it.

Now that you're familiar with the pen, let's talk about how you can USE it to UPGRADE YOUR CALLIGRAPHY!

1.Shadowing. This technique is very easy and convenient to learn! Simply add a different color to your strokes to imitate a shadow. But it can be quite challenging to decide which color to use for the foreground and background. With the Kuretake Zig Brushables, you can easily do this! You can use the darker-colored tip as the foreground and for the shadow, you can use the tinted end. Or the other way around! It's totally up to your style. You can be assured that that colors complement well because the brush pens are already paired that way.

2.Blending. Another technique to up your creation is through blending different colors together into one stroke! You can also create gradients using the two tones you get from the Kuretake Zig Brushables. This technique will definitely take your calligraphy to the next level!

As a beginner, give yourself time to practice and make mistakes. It's totally okay! Allow the Kuretake Zig Brushables to be your buddy. But just to let you know, even medium- and advanced-level calligraphists (and even colorists!) are using this pen!