Basics of Brush Lettering | Brush Lettering Supplies

An introduction to my favorite brush lettering supplies, like pens, brushes and even paper, and the best places to find them!

Welcome to part 3 of my Basics of Brush Lettering series–Brush Lettering Supplies! If you missed them, make sure you check out part 1 and 2: Brush Lettering Introduction and Simple Lettering Terminology. You may also want to grab my free brush lettering practice sheets too! Ok, now lets get on to the fun stuff!

Read Next: How to Fake Brush Lettering

When you are just getting started, don’t feel like you immediately have to rush out and buy every pen, brush, or ink under the sun to be successful. I quite literally just started out using these Crayola super tip markers. They have a tip that makes doing thick and thin strokes pretty easy and the best part is they are super affordable (now Crayola even makes a very affordable brush tip marker, but I haven’t tried them) The biggest impact you can make on your lettering is just to practice, practice, practice!

Read Also: The Best Brush Pens for Beginners

Ok so now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about my favorite brush lettering supplies for when you really get going. I’ve built up the supplies I have now very slowly over the last year, and I am still slowly adding to them.

My favorite Brush Lettering supplies

Brush Pens

Tombow Dual Tip (one side is a brush tip, the other is a fine tip)
Artist’s Loft Dual Tips (the Michael’s equivalent of Tombow’s)
Tombow Fudenosuke (both hard and flexible nibs)
Pentel Touch Brush Sign Pen(MY FAVORITES for small tips!)
Kuretake Brush Pen (they have such rich ink!)
Kelly Creates Brush Pen (one side is a thin flexible brush, the other side is a thicker, stiffer brush tip)

Others worth mentioning though I haven’t tried them are Zig Brushables, Artline Stix, and Ecoline

**Update–I have started using Faber-Castell Pitt Brush Pens (B) and they are some of my favorites!! They can be crazy expensive though, so I’m growing my collection gradually

Regular Pens

Le Pen (I love how smooth they write and they are very affordable!)
Micron (all sizes! The brush tips are fun too)
Paper Mate Flair Tip Pens (my planner pens, but they also work for lettering and adding color to works)
Paper Mate InkJoy Gel pens (these are my everyday pens, but I will use them for lettering too!)
Tombow Twintones (fun colors, one side is a thicker felt tip, the other is fine tip)

Brushes

I’m definitely not an expert on brushes but I do like these Pentel Arts Aquash Water Brushes for watercolor. I find they are easier to control than a regular brush. However, I do have this set of brushes from Michaels that I like!

Paper

Honestly when I’m just practicing I use a smooth printer paper. I prefer this printer paper because it doesn’t seem to fray my brush pen tips. After I’ve practiced and gotten the final layout how I like, then I’ll put it in my Canson marker pad. I use it kind of like a portfolio that I can flip back through to see my progress.

READ ALSO: The Best Paper for Brush Lettering

Where to buy brush lettering supplies

In case you didn’t notice, most of the links above are to Amazon, and that’s because most of my brush lettering supplies come from there! Seriously, it’s hard to find a broader selection or better price than Amazon.

A great way to gradually build up your collection and try out new supplies is The Inky Box subscription. I’ve gotten 3 boxes so far and it really is so fun! Each box is valued at around $45 and includes different lettering supplies. So far I’ve been able to try out some types of brush pens that I otherwise would not have bought myself. It’s great to figure out which pens you prefer and which you don’t. But The Inky Box isn’t just about brush pens, you also get fun hand lettered cards, exclusive coupon codes, paper pads, and so much more. Check it out for yourself and read my review on it here.

Other places I like to pick up supplies are Michaels, Hobby Lobby and even Target. I generally grab my grid lined notebooks and copy paper at Target because it’s the most affordable, but I also like to stock up on those InkJoy pens there too. Michael’s has recently come out with a whole new section of lettering and bullet journaling supplies so I check on their sales often. They have run some BOGO 50% off sales on some of their brush pens, and you can always use that 40% off coupon to get a good deal.

Another place that I had forgotten about until recently is Dick Blick. I remember going there often as a kid with my brother, and again for some of my art classes in college. I just found out too that there is one in Kansas City that I need to check out ASAP!

If you have some brush lettering supplies you love that I didn’t list I definitely want to hear from you! Leave me a comment, I’m always looking for new recommendations.