Learn Brush Pen Lettering

With some practice, you can soon learn Brush Pen Lettering. As with many other calligraphy styles, letters are built up from combining a few basic brush strokes.

Brush Strokes

Master these five basic strokes and you’ll soon be writing with a Brush Pen!

Heavy pressure is applied on the downward stroke and light pressure is applied with every upward stroke.

1. Down stroke

Heavy pressure is applied in a downward motion.

2. Up stroke

Light pressure is applied in an upward motion.

3. Under stroke

Heavy pressure is applied at the beginning of the stroke before starting a downward motion, then lightening the pressure and curving up.

4. Over stroke

Light pressure is applied in an upward motion, followed by a downward curve while applying heavier pressure.

5. ‘O’ Shape stroke

To create the ‘O’ shape, imagine a clock face and start at the one o’clock position, moving counter clockwise into a slightly upward curve, looping back down (applying pressure) and around (releasing pressure) and then back up to finish.

Drill Sheet

Pen Drills are a fun way of practicing applying and releasing pen pressure and this will help you learn how to smoothly transition between thick and thin lines.

To help you develop your Brush Pen Calligraphy skills Lindsey Bugbee from TPK has kindly shared her Brush Pen Drill Sheet. Click here to download your free Brush Pen Drill Sheet pdf (opens in a new window).

Once downloaded, print off a few copies and you are ready to start. There are 5 drills to practice. For each drill there is a completed example, then a version showing the pen direction. The third box shows a ghosted version for you to follow with your Brush Pen. Finally, an empty box for you to complete the pattern on your own.

Brush Pen Worksheets

Now you are ready to write alphabets! Lindsey is sharing two worksheets for you to download work through.

Click here for the first worksheet and here for the second to download your Brush Pen Worksheets (opens in a new window).

Shop Brush Pens here.