When I was first starting out with lettering I was at such a loss on where to begin. Which pens should I use? What paper? On many occasions I had to find out the hard way… by accidentally destroying many, MANY brush pens. So here is a little list of my favorite papers to use with those fancy brush pens!
Does it matter what I write on?
My short and sweet answer is, YES! I’ll tell you why. Starting out you’re going to be learning about different pressures you’ll need to use when getting those thin and thick lines. Because you might start by pressing to hard you could potentially destroy your brush tips by using a paper that is too ridged. The paper might not look or feel ridged but it is if you’re just using plain old printer paper. You don’t want to make the same mistakes I did and blow through a expensive set of tombows because you were using the wrong paper.
What should I write on?
Great question! I have some of my favorites below!
My number one pick is tracing paper. I know That sounds odd but tracing paper is very smooth and you can also use a pencil before you use your brush pen. To get the paper to look more opaque for those Instagram photos, just slip a white piece of paper under your work and ta-da! It looks like plain paper.
If you’re not into tracing paper my second pick would be the HP Premium Laser jet printer paper. This paper is smooth as a baby’s bottom and is very affordable. This is great for everyday use. Perfect for printing lettering guides then practicing with your brush pens. You can get 500 sheets for $15 on Amazon!
Pick number three is Marker Paper. I prefer the Canson Marker Paper, but there are other brands you could try. This paper is amazing. It’s going to make you markers look how the are suppose to, vibrant and beautiful. I was amazed at how my colored markers just seemed to be so saturated on this paper. If you haven’t tried Marker Paper, give it a try.
Paper to Use When Blending
The papers above might not be too good for blending your brush markers. The paper is so smooth and a little to thin to do layers of colors. So I’m going to give you some of my favorite papers for when I’m blending marker colors or using water with my markers. When using brush pens on watercolor paper you’ll want to use a hot-pressed paper over a cold-press. Hot-pressed watercolor paper is smoother than the cold pressed and in return you’ll save your markers from fraying quickly.
My first choice is the Stonehenge hotpress watercolor paper. I am just completely in love with this paper. This paper is acid free, chlorine free and contains no animal gelatin. Plus, I am totally obsessed with their mini watercolor pads. They are prefect for practicing and playing.
My second favorite watercolor paper is the Mozart watercolor pad. This is another hot-pressed watercolor paper perfect for brush pens. It comes with a hard bound cover and a strap to keep the book closed and perfect for traveling. It’s also super affordable.
These are not the only papers you can use, these are just some of my favorites. Just remember when picking paper to make sure it is nice and smooth and you should be golden! What are some papers you use with your brush pens? Have you ever ruined a set of nice brush pens by using the wrong paper?
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