Calligraphy Lettering

Faux calligraphy is essentially the same as normal calligraphy, except you can do it without all the fancy nibs or brush pens. Any old pen or pencil will work! That’s what makes faux calligraphy so alluring – there is no cost to getting started. You can practice with abandon using whatever old pen you have lying around. However, I would suggest you invest in some simple dot grid paper. Here, I use a Rhoida dot grid notepad. This is my go-to lettering practice paper because the dot grid allows structure without getting in the way.

While any old pen will work, I suggest that you grab a pen that doesn’t have lots of goopey ink that sits on the page. Something that has a quick-drying ink is ideal, like Prismacolor Illustration Markers or perhaps a felt tip pen. You don’t want to smear your faux calligraphy all over the place!You may be curious how it compares to non faux calligraphy. Here’s how it stands up to a Tombow Dual Brush Pen.

The top was created using the brush tip, and the bottom was created using the bullet tip. Obviously, it’s not quite the same. The brush tip is smoother, thicker, and has a gorgeous gradient in color. The faux calligraphy doesn’t look quite as neat compared to its pure blood counterpart. However, the draw to faux calligraphy is how easy it is to do for anyone, so it all levels out in terms of pros/cons. Really, it’s completely up to you.You are here: Home / Brush Lettering / Faux Calligraphy – Learn How to Create Gorgeous Lettering the Easy Way

Faux Calligraphy – Learn How to Create Gorgeous Lettering the Easy Way

What is Faux Calligraphy?

Everyone loves some gorgeous calligraphy. It’s almost like the appreciation of this beautiful art is baked right into our bones. Perhaps its just a human thing. It’s easy to look at brush lettering and calligraphy and think that it’s only for the artistically elite. No regular person can pick up a pen and create gorgeous lettering like that. The truth is, it’s not that hard to do. In fact, mastering the art of faux calligraphy is surprisingly easy.

Looking at all the images of beautiful lettering online, it can be a bit daunting to get started. Where do you even begin? What materials do you need? With faux calligraphy, you can learn the basic principles of calligraphy without buying expensive materials or spending hours with a drill book. This technique is easy to pick up and hard to put down!

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Materials Needed

Faux calligraphy is essentially the same as normal calligraphy, except you can do it without all the fancy nibs or brush pens. Any old pen or pencil will work! That’s what makes faux calligraphy so alluring – there is no cost to getting started. You can practice with abandon using whatever old pen you have lying around. However, I would suggest you invest in some simple dot grid paper. Here, I use a Rhoida dot grid notepad. This is my go-to lettering practice paper because the dot grid allows structure without getting in the way.

While any old pen will work, I suggest that you grab a pen that doesn’t have lots of goopey ink that sits on the page. Something that has a quick-drying ink is ideal, like Prismacolor Illustration Markers or perhaps a felt tip pen. You don’t want to smear your faux calligraphy all over the place!

The Basic Idea

After you have your pen and your paper, you are ready to begin. First, write out a word. I would recommend cursive, but that certainly isn’t a requirement. Leave plenty of space between each letter. Here, I’m using one of my Staedtler Triplus Fineliners, which are perfect for this technique!