When we talk about art, the first thing that comes to our mind is paintings, drawings, and sculptures. Rarely do we put calligraphy under the umbrella term. But guess what? Calligraphy IS an art form. Instead of simply writing letters and words, calligraphy decorates them following a particular design and harmony. If you aren’t good at drawing complex figures but are extremely proficient at writing letters, this is the time when you pick up calligraphy marker pens.
What Are Calligraphy Markers?
Calligraphy markers are specialized pens designed for creating elegant, decorative writing known as calligraphy. While calligraphy of its renditions (hand lettering) can be done with almost any pen, they typically feature a chisel or brush tip, which allows for varying line widths depending on the angle and pressure applied while writing. These markers are available in a wide range of colours and ink types, including water-based, alcohol-based, and pigment-based inks.
Calligraphy Marker Tutorial
Marker calligraphy is not as easy as it sounds. Rather than simply and often hurriedly writing alphabets, you must think about the strokes and the amount of pressure applied on the tip. If you are a beginner, we advise you to use calligraphy brush markers as they have a more flexible tip, allowing you to create exquisite strokes. Let’s start with the calligraphy marker tutorial, featuring chisel marker calligraphy.
- Gather your marker and a bleed-proof paper. Set them onto a flat surface.
- Starting, you must learn how to hold the calligraphy marker pens. There are two ways to hold it. One is for upstrokes and another is reserved for downstrokes.
- Hold the calligraphy marker at the nib, just as you would with a pen. At a comfortable angle (around 45 degrees), start an upstroke ensuring that a slim line is formed. For a downward stroke, the line must be thick and must feel as if you are highlighting.
- Use looping, flourishing, and other decorative visual treats. Darker and lighter lines may be created using pressure from the fingers onto the pen.
- To prevent smudging, allow your marker calligraphy to dry and use a fixative or put it into a protective sleeve.
Remember, calligraphy is an ancient craft of decorative writing, which has been passed down for centuries. There are several traditions (Kannada calligraphy, Arabic calligraphy) and if you wish to create one of your own, you must. Practice makes perfect. Hence you must experiment with calligraphy marker pens, strokes, angles, and pressure. Start with basic letter forms and focus on maintaining consistent letter heights and widths, as well as smooth transitions between strokes. Once you have practised writing slowly, hasten up the writing process.
Best Calligraphy Markers
Now that we have given you a short and succinct calligraphy marker tutorial, it’s time to talk about what some of the best calligraphy markers are. Most of the items on the list can be bought from your local art supply shop. If you can’t find them, online shops are your best bet.
Crayola Calligraphy Markers
The calligraphy Crayola markers have a cone-shaped tip which isn’t as flexible as calligraphy brush markers. However, they are super durable. Calligraphy with Crayola markers is super versatile as some products have dual tips. You may use a super fine, fine-point, or brush tip, all from one calligraphy marker. Crayola markers for calligraphy are also kid-safe and non-toxic.
Sharpie Calligraphy Markers
The Sharpie calligraphy markers often come in a calligraphy marker set. Due to their water-based formula, they are bleed-proof. With a 2.5 mm chisel-edged tip, you may rest assured that elegance is on your side. Hand-lettering is made easy with these calligraphy marker pen sets as it includes multicolor pens. Hence, you may create artistic lettering for invitations or quotes.
Zig Calligraphy Markers
The zig calligraphy markers come in two tip sizes 3.5 mm and 2 mm square tips, which can provide you with different lines. It also comes as a calligraphy marker pen set with myriad colours. Their water-based dye can be blended to create gradations onto the paper. Experiment by blending two or more colours.
Image Courtesy – Lettering Daily
