So if you practice other styles of scripts, this is also a good choice. But its nibs are also interchangeable in case you want to go smaller. Rotring’s ArtPen line offers a 2.3MM nib, which is slightly bigger than the Lamy. Rotring ArtPen Rotring ArtPen 2.3MM fountain pen It’s also quite small, so it fits right in your pocket. This makes it a particularly good choice if you practice a variety of styles. The nib is 1.9MM, which makes it small enough to practice other styles of scripts such as italic or Copperplate.

The Lamy brand is a higher-end pen manufacturer and their Joy fountain pen is fantastic for smaller-scale work. However, if you’re interested in exploring further, here are two other pens worth checking out. They top anything on the market when it comes to both cost and quality. I can’t recommend the Pilot Parallel enough when it comes to fountain-pens. If you’re interested in pushing the boundaries of this tool, check out my comprehensive Parallel owner’s guide post: Pilot Parallel Hacking: The Unofficial Parallel Owner’s Guide Other Good Fountain Pens Alternatively (or additionally), you can dip the pen into an inkwell and it will behave like a dip pen, which makes working with different colors on-the-fly a synch.įurthermore, the Parallel can be modified and hacked in a number of ways. Additional cartridges can be purchased and while the ink is of good quality, you can easily refill them manually with the ink of your choice for variety and to save money. They come with some maintenance tools as well as a couple of cartridges. These pens are extremely precise, robust, and easy to maintain. The tip is comprised of two parallel slabs of metal that feed the ink from a standard cartridge into ink reservoir. The colors just denote the size of the nib which is convenient if you multiple pens. The Pilot Parallel is a versatile fountain-pen that comes in four different-sized nibs (Red: 1.5MM, Orange: 2.4MM, Green: 3.8MM, and Blue: 6mm). But don’t let that stop you if you’re eager to try something else! Pilot Parallelįirst things first… if there is ONE tool you should own, it’s a Pilot Parallel. If you’re just starting, I’d recommend a fountain-pen or a marker simply because of their convenience and ease of use. Fountain pen? Dip pen? Brush? Marker? Each have their pros and cons, and each have their own nuanced learning curves. With so many choices, but which one’s are the best? First, decide what interests you most. Bottom line all you need to start is one pen and a pad of paper. Your toolset will enable you to do you very best work but a tool will never make you a better artist. And I’m confident that you’ll be more than equipped to conquer any sort of project throughout your own journey with the tools on this list.Ī quick disclaimer before we jump in… don’t go and buy all of these tools at once.

However, I have reached a point after years upon years of experience where I’m now extremely satisfied with my toolset and knowledge of materials. With that said, I haven’t tried every ink on the market or every type of brush or canvas.

One would have to be a millionaire to buy every tool out there. I’m talking about writing instruments, paper, canvas, inks, paint, and even instructional materials. Whether you’re looking to learn Blackletter or other flat-pen calligraphy styles and don’t know where to get started, or you have plenty of experience and you’re just curious, this article will serve you as a comprehensive list of tools and learning resources. This post is NOT an all-encompassing list of every tool out there, it’s a zero-fluff list comprised of only the best that I’ve discovered throughout my entire journey through calligraphy.

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know when it comes to shopping for and experimenting with supplies for Blackletter calligraphy tools. The Ultimate Blackletter Calligraphy Resource Guide

Manuscript nib practice sheets