Brush Lettering: Creating Basic Strokes With a Paintbrush
One of my very favorite things about brush calligraphy, is the varying line widths throughout a letter or word, that you can’t naturally get with just any ordinary pen! Brush strokes are so beautiful, and it’s something that makes brush calligraphy so special and unique! Perfectly imperfect - although this is true, there are 2 basic rules we want to follow from the get-go, to keep our lettering from looking wonky! (download the full guide for free at the end of this post!)
THESE ARE THE 2 MOST IMPORTANT RULES OF LETTERING:
Down strokes = thick line (apply pressure!)
2. Up strokes = thin line (release pressure!)
Let me show you what that looks like…
Up Strokes
Any time our brush is moving upwards, we should focus on just using the very tip of our brush, to make a thinner line. (make sure you aren’t applying too much pressure here! This takes some practice)
TIP FOR UPSTROKES:
Sometimes moving a bit quicker on the upstrokes will help create smoother lines! Allow yourself to lift your brush off the paper as often as you need to. This will help create contrast between strokes.
Down Strokes
Any time our brush is moving downwards, we will begin to press down onto our brush, so that we can create a thicker line.
TIP FOR DOWNSTROKES:
Use the side (or the belly) of your brush when you apply pressure. Try not to press straight down onto the tip of the brush, or it will flatten out, and damage your brush hairs.
So you can see, it is important that we pay attention
to the direction our brush is moving.
Strokes can be straight up and down, diagonal, or curved! Once you get the hang of the basic upstrokes and downstrokes - get creative and create your own stylized marks! Just remember…..
UP (thin)
DOWN (thick)
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