Web Development: Hand Lettering: Mastering Brush Script

Hand Lettering: Mastering Brush Script

Final product image — What You'll Be Creating

Any series on hand-lettering fundamentals wouldn't be complete without talking about brush script. In this brush pen calligraphy tutorial, you'll learn the skills required for basic strokes. We'll also get into the very useful roundhand and angular brush scripts.

Just because you're learning how to write brush script, doesn't mean you'll have time to use your skills for all your projects. You can head to Envato Elements and find thousands of creative hand script font downloads, like Devilion.

Devilion Hand Lettering Script Font Download — Find the Devilion hand-lettered brush script font and other options from Envato Elements.

If you're curious, I added a few awesome hand-lettered brush script font downloads at the end of this tutorial.

Pre-Tutorial Reading

Before we dive too deep into these brush lettering lessons, I want to provide you with some information to help you understand not only brush-lettering construction, but also its origin and some other details. Also, this tutorial relies heavily on the techniques I covered in my Script-Lettering tutorial. Just about every technique explained in that previous class will be used throughout this brush calligraphy tutorial.

To begin, there are a wide variety of ways one can create some brush-lettering. It all depends on the style, tools used, letterforms being created, etc. The term "brush lettering" is fairly broad and literally means "lettering created with a brush". With that said, Roman Capitals, other serif letterforms, and even sans-serif letterforms can all be formed with a brush. So, technically, they can all be considered brush lettering.

Brush lettering dates back centuries to when the Romans and Greeks were forming their letterforms. But, back then, I'm sure it was just called "writing" or "handwriting" and not necessarily brush lettering.

Brush letterforms (specifically brush script) became widely popular in the 1800s and early 1900s when sign-painting was needed for nearly all advertising needs, storefronts, etc. It was widely used because of its speed and functionality. Why was brush script so fast compared to other letterforms? Generally (depending on the sign-painter), the lowercase and uppercase brush script could be written in one to four strokes of the brush. Serif, sans serif, slab serif, etc., all required a couple of extra strokes to form just one letter.

Calligraphy Brush Hand Lettering Script — Hand-lettering practice (Stock photo from Envato Elements)

That same construction is still used to this day because the tradition was passed down through apprenticeships. What's really cool is that all sign-painters have their own quirks and techniques to make their brush script. That means that nearly every brush-script letterform looks completely unique (if painted/drawn by hand that is).

Now, back to this brush typography tutorial—we won't be focusing on forming letterforms with a paintbrush since that requires many years of practice (and a master to apprentice with) to perfect. Additionally, we have the ability to create brush letterforms without needing a brush!

So instead of paintbrushes, we will be using brush pens, which will create the same effect and construction as a regular brush. These modern-day tools help speed up the time it would generally take to create a brush-script letterform. Since we're using a pen, there's no need to get out paints, paint thinner, dixie cups, etc.

Have any other questions regarding brush script or brush letterforms in general? Feel free to leave a comment below. Now, let's get started!

1. Preparing the Tools You Will Need

Mastering Brush Lettering Lessons You Need

Tracing paper or marker paper (either will be fine since they're transparent and will allow you to trace your lettering)
Tombow Brush Pen or Copic Marker (both allow you to create brush lettering)
Pencil
This PDF
Optional: If you do indeed want to do this brush pen calligraphy tutorial with a paintbrush, I highly recommend a Mack 6 Lettering Quill and some Tempera paint.

We're going to refine our lettering, so lots of tracing paper is necessary. Since we'll just be drawing letterforms, grab your favorite pencil, eraser, sharpener, etc. Anything you need to help you draw.

Download the attached PDF for your viewing pleasure. My advice is to print it out (you have the option to trace basic brush-strokes later on) to have it in front of you while completing this brush typography tutorial.

2. Practicing Basic Hand-Lettering Brush Strokes

Before we begin creating any letters, we need to understand the construction of brush letterforms. In this section, you'll learn about proper angles, speed, proportion, stroke endings, and much more.

As for how to hold/use the pen, I can't exactly say there is a "right" and "wrong" way of holding the brush pen, because honestly, it's all up to you to determine just how you like it. Whether you're left- or right-handed, the process below will work for anyone. I'm left-handed, so I just work right to left to prevent smearing. Through trial and error, as well as practice, you'll find what works best for you.

Alright, let's get to it!

Step 1

Using the downloadable PDF I provided and your Tombow Brush Pen or Copic Marker, let's begin by tracing over the thick hand-lettering brush strokes. These strokes will help form every single one of your letterforms. They're generally going to be the downward strokes (when you bring the brush pen downward and apply pressure).

Notice that, with the thick strokes, the weight tapers and gets slightly thinner towards the bottom of the stroke. Why is that? That tapering allows the connections of your letterforms not to get too heavy when joined with another stroke.

Mastering Brush Lettering Lessons Thick Stroke Practice

Step 2

If you're feeling comfortable with your thick strokes, let's move on to drawing the thin strokes. These thin strokes are the upward strokes of letterforms (when you bring the brush pen upward and apply very little pressure).

Let's now practice by tracing the thin strokes over and over until you get a good grasp on angle and speed. The weight on your thin hand-lettering brush-strokes can taper ever so slightly depending on your letterforms. When you begin forming letters, just pay attention to the heavy/thicker area and begin to distribute the color (the combination of both positive and negative space) if it gets too heavy.

Try drawing from top to bottom as well as bottom to top for an extra challenge. Maintain the same consistency, spacing, and weight throughout.

Mastering Brush Lettering Lessons Thin Stroke Practice

Step 3

Moving forward, the next continuous stroke you'll draw is the oval shape. Begin at the top or the bottom, whichever you prefer. Start by tracing the guide page provided, and then try some on your own to really nail down the muscle movements your hand and arm make.

This stroke can be a bit tricky, since your brush should never leave the page—it's one continuous stroke. Essentially, it's just a matter of determining when and how much pressure to apply to form your thicks and thins.

Mastering Brush Lettering Lessons Oval Stroke Practice

Step 4

The last practice stroke we will be completing is essentially a lowercase "n". This basic letterform combines the knowledge you just learned about thick and thin hand-lettering brush strokes. The only difference here is that you have to be aware of the stroke connections.

Recall when I mentioned the tapering of the thick strokes—this is essential when connecting strokes to maintain an even weight. Additionally, notice where the exit stroke of the first "n" is connecting to the following "n" next in line. If you look closely, you'll see that the exit stroke is connecting fairly high and very smoothly with the vertical stroke of the following "n". Use this knowledge from here on out with all your letterforms. Make sure your connections are smooth and begin near the entry stroke of the letterform next in line.

Mastering Brush Lettering Lessons n Stroke Practice

3. Roundhand Brush Script

Alright, after you've practiced enough of your basic strokes, I think you'll be ready to apply those techniques to a finished brush-script piece. We're first going to create a roundhand brush script, and then we'll move on to a more angular brush script. The wonderful thing about learning both types is that you'll be able to see just how easy it is to make minor edits to the slope, angle, speed, etc., of your lettering to make it appear unique and give it variety. Let's now begin some basic roundhand brush script.

Step 1

Just as we did in the previous Script-Lettering tutorial, we're going to write down a bunch of phrases/quotes that we might choose to draw. I recommend something that resonates or has meaning to you because it then becomes more personal and enjoyable to draw. I am going to select the words "New York City", because in a short while, I'll be moving there—it seems fitting for me to draw this at this time. But, for you, select something that means something to you. Have fun with it!

Mastering Brush Lettering Lessons Roundhand Selecting Phrase

Step 2

Now that we have our phrase selected, let's move on to conceptualizing some lockups for that type. Using a pencil and paper, quickly sketch out as many ideas as you can to somehow fit the words together nicely. Maybe you could use an alternating baseline, flourishes, etc.—anything and everything you can think of to form a nice composition.

Remember: sketch small and fast—this way you save time and create a wide variety of options without taking into consideration how all the letterforms look. Later on, we'll finesse the letterforms to appear exactly how you want them. For now, we're just worried about composition and forming the "skeleton" of our lettering.

Mastering Brush Lettering Lessons Roundhand Selected Phrase Concepts

Step 3

After conceptualizing some type lockups, select one of them that you think is working best to move forward with. Next, use a copy machine or scanner and enlarge that piece of lettering so you can fine-tune the details. For the lettering I selected below, I scanned it into the computer and enlarged it enough to fit on an 8.5" x 11" piece of printer paper.

The enlarged piece of lettering you just created is considered the "skeleton" or the framework for what's to come. We will be using this as a guide when we begin using the Tombow Brush Pen.

Mastering Brush Lettering Lessons Roundhand Selected Phrase Enlarged

Step 4

Now that your skeleton (framework) is good to go, let's throw a piece of tracing paper on top and get to work. Begin by redrawing your lettering with your brush pen. Pay attention to angle, letter-spacing, overall color, stroke endings, etc.

Mastering Brush Lettering Lessons Roundhand Traced Skeleton

Step 5

Next, we will begin to refine, refine, refine until perfection. At this point, take your previous lettering and place another piece of tracing paper on top. Try to fix things that might be bothering you. For me, I'm trying to develop an alternating baseline with the letterforms, as well as fixing some kerning issues. I'm looking to make this piece livelier and give it some flow.

Mastering Brush Lettering Lessons Roundhand Refining Baseline

Step 6

Keep tracing and retracing your letters until you reach a solid foundation. Fix your kerning issues and angles (so they're all uniform and consistent), and make sure your connections are smooth and high-waisted. Keep drawing the phrase over and over until it's ready to move on to the next stage: pencil.

How to Write Brush Script Tutorial Roundhand Correcting and Kerning

Step 7

We've now reached the point where we can take our brush-drawn lettering and begin redrawing the lettering with pencil to perfect connections, stroke endings, and any other problem areas. As you can see with the below photo, I'm still working out some kerning issues from the previous step.

Mastering Brush Pen Calligraphy Tutorial Roundhand Pencil Sketch

Step 8

We've reached the end! I've fixed a lot of the minor problem areas and finessed the lettering to my liking. Begin to fill in your finished piece of lettering with pencil so you can truly see the positive and negative space. If need be, begin to trace your lettering once or twice more until it reaches its final stage.

From the process GIF below, you can see that lettering sure is a lengthy process to really perfect. These things take time!

How to Write Brush Script Tutorial Roundhand Final Project

How to Write Brush Script Tutorial Roundhand Process

4. Angular Brush Script

Let's now begin the same basic process/concepts, but instead of rounding our connections, we're going to make them very flat and angular. For this piece of lettering, you may either use the same phrase as before or choose a new one. But I'll be using "New York City" again so you can see just how easy it is to create an entirely different piece of lettering while using exactly the same tools.

Let's get started!

Step 1

Beginning in the same way as before, quickly sketch out various ways to draw your phrase. When you draw your letterforms very quickly, sometimes unique characteristics with your letters can occur, things you wouldn't normally draw when you're slowly thinking about what you're drawing. Jot down as many lockups as possible before selecting a final to progress further with.

Again, don't worry about what it looks like—we'll make it look more polished and complete through the process.

Mastering Brush Pen Calligraphy Tutorial Angular Selecting a Phrase

Step 2

After conceptualizing type lockups, select one of them that you think is working best to move forward with. Next, use a copy machine or scanner and enlarge that piece of lettering so you can fine-tune the details. For the lettering I selected below, I scanned it into the computer and enlarged it enough to fit on an 8.5" x 11" piece of printer paper.

Let's now use this skeleton and complete the same process as we did with the roundhand brush script.

Mastering Brush Pen Calligraphy Tutorial Angular Enlarging Phrase

Step 3

Just as you did before, get out your Tombow Brush Pen or Copic Marker and begin tracing your skeleton. This time, pay attention to the connections and angles of the joints of your letterforms. We're going to be making them harsher and flatter this time around.

Mastering Brush Pen Calligraphy Tutorial Angular Tracing Skeleton

Step 4

Moving on, take your Step 3 lettering and begin tracing on top of it to correct any mistakes you've made. This time, I'm fixing the angles, slope, connecting points, and stroke endings to be flatter and more drastic.

Mastering Brush Pen Calligraphy Tutorial Angular Correcting Composition

Step 5

I believe we're nearing the point where we can continue with pencil. Trace and retrace your brush lettering until you're happy with where it's heading. If the composition, spacing, color, etc., are looking good, let's begin redrawing with pencil!

Mastering Brush Pen Calligraphy Tutorial Angular Correcting Kerning

Step 6

At this point, you should have an early rough pencil sketch with filled-in letterforms to see how the color is working throughout. You know the drill—keep redrawing your phrase to perfect the problem areas. As you can see in the below sketch, I'm fixing kerning issues, alternating my baseline again, and correcting some stroke endings/angles.

We're almost there! Keep on redrawing. It'll be worth the patience and persistence, I promise!

Mastering Brush Typography Tutorial Angular Making Minor Edits to Kerning

Step 7

This is it! Begin to redraw your lettering more precisely and cleanly because you're coming in for the home stretch.

Alright, there we have it—a finished piece of lettering. After many edits, I think I've achieved an even color, nice composition, and consistent angles and stroke weights.

But I think I'm going to take it one step further to make it a bit more "custom" in the next step.

Mastering Brush Typography Tutorial Angular Final Pencil Drawing

Step 8

Taking the lettering you just finished, you can do as I've done below and remove a bit of weight from the entry and exit strokes of your letters. I've made minor "cuts" into the lettering to remove a bit of weight and lighten the load on these rather heavy brush-strokes.

Seeing the whole process from start to finish is always cool. I've provided a GIF for your viewing pleasure. You should now be able to see the start and finish of your lettering project—always a treat to see the progress you've made!

Mastering Brush Typography Tutorial Angular Additional Customization

Mastering Brush Typography Tutorial Angular Process

But wait, the lettering in the "What You'll Be Creating" photo is white on black? True! If you want to do the same with your lettering, all I did was invert the colors in Photoshop. If you're inverting a white piece of paper with black lettering, it'll make your lettering white and your paper black!

Classy Hand-Lettering Script Alphabet Fonts From Envato Elements

The above brush pen calligraphy tutorial is great for turning your creative ideas into script. But the process does take a lot of time. If you have a creative project that needs the right typeface now, check out these hand script font downloads from Envato Elements:

1. Tahnia: Modern Hand Script Font (OTF, TTF)

Tahnia Hand Lettered Brush Script Font Download

Tahnia is a subdued script brush font with touches of flair. It features a unique underline and lovely ligatures. Many glyphs offer long, flowing tails, and the set includes numbers and special characters. Try the Tahnia hand script font for apparel, social media posts, branding, and more.

2. Millstream Handwritten Script Font (OTF, TTF)

Millstream Hand Lettered Brush Script Font Download

Millstream is a hand-lettered brush script font for the modern age. There's an energetic style about the way the letters connect and flow into each other. The authentic feel of this hand script font download fits a number of uses. And like the other hand-lettering alphabet fonts on this list, Millstream offers multilingual characters to be accessible in multiple languages.

3. Devilion Hand Lettering Script (OTF)

With full upper and lowercase letters, numbers, special characters, and more, what else could anyone want from Devilion? It's one of the top hand-lettering alphabet fonts on Envato Elements. The curly tails and smooth ligatures add style to your text. Use this formal script font for greeting cards, book covers, and more creative projects.

4. Molica Hand Lettering Script Font Duo (OTF, TTF, WOFF)

Molica is an unique hand-lettering script font download. You'll find not only a modern, handwritten-style typeface here, but also a capable display font. That means business cards, posters, and everything in between can benefit from this script brush typeface.

5. Powerfulm Samara | Modern Hand Script Font (OTF, TTF)

Powerfulm Samara Hand Lettering Alphabet Fonts

Let's close out our list of hand-lettering alphabet fonts with the beautiful Powerfulm Samara. It comes with a full set of characters, including symbols and ligatures. This cool font download also includes a 14 flower vector assets. You can let your creativity run wild with this typeface.

Conclusion

Learning how to write brush script sure is a challenge! It took me a good while to grasp the ins and outs. Don't get discouraged if your lettering isn't turning out the way you want it to. After a good amount of practice, you'll be well on your way to creating some jaw-dropping custom brush-script lettering. If you have any questions at all, feel free to post below and I'll be able to help you out. Good luck!

If you need more practice, take some time to review the other brush-lettering lessons in this series. They'll help give you a better handle on some of the skills you learned today.

Are you interested in learning even more about calligraphy and hand-lettering alphabet fonts? Check out these articles for more resources and hand-lettered brush script font downloads!