How to hold when writing with a Brush Pen

A brush pen has a flexible tip similar to a paintbrush. It is mainly used for calligraphy, lettering and illustrations. The flexibility of the tip makes it possible to create lines of varying thickness depending on the pressure – heavier pressure produces thick lines, while lighter pressure produces thin lines.

How to hold a brush pen

When using a brush pen, hold it in the same way throughout the word (or words) you are writing. Don’t change your grip, whether you press hard (for the thick downstrokes) or hardly at all (for the thin upstrokes). Hold the pen in the same way and only change the amount of pressure.

Exactly HOW you hold the pencil matters. If you hold the pen quite vertically, you will probably get the thin lines perfectly, but it may be more difficult to create really thick downward strokes and thus utilize the full capacity of the pen.

The solution is to tilt the brush pen a little more and reduce the angle between the pen and the paper.

This allows the nib to bend more easily against the paper when you press it down, giving your letters the amazing line-width dynamics that are the magic of these pens.

Unfortunately, this angle can make it a little harder to get those thin and delicate upward strokes. What can I say, you can’t have everything, right? 😅 Personally, I prioritize thick downstrokes to give the letters a lot of body.

👉 By practicing regularly, over time you will get a steadier hand, which will help you get those thin lines even with a rather tilted pencil grip.

Brush pens come in different sizes and colors, and are popular among artists and illustrators for their versatility and precision. Please watch my short video where I illustrate different thicknesses of brush pens