Learn How to Use Crayolas to Write Beautiful Calligraphy
There are so many special pens for calligraphy these days. Traditional dip-pen calligraphy is increasing in popularity as well as modern brush calligraphy. There is a popular myth going around where people think you need expensive specialised pens or equipment to learn. Ready to have that myth busted? The truth is you can do calligraphy with a pen as simple (and cheap) as a Crayola! That’s right, the kind that kids use. These pens are found everywhere and are great for anyone (adults and kids included) wanting to brush lettering foundations. Keep reading to find out how you can get started on learning modern calligraphy with a simple kids Crayola marker.
Please note – This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience, but please know that I do not link to anything that I don’t personally recommend. If you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a cent more!
The Basic Strokes With A Crayola Marker
We have a beginner series here at Cherry Pearl Creative which explains all the fundamentals on learning calligraphy. If you have gone through these lessons you should know about the general rule of “thick down, thin up” which is used to create any letter. If you have no clue what I am talking about, make sure you check out the free beginner lessons here to get started on brush pen calligraphy. Don’t fret though! Because I am going to do a quick recap here.
Every single letter in brush calligraphy is broken down into something that we call basic strokes. These are strokes of the pen that modern calligraphers practise regularly in order to fluently create beautiful pieces. The rule of thumb is that when the pen is moving toward the top of the page (an upstroke), then that stroke is thin. When the pen is moving towards the bottom of the page (a downstroke), then it is thicker. We create the different thickness by changing the amount of pressure we put on the pen to the paper. Brush pens have a flexible nib which makes this really easy to do. Crayollas are a little different, but the same general rule applies.
The Crayola tips are conical (the shape of a cone) and so they can work in a very similar way to brush pens. When more pressure is applied (and the pen is held at the correct angle), the side of the tip gets pressed onto the paper which creates a nice thick stroke. When less pressure is applied the pointy end of the tip should be the only thing to touch the paper. This should produce a nice clean thin stroke. So the general use of the Crayolas is the same as brush pens – more pressure for the thicker downstrokes and less pressure for the thinner upstrokes. This enables you to create similar beautiful calligraphy as you would with a brush pen.
How to Hold Crayola Markers for Modern Calligraphy
Crayola Supertips have a conical nib (shaped like a cone) which gives them the ability to create thick and thin lines. This is very dependant on how you hold the pen. In order to get a smooth thin to thick (and vice versa) transition, the pen should be held at 45° from the paper. As you are moving the pen from left to right while you write, it should be relatively easy to get the change in the size of stroke with added pressure.
Here’s a tip: If you are not getting the thick lines with added pressure, try changing the angle of the pen to a smaller angle for every downstroke. This should help make the downstrokes nice and thick.
Remember: go slow… especially if you are just starting out! Everyone who successfully starts their brush lettering journey starts by going slow.
Practice Your Crayola Calligraphy (with Free Worksheets!)
Make sure you practice with your Crayola Supertips regularly – go over the basic strokes when you’re sitting down watching tv or listening to a podcast. Filling pages and pages with the basic strokes (called drills) is a fantastic way to increase your calligraphy skill quickly. Creating letters will come to a lot easier once you have the basic strokes down pat.
In order to practice, I have recently created a resource library here at Cherry Pearl Creative which includes traceable downloads for you to use. Although the library is new, there are alphabets of different fonts, letter variations, basic strokes exercises and lots more just to help you become amazing at modern brush calligraphy. The best part is it’s completely free. If you already have the super-secret password, head on over to the resource library now to start. If you don’t, just make sure you pop your details in the box here to get the password sent directly to your inbox. Then you will have access to the whole library.
Sign Up For The Calligraphy Freebies!
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Check your emails for the password, and then head here to check it out!
That’s it! Let me know how you go with these worksheets and using crayolas – I would love to see them. Feel free to use the #cherrypearlpractice on social media, tag me, or email me your progress.
Don’t forget to PIN this so you can find it easily later!
Calligraphy with Crayola Supertips Markers
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