My favourite calligraphy supplies and where to buy them
I love trying new calligraphy materials, but there are several staple items in my kit.
So I thought I’d share some of my favourite supplies and suppliers, particularly for those who want to explore further after attending a workshop.
Calligraphy Cartridge Pens
My workshop staple is a beginner’s pen set from Manuscript Pen Company Ltd.
It’s a cartridge pen with three nib sizes, so it’s great for people trying calligraphy for the first time who might be daunted by a dip pen and ink!
My other go-to cartridge pens are the Pilot Parallel Pen (buy via Under the Rowan Trees and use CREATIVECALLIGRAPHY10 for 10% off) and the Lamy Joy.
I’ve written a separate blog post about cartridge pens – you can read it here.
You can also read more about Pilot Parallel Pens here.
Calligraphy Nibs and Holders
Again, straight holders and Leonardt round-hand nibs from Manuscript Pen Company Ltd are my go-to for traditional, broad-edged scripts. I also have some steel Mitchell nibs that were gifted to me, which are hard to come by.
For pointed nibs for copperplate and modern calligraphy styles, I use Nikko G, which are quite firm, and an oblique holder.
I have a rather special one from English Pen Crafts, but Speedball’s plastic oblique holder is my workshop staple.
I’ve also used Manuscript’s Modern Calligraphy set in workshops, which has been curated by Artsynibs and has three nibs to try, as well as a straight holder, bottle of ink and instruction sheet.
You can read more about finding the right calligraphy nib for you here.
And if you’d like to venture into the world of vintage nibs, this blog post here is for you!
Calligraphy Ink
Higgins Eternal is my must-have black ink.
For colour, I love writing with gouache and have found Winsor and Newton’s Designers Gouache is the most reliable.
For metallics, you can’t beat the Finetec palette. I’ve also been impressed by Diamine inks.
The Best Paper for Calligraphy
Ordinary printer paper is great for practice, but it needs to be a decent weight. Anything less than 90gsm will lead to ink bleeding into the fibres!
I discovered Navigator Office Paper Solutions Colour Documents 120gsm recently and it’s really good quality and excellent value for money.
I love my Rhodia pads for practice and demonstrating, but when it comes to formal commissions, I tend to go for a watercolour paper or good quality cartridge paper.
There’s a little more about choosing the right paper for calligraphy in this blog post here.
Calligraphy Support Stationery
Pencil
Calligraphy involves a lot of ruling up, so a soft pencil is a must. The easier it is to erase the better! I’ve grown quite attached to my Blackwing Pearl.
Ruler
A 30cm ruler – and possibly a set square – is also a must-have piece of kit. The Manuscript Pen Company calligraphy ruler comes in very handy for measuring guidelines and has proven popular at my workshops.
Eraser
Staedtler rasoplast – every time!
Washi tape
Pretty and useful for holding paper in place
Lightpad
Perfect for speeding up the writing process, as guidelines and layouts can be placed underneath the paper you are working on.
Suppliers
Manuscript Pen Company – https://www.calligraphy.co.uk/
Blots – http://www.blotspens.co.uk/
Scribblers – https://www.scribblers.co.uk/
Penman Direct – https://www.penmandirect.co.uk/
Cult Pens – https://www.cultpens.com/
The Pen Company – https://www.thepencompany.co.uk