A Beginner’s Guide to Modern Calligraphy & Brush Pen Lettering

Modern calligraphy, a style of hand-lettering that is more freeform than traditional calligraphy, is increasingly popular among creatives. In this guide, Japanese artist Shimano introduces techniques for modern calligraphy using an inexpensive and easy-to-handle brush pen. She gives readers many options for tools and demonstrates the differences between hard- and soft-tip brush pens by including a comparison chart of nine popular types. There’s also an illustrated guide to basic modern calligraphy penstrokes, and eight unique modern calligraphy alphabets with step-by-step penstroke guides, all designed by the author and several other hand-lettering experts. Shimano puts practice into action by showing readers how to create festive hand-lettered designs in a gallery of examples, often featuring advanced techniques. The book’s projects include planners, journals, scrapbooks, and cards. Reproducible practice sheets, a mainstay of this art form, are included.