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Handlettering & Brushlettering

Learn the first steps of the art of lettering
or just get inspired by the many creative ideas.

What is Handlettering?

Handlettering is the art of drawing letters. Yes, read correctly - handlettering is not about writing, but about drawing. Each letter is artistically drawn on the paper or other surfaces. There are no rigid rules, there are no limits to creativity and each letter is allowed to be individual. With different styles of writing, highlights, embellishments and decorations, you can make your work unique.

What is Brushlettering?

Brushlettering is a special form of handlettering. The letters are designed with a brush pen - a pen with a flexible brush tip. This makes it possible to vary the pressure on the background and thereby create lines of different thicknesses in a flowing change. This technique requires some practice and feeling for the handling.

Which pens do I need for Hand- and Brushlettering?

Premium felt-tip pen with brush tip

STABILO Pen 68 brush

The sturdy tip of the STABILO Pen 68 brush is easy to handle for beginners and experienced users alike. Depending on the pressure, the stroke width on the paper varies. It is watercolorable and therefore super suitable for implementing great effects such as color blending.
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Fineliner with spring-loaded tip

STABILO SENSOR

Outlines, fine details and decorations require a precise writing tool. The fineliner with its spring-loaded tip and smudge-proof ink is the right choice for this. It is available in two different line widths.
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Fineliner

STABILO point 88

If you like to create letterings with colorful details, you can't do without the STABILO point 88. The large color selection offers many possibilities - from color gradients to colorblocking. In addition, with its metal-mounted tip, it is also suitable for precise work with stencils or rulers.
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Hexagonal graphite pencil

STABILO pencil 160

At the beginning of each lettering is the sketch. The lettering can be sketched out with a pencil. It is possible to try out different styles and discard them again or to set auxiliary lines for a balanced overall picture.
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Premium felt-tip pen

STABILO Pen 68

For colorful letterings you need a wide range of colors. A high-quality felt-tip pen is a must. The STABILO Pen 68 even offers luminous and pastel colors. Its high brilliance and luminosity distinguish it just as much as its even color release. It is therefore particularly suitable for color blending or watercolor techniques.
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Felt-tip pen

STABILO pointMax

The STABILO pointMax also offers many colors. With its sturdy nylon tip and 0.8 mm line width, it is perfect for print letters, thicker lines and faux calligraphy. It also lasts up to 24 hours without a cap.
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Highlighter

STABILO BOSS ORIGINAL

Highlights and decorative elements can be implemented with highlighters, as can shading. The STABILO BOSS ORIGINAL, for example, is ideal for this. It also offers a wide range of colors, so that the right highlighter is available for every color scheme.
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Premium Metallic felt-tip pen

STABILO Pen 68 metallic

Anyone who likes to write on dark backgrounds or likes glossy effects will be well advised to use the STABILO Pen 68 metallic. It impresses with its rich color output and high lightfastness. It also paints on various surfaces, e.g. metal or foil, and is smudge-proof after a short drying time.
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Multi-talented colored pencil

STABILO woody 3 in 1

Whether on glass, metal, porcelain, cardboard or paper: the multi-talented pencil paints on many different surfaces. It combines watercolor, crayon and wax crayon in one and thus offers a lot of creative freedom. It achieves particularly beautiful effects on black surfaces and on glass.
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Highlighter

STABILO swing cool

Highlighters are also used in lettering. They are just as suitable for creative effects in the background as for placing shadows. The wide range of colors makes it possible to choose from a variety of bright and pastel colors.
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Step by step to the first Lettering

Step 1

Design

In the design phase, creativity can be given free rein. It's about putting your ideas together into a harmonious picture without thinking down to the last detail. This gives you a first impression of your idea visually on paper.
Step 2

Pre-drawing

In the next step, the image of the lettering already becomes clearer. The weights and font styles of the individual words are now finally defined and sketched out on paper. The basic look is now fixed, so that a harmonious overall picture emerges.
Step 3

Final drawing

Now it's time to implement the lettering. First, however, you need to select a color world and decide which words will be designed in which color. The pencil lines should be erased beforehand so that you can only recognize them slightly.
Step 4

Decoration

Last but not least, details are added to make the lettering unique. These include highlights in the letters, shading or small decorative elements. To be on the safe side, you can also draw with a pencil first to get a better idea of the effect of the details.

How does watercolor and color blending work?

Watercolor technique

There are various ways to create watercolor effects. For example, the STABILO Pen 68 or the STABILO Pen 68 brush are super suitable for this. You will also need watercolor paper and a brush. Either paint with the markers directly on the watercolor paper and then paint the different colors with a brush. You can also paint on a transparency first and transfer the color from there to the paper with the brush. For a random effect, press the painted foil directly onto the paper and carefully brush over it. 

Color blending

Color blending is the creation of a smooth transition between two color tones. One way to achieve this effect is to hold the lighter tip of a STABILO Pen 68 brush against the tip of a darker one, thus transferring color. Alternatively, you can paint with the dark color on a transparency and then pick it up with the tip of the lighter pen. If you now write on the paper, there will be a transition from the dark color you picked up to the light color of the pen you used.

Brushlettering tutorials

You are fascinated by the artistically drawn letters and want to learn yourself how to do it using a brush pen?

In six tutorials, Evelyn from @zeitzumlettern explains the basics of brush lettering quickly and easily, so you can start your first attempts right away. In the first part of the video series, she shows you how to hold the brush pen correctly and gives important tips for getting started in the world of letter painting.

You can find the other videos on our YouTube channel. The other videos are about upper and lower case letters, the right spacing when lettering words or the creation of different effects, among other things.

Lettering guide

With the free STABILO Hand- and Brushlettering Guide - designed by Hannah Rabenstein you can get a perfect overview of the world of beautiful letters! The guide introduces you to the techniques and tools of hand and brush lettering and gives you tips and inspiration to find your style.

Learn all about the basics, techniques and effects of brushlettering. Realize great line effects and different stroke widths with the flexible brush tip. Besides the theoretical part, you'll find lots of inspiration and practice sheets as well as different alphabets and fonts in the guide.
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STABILO Creative book

With the creative book - designed by Hannah Rabenstein - full of ideas for the most beautiful moments you come in a creative way through the whole year! Whether spring, summer festival, ideas for gift giving, interior or the next New Year's Eve party - it was thought of (almost!) Everything.

Hannah Rabenstein shows on over 100 pages very different, creative, colorful, but also sometimes classic application examples and design ideas for a variety of occasions. Numerous pictures, tips and tricks on materials as well as step-by-step instructions for each project will help you realize your creative ideas. It also includes 32 time-lapse videos (accessible via QR codes) that show step by step how to realize the projects.
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More inspiration needed?

Discover many great ideas and projects on our website. You'll find templates to download and color, decoration and DIY ideas, various artworks and letterings for inspiration, and video tutorials to guide you step by step.
to the creative world