Buying guide
Brush Lettering Studio
Updated How we research
A full brush pen setup for modern script. The page is split into five sections (Small pens for detail work; Large pens for big letters; Fudenosuke-style favorites; Dual tips for flexibility; Paper that protects your tips), followed by every pick ranked by our score so you can compare them in one place.
The short version
We compared 17 picks. Our scores range from 7.3 to 9.2 out of 10.
- Best overall:Tombow 62039 Fudenosuke Brush Pens, 3-Pack - Soft, Hard, and Twin Tip Markers for Calligraphy. Highest overall score in this guide at 9.2/10.
- Also great value:Tombow 62038 Fudenosuke Brush Pen, 2-Pack - Soft and Hard Tip for Calligraphy and Art Drawings. Value score of 9/10, overall 8.7/10.
- Solid build:Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen, Hard Tip, Black. Build and materials score of 8/10, overall 8.7/10.
- Feature-rich:Tombow Dual Brush Marker 10-Piece Set: Primary, Blendable Brush and Fine Tip. Features score of 9/10, overall 8.6/10.
Scores are our editorial assessment, not customer ratings. How we score
Small pens for detail work
- Tombow 62039 Fudenosuke Brush Pens, 3-Pack - Soft, Hard, and Twin Tip Markers for CalligraphyOur score9.2/10
- Tombow 62038 Fudenosuke Brush Pen, 2-Pack - Soft and Hard Tip for Calligraphy and Art DrawingsOur score8.7/10
- Pentel Brush Touch Sign Pen, Set of 6 Colors (SES15C-6STC)Our score8.3/10
- Pentel Fude Touch Sign Pen, Black, Felt Pen Like Brush Stroke (SES15C-A)Our score8.1/10
Large pens for big letters
- Tombow 56185 Dual Brush Pen Art Markers, Bright, 10-Pack - Blendable, Brush and Fine TipOur score8.4/10
- Ecoline Brush Pen Set of 15 Liquid Watercolor Pens - Basic Colors, Blendable Brush Markers for Hand LetteringOur score8.4/10
- Tombow 56621 Dual Brush Pen, N15 Black, 1-Pack - Blendable, Brush and Fine Tip MarkerOur score8.1/10
- Tombow 56216 Dual Brush Pen Art Markers, Cottage, 10-Pack. Blendable, Brush and Fine Tip MarkersOur score7.8/10
Fudenosuke-style favorites
- Tombow 62038 Fudenosuke Brush Pen, 2-Pack - Soft and Hard Tip for Calligraphy and Art DrawingsOur score8.7/10
- Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen, Hard Tip, BlackOur score8.7/10
- Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen, Soft Tip, BlackOur score8.3/10
- Pentel Fude Touch Sign Pen, Black, Felt Pen Like Brush Stroke (SES15C-A)Our score8.1/10
Dual tips for flexibility
- Tombow Dual Brush Marker 10-Piece Set: Primary, Blendable Brush and Fine TipOur score8.6/10
- Tombow 56185 Dual Brush Pen Art Markers, Bright, 10-Pack - Blendable, Brush and Fine TipOur score8.4/10
- Ohuhu Adult Coloring Book Markers 60 Colors Dual Tip Water-Based-Maui-WhiteOur score8.1/10
- Artecho 72 Colors Dual Tip Markers for Adult Coloring Books with BagOur score7.8/10
Paper that protects your tips
- Ohuhu 7"x10" Double-Sided Bleedproof Marker Pad Art Sketchbook, 60 Sheets, 90 LB/150 GSM, Spiral-BoundOur score8.0/10
- Winsor & Newton Classic Bleedproof Marker Pad, 9" x 12", 50 Sheets, 75 GSMOur score7.9/10
- Bianyo Bleedproof Marker Paper Pad, A4 (8.27"x11.69"), 50 Sheets, 18 LB / 70 GSM, Glue-BoundOur score7.8/10
- Bee Paper Bleedproof Marker Pad, 11-Inch by 14-InchOur score7.3/10
All 17 picks, ranked by our score
Every product from the sections above, listed once. Sort by the criterion you care about most, or tick up to three to compare.
#1A 3-pack of Tombow Fudenosuke pens with soft, hard and twin tip versions for complete small brush practice.
Fit for the job 10/10 · Features and specs 9/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + Soft, hard and twin tips let you compare feel and add grey shading
- + Small brush tips are ideal for planners, envelopes and cards
- + Tombow Fudenosuke pens are a lettering class staple
- - Mostly black and grey, so there is no bright colour in the pack
- - Soft tip needs a light hand that takes beginners time to learn
#2A 2-pack of Tombow Fudenosuke brush pens with one soft and one hard tip for small brush lettering.
Fit for the job 10/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + Soft and hard tip pair lets beginners compare feel easily
- + Small tips suit envelopes, planners and cards
- + Tombow is a trusted lettering brand
- - Black ink only in this pack, with no colour options
- - Small brush size is not ideal for large lettering
#3The hard tip Tombow Fudenosuke, a firm small brush pen that many beginners find easiest to control.
Fit for the job 10/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + Hard tip gives beginners more control over thin upstrokes
- + Small brush size suits cards, planners and practice sheets
- + Tombow Fudenosuke is a standard recommendation in lettering courses
- - Firm tip limits dramatic thick strokes
- - Black only, so colour work needs another pen
#4A Tombow Dual Brush 10-piece primary set with blendable brush tips and fine tips for lettering and colour work.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 9/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Blendable water-based ink allows smooth colour gradients
- + Brush and fine tips on each pen cover lettering and details
- + Tombow Dual Brush pens are a favourite for hand lettering
- - Large brush tip takes practice for small lettering
- - Ink can pill or bleed on thin paper
#5A 10-pack of Tombow Dual Brush markers in bright colours for large, bold brush lettering.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Large flexible brush tips create bold lettering strokes
- + Bright colours stand out on cards and posters
- + Blendable ink supports smooth gradients
- - Large tips are harder for small lettering
- - Pens can dry out if caps are not replaced firmly
#6Ecoline's 15 liquid watercolour brush pens in basic colours, blendable markers with vivid, transparent colour.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Liquid watercolour ink gives vibrant, translucent lettering effects
- + Blendable colours create smooth watercolour gradients
- + Real brush-style tips suit large, expressive lettering
- - Transparent ink can look streaky on large filled areas
- - Watercolour ink can bleed on non-watercolour paper
#7A 6-colour Pentel Brush Touch Sign Pen set in an alternative colour mix to Pentel's other six-pen pack.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + Flexible fude tip gives smooth thick and thin strokes
- + Alternative colour mix pairs well with other Pentel Touch sets
- + Compact, affordable pens for journaling and card lettering
- - Water-based ink can feather on cheap copy paper
- - Six colours limit blending and shading options
#8The soft tip Tombow Fudenosuke, a flexible small brush pen for more expressive brush lettering.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + Soft tip creates stronger thick and thin contrast
- + Great next step after mastering the hard tip version
- + Compact size is ideal for planners and envelopes
- - Softer tip is harder for beginners to control
- - Tips wear faster if used on rough paper
#9A single black Pentel Fude Touch Sign Pen with a flexible felt tip that mimics brush strokes.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + Flexible felt tip creates brush-like strokes with little effort
- + Low cost for trying small brush lettering
- + Easy to carry for everyday practice
- - Single pen offers no colour variety
- - Felt tip can fray with heavy pressure
#10A single Tombow Dual Brush Pen in N15 black, a refill-style option for replacing your most-used colour.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Lets you replace your black pen without buying a full set
- + Blendable ink works with other Tombow Dual Brush colours
- + Brush and fine tip cover lettering and outlines
- - Single pen, so it is not a starter option
- - Large brush tip is less suited to tiny lettering
#11Ohuhu 60-color dual tip set with a 0.4 mm fineliner and a 1-6 mm soft brush tip on every marker. Water-based, numbered colors with a swatch card and five replacement tips in the box.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 9/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 8/10
- + Soft brush tip spans 1 to 6 mm, giving more stroke contrast than the 1-2 mm tips on budget sets
- + Comes with 3 replacement brush nibs and 2 fine tips, useful when a brush tip frays
- + 60 numbered colors with a blank swatch card for sorting and matching shades
- - Listing adds a caution about thinner papers such as notebook pages, so plan on heavier paper
- - Blending gradients calls for a water brush pen, which is not included in the set
#12Ohuhu 7"x10" double-sided bleedproof marker pad with 60 Sheets of 90 LB/150 GSM paper, spiral-bound for marker art.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 9/10
- + Double-sided bleedproof pages double your usable practice space
- + Heavier 150 GSM sheets feel sturdier than typical marker paper
- + Spiral binding lets the sketchbook lie flat while lettering
- - 7"x10" size is smaller than the common letter size pads
- - Spiral binding leaves torn edges when pages are removed
#13Winsor & Newton Classic bleedproof marker pad, 9 x 12 inches, 50 sheets of 75 gsm coated paper. Designed for markers with clean lines and no show-through.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10
- + Coated, smooth, matt paper is described as preventing ink bleed so lines stay clean and precise.
- + Same Winsor & Newton brand and 9 x 12 inch size as the earlier pad, a well-known art supplies maker.
- + 50 sheets give plenty of room for brush pen and marker practice.
- - The 75 gsm paper is lightweight, so it is not meant for wet media like watercolor washes.
- - The listing text also mixes in notebook details, so confirm the 9 x 12 pad format before ordering.
#14Tombow Dual Brush Pen set of 10 in the Cottage palette, each with a flexible brush tip and a fine tip. A smaller and cheaper set than the 96-pen original.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10
- + Flexible brush tip makes fine, medium or bold strokes, and the fine tip gives consistent lines.
- + Water-based, blendable ink; tips self-clean after blending, and the pens are acid-free and odorless.
- + Established Tombow line, listed for hand lettering, journaling, coloring and illustration.
- - Only 10 colors in one palette, far fewer than the 96-pen set it replaces, and no desk stand.
- - The listing gives few details on size or ink performance beyond the basics.
#15Artecho set of 72 water-based dual tip markers, each with a 0.4 mm fine tip and a flexible 1-2 mm brush tip, packed in a carrying bag. A wide color range for brush lettering and journaling.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 8/10
- + Flexible 1-2 mm brush tip for thick and thin lettering strokes, plus a 0.4 mm fine tip for outlines
- + 72 water-based colors that the listing describes as blendable for layering and gradients
- + Acid-free, odorless ink that conforms to ASTM D-4236, with a bag for storage
- - Brush tip is small at 1-2 mm, so it suits small to medium lettering more than large display work
- - Soft carrying bag instead of a rigid case or tray, so pens are not held in color order
#16Bianyo bleedproof marker paper pad, A4 (8.27"x11.69"), 50 Sheets at 18 LB / 70 GSM, glue-bound for brush marker lettering.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 9/10
- + Bleedproof coating keeps alcohol and brush markers from soaking through
- + Smooth marker paper protects felt tips from fraying
- + Glue-bound sheets remove easily for scanning and sharing
- - 70 GSM paper is thin and not intended for wet ink or watercolor
- - A4 size may not fit US letter binders neatly
#17Bee Paper bleedproof marker pad in 11-Inch by 14-Inch size, a larger surface for brush marker quotes and layouts.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10
- + Large 11-Inch by 14-Inch pages fit long quotes and poster drafts
- + Bleedproof paper keeps markers from ghosting onto the next sheet
- + Bee Paper is a trusted maker for pads used in art classes
- - Large pad is awkward on a small desk or in a bag
- - Check the sheet count before ordering, as pad sizes vary
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Based on the last 28 days of search and visitor data.
Calligraphy Nest curates picks for US shoppers. Scores are our editorial assessment. We may earn a commission from links on this page.