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  • Welcome to TPK! This is your first of 2 free articles. For unlimited access to tutorials and articles, join TPK Premium for less than the cost of a latte.

    Not Your Average Brush Pen Calligraphy Drills

    December 2, 2016

    by

    Lindsey Bugbee

    Brush Pen Calligraphy, Calligraphy, Calligraphy Drills, Free Printables, Printable Goodies, Worksheets

    Whether you’re a brush pen novice or a seasoned pro, you’ll benefit from this drills worksheet! In it, you’ll find engaging exercises like “Hills” and “Frequency” to help you regulate your brush pen pressure exertion and master writing motions. Feel free to print out the drills sheet as many times as you need to; it’s…

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    Not Your Average Brush Pen Drills Sheet | The Postman's Knock

    A couple of weeks ago, I released a free printable dip pen calligraphy drills worksheet. It featured a few traditional drills; but mostly it explored new, fun drills to help regulate pressure and improve technique. I received a lot of positive feedback for its effectiveness, which inspired me to create a brush pen drills sheet as well!

    Not Your Average Brush Pen Drills Sheet | The Postman's Knock

    This brush pen drills sheet can be used with any brush pen that you have on hand! If you’re looking for a good beginner brush pen, though, try starting with the Pigma MB. It’s got a nice, medium flex to it that will ride out any pressure exertion learning curves!

    Not Your Average Brush Pen Drills Sheet | The Postman's Knock

    Regardless of your skill level, you’ll find this brush pen drills worksheet to be helpful for a number of applications. These include:

    • General practice – If you’re a beginner, doing these calligraphy drills will help you to gain better control over your brush pen.
    • Getting to know new brush pens – Brush pens vary widely! Some, like Tombow Dual Brush pens (my personal favorite) have long, super flexible tips. Others, like the Pigma MB, have somewhat smaller tips and are comparatively conservative with flex. You can use these brush pen drills to become accustomed to any new brush pen.
    • Warmup – If you need a couple of minutes of writing before you delve into a project, this is a great resource to help get your hand acclimated to calligraphy for the day!

    How to Use this Brush Pen Drills Sheet

    First, download and print the brush pen drills sheet by clicking here (it’s free!).

    Not Your Average Brush Pen Drills Sheet | The Postman's Knock

    Next, take a moment to look at the sheet. You’ll notice that on the left, you have squares with designs that are pure black. These are exemplars to show you what you ideally want your drills to look like. The second box on the left features dots and arrows and faint gray strokes to show you how to form the drills. Each dot you see represents an opportunity to pick up your pen. As you know if you are currently working on the Kaitlin Style Brush Pen Worksheet, the more you pick up your pen, the easier it is to achieve stroke contrast!

    Not Your Average Brush Pen Drills Sheet | The Postman's Knock

    The third box has a light gray impression of the drill for you to trace over. Go ahead and trace over that impression. Remember to exert pressure on the downstrokes and let up on upstroke and horizontal stroke pressure! As you trace, reference the drill with dots and arrows on your left.

    Not Your Average Brush Pen Drills Sheet | The Postman's Knock

    Once you’ve finished tracing the drill, try making your own version of the drill in the box that’s farthest to the right.

    Not Your Average Brush Pen Drills Sheet | The Postman's Knock

    Finally, use the Blank Practice Squares Sheet (included in the drill sheet download) to write four more freehand versions of the drill. Don’t forget to keep the original drill sheet at hand so you can reference the dots and arrows!

    Not Your Average Brush Pen Drills Sheet | The Postman's Knock

    Continue to fill out all of the drills. As you write, pay special attention to your hand position. As I mentioned in Tuesday’s blog post, your grip with a brush pen differs from your grip with a regular pen! The pen should be held more out to the side rather than vertically. You can see an example of this in the photo below, which shows a page from the Kaitlin Style Brush Pen Calligraphy Intensive Word Practice.

    *NEW* Premium Brush Pen Calligraphy Worksheet Set {Kaitlin Style} | The Postman's Knock

    What Makes this Brush Pen Drills Sheet Unique

    I think that adding artistic flair to your brush pen practice can help a lot with motivation! That’s why all of the drills in this worksheet are fun and engaging. You’ll recognize four of the drills from the dip pen version of this worksheet, but “Hills” is exclusive to this brush pen drills sheet and happens to be my favorite!

    Not Your Average Brush Pen Drills Sheet | The Postman's Knock

    This drills sheet also provides you with help so you don’t go into it “cold”. The arrows and dots show you exactly when to push your pen up, pull it down, and pick it up! I also like providing you with something to trace over so you can get acclimated to the forms.

    Not Your Average Brush Pen Drills Sheet | The Postman's Knock

    If you want a brush pen “practice powerhouse”, you can pair this worksheet with the new Kaitlin Style Brush Pen Calligraphy Worksheet Set. Try using this drills sheet to warm up before you start your practice for the day! You can skip filling out the Blank Practice Squares if you’re pressed for time!

    Again, you can download this free brush pen drills sheet by clicking here. I sincerely hope that you enjoy it. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments! Thanks very much for reading today’s post, and enjoy your weekend!

    Warmly,

    Lindsey's Signature | The Postman's Knock

    *This post contains affiliate links to Amazon

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About the author

Hi, I’m Lindsey Bugbee, the illustrator, calligrapher, and author behind The Postman’s Knock (TPK). Since 2012, the TPK Blog has been a vibrant creative space filled with tutorials and lessons on modern calligraphy, hand lettering, and illustration. After publishing The Calligraphy Book, I wanted to elevate the quality of content even further—so I launched TPK Premium. You can join here to receive access to some of the internet’s best creative inspiration and project tutorials.

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Previous post: Introducing TPK’s First Brush Pen Calligraphy Worksheet Set
Next post: Holiday Calligraphy Printable Exemplar + Worksheet

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23 responses

  1. lyndiegf Avatar
    lyndiegf
    July 15, 2019

    Hi Lindsey, I mailed you a while ago about using Fudenosuke pens for these drills, which can be used but it was a little big, so I thought I’d give my Tom bow dual tips ago, OMG it’s turning out to be the challenge I needed, well worth trying it, and it’s free brilliant 😁
    Thank you

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  2. Fanny Ho Avatar
    Fanny Ho
    August 27, 2018

    Hello, can this brush pen calligraphy tutorial used watercolor brush?

    Log in to Reply
    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      August 29, 2018

      Hi Fanny! Yes; the same principles will apply! You just won’t exert as much pressure on the tip of the brush. You can find tips for writing calligraphy with a brush in this tutorial. 🙂

      Log in to Reply
  3. Shelly Avatar
    Shelly
    September 19, 2017

    Thank you very much, Lindsey. These practice sheets are so helpful for me to practice!

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  4. gigi Avatar
    gigi
    February 4, 2017

    These are super Lindsey! I love the box format! Makes practice seem more fun! Thank you so much!

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  5. Margi Elena Avatar
    Margi Elena
    January 3, 2017

    THANK YOU. I am a beginner and am most grateful for you drill sheets.
    Do you recommend Kaitlin Style Brush Pen Calligraphy Intensive Word Practice class for a beginner?
    Thank you again

    Log in to Reply
    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      January 13, 2017

      Hi Margi! If you are interested in learning brush pen calligraphy (and then segueing into dip pen calligraphy), then absolutely! It would be fantastic for a lettering/calligraphy beginner. 🙂

      Log in to Reply
  6. Joyce Blodgett Avatar
    Joyce Blodgett
    December 22, 2016

    Thank you so much for the free printouts! I do a lot of drawing, and I make my own greeting cards, but am not proud of my lettering. This will make the cards look SO much nicer!

    Log in to Reply
  7. Ksenia Carvalho Avatar
    Ksenia Carvalho
    December 5, 2016

    Thank you very much, Lindsey! This practice sheet is fantastic!

    Log in to Reply
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✨I’ve been making these little calligraphy Chr ✨I’ve been making these little calligraphy Christmas trees for years. They’re a go-to whenever I need a quick gift tag, envelope flourish, or something festive that doesn’t require a whole afternoon.

They look fancy, but they’re really just simple strokes stacked in different patterns. Truly: once you get the rhythm down, you can make a tree in under 30 seconds. 🎄 

If you want to try them (there are six styles!), the tutorial is on the TPK Blog, and it’s called
“6 Simple Ways to Make a Calligraphy Christmas Tree.” Feel free to google it, or visit: thepostmansknock.com/6-simple-ways-to-make-a-calligraphy-christmas-tree/

It’s very beginner-friendly, video-based, and a great way to get some creativity in during a busy season. I hope you love it as much as I do. 💛

#calligraphy #moderncalligraphy #holidaycalligraphy #calligraphyart #creativelifehappylife #christmascrafts #holidaycrafts #giftwrappingideas #diychristmas #christmascards #calligraphytutorial #finetec #metallicwatercolor #papercrafts #creativepractice #thepostmansknock #holidayinspiration #blackandgold #christmasideas #holidayideas
🎁 These printable gift tags are one of my favor 🎁 These printable gift tags are one of my favorite free printables on the TPK site. Just download, print, cut them out, and — if you want to — reinforce them with a bit of cardstock.

Inside the PDF you’ll find four designs: Festive Frida, Flourished Tree, Pine Boughs, and Merry & Bright. They’re all hand-drawn, and they make even the simplest wrapping look bespoke and artistic. 🎨 

Pro tip: If you’ve got a bit of extra time, add a pop of watercolor or some gold dots; and consider mounting the tag on a contrasting piece of cardstock for extra oomph.

They’re free to download at: thepostmansknock.com/free-super-cool-hand-drawn-printable-gift-tags/ (or visit the link in my stories today). Happy holidays!

#handdrawn #gifttags #printablegifttags #freeprintables #holidayprintables #christmascrafts #holidaygifts #papercrafts #snailmailinspo #mailart #creativegiftwrapping #diyholiday #diygifttags #artistsoninstagram #illustrationartists #thepostmansknock #tpkcommunity #calligraphycommunity #stationerylove #creativecommunity
There’s something extra fun about a card that do There’s something extra fun about a card that doesn’t just open … it comes to life. ✨ This little stand-up tree might look fancy, but it’s totally approachable — relaxing to make, satisfying to embellish, and (my favorite part) it folds up perfectly to pop in the mail. 💌🎄

If you’re looking for a holiday project that feels creative and doable, this is *such* a good one. The printable template does half the work for you, and you can customize the rest with flourishes, white ink, ornaments, or whatever feels festive to you.

The full step-by-step tutorial is waiting for you on the TPK website; just head to the link in my bio and tap “Blog.” I think you’ll have as much fun making this as I did. ❤️

#calligraphy #calligraphytutorial #holidaycalligraphy #flourishedcalligraphy #moderncalligraphy #calligraphycommunity #calligraphypractice #calligraphyart #letteringcommunity #letteringart #papercraft #papercrafting #diycards #handmadecards #holidaycards #christmascards #christmascrafts #snailmail #snailmailrevolution #snailmaillove #creativecommunity #stationerylove #makersgonnamake #thepostmansknock
I love it when I can make simple pointed pen pract I love it when I can make simple pointed pen practice on cardstock ... and it magically turns into a festive card! Find instructions + a printable template for making this “Loop-de-Loop” tree in the TPK 2025 Holiday Calligraphy Worksheet set. 🎄 (Link in bio, then navigate to the Blog!)

#pointedpen #calligraphy #calligraphypractice #pointedpenpractice #holiday #christmastree #treedrawing #doodles #goldwatercolor
Every November since 2016, I’ve looked forward t Every November since 2016, I’ve looked forward to sitting down with a cup of something warm ☕️ and sketching out ideas for the TPK holiday worksheet. This year was no exception, and I think you’ll be pleased with the motifs! They’re designed to bring calm, beauty, and (sneaky) pointed pen practice to your holiday season. 🎄Visit the TPK Blog (link in bio, then navigate to Blog) for details!
The other day, I was thinking about sending out ho The other day, I was thinking about sending out holiday cards, and I immediately dismissed the thought with, “I have zero time to calligraph envelopes for those.” ✍️

... But is that true? I put it to the test for the latest article on the TPK Blog. Using some time-saving tricks I’ve learned over the years (like using a watery ink, a bouncy calligraphy style, and minimal pencil guidelines), I timed myself making three envelope concepts. Two of them took 5 minutes or less. The most time-intensive took 5 minutes, 30 seconds. The envelopes still turned out looking elegant, especially with the help of some artistic postage stamp collages. 💌

For clear step-by-step tutorials detailing how to make these envelopes and sourcing pretty postage, visit the TPK Blog (link in bio, then navigate to “Blog”)!

#snailmail #mail #calligraphy #pointedpencalligraphy #happymail #snailmailrevolution #mailbox #postage #vintagepostage
After I chose this music to accompany this reel, i After I chose this music to accompany this reel, it dawned on me: drawing a calligraphy medallion is like, well, Belle’s arc with the Beast. 

At first, it’s a bit of a weird situation. Strange shapes, questionable structure, possibly some growling (à la “YOU WILL JOIN ME FOR DINNER. That’s not a request!”) when the inevitable ink smudge happens. You keep thinking, “I’m not sure why I’m doing this ... should I hop on Felipe and gallop away?” 🐎

But something shifts as the medallion starts to come to life. And when you finish that last detail and pull back, the music swells. Light bursts from your paper like it did from Beast’s digits as he transformed into a stunningly beautiful prince. ✨ You’re practically in a ballroom celebrating, and, wait, did your furniture just turn into an adoring crowd that’s celebrating your fortitude and skill?

(And now you know how my mind works 🧠 ... I love a good metaphor, no matter how weak it may be!) 

To learn how to make a calligraphy medallion, just search for “calligraphy medallion” on the TPK site (link in bio). You’ll find both free Blog tutorials and detailed premium worksheets.

... I’ll show myself out now. 🙈

#pointedpencalligraphy #calligraphy #handwritten #pointedpen #dippen #calligraphymedallion #calligraphydrill #calligraphypractice
My favorite autumn projects are the ones that remi My favorite autumn projects are the ones that remind you how cozy this season can be. 🍂 This project definitely fits the bill ... create it with a hot, comforting drink nearby and an excellent audiobook, and you’re in for a treat! ☕️ ✍️ The tutorial on the TPK Blog (link in bio, then navigate to Blog) is super detailed, with mini tutorial videos to guide you every step of the way.

#autumnart #watercolortutorial #arttutorial #handpainted #paintingtutorial #pointedpen #dippen #flourishing
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