Despite having an entire office I could fill top to bottom with calligraphy supplies, they have started to infiltrate every empty space in my condo. My TomBow pens are now a coffee table decoration, and instead of being full of magazines, my ottoman is full of sketchbooks. My oblique pen is in the sink more often than actual utensils.
The reason really is that I'm using these babies so often that it's not even practical to put them away. Here's a quick list of my favorite go-to's:
- Laura Hooper's Black & Gold Oblique Pen Holder - apparently I have a hulk grip when I'm writing, because I've actually split this wooden holder. But I will continue to washi-tape it together because it just writes so damn nice. & Laura is my idol.
- Higgins Eternal Black Ink - the golden standard for everyday writing as far as I'm concerned. It will bleed on certain paper, and it is extremely difficult to get out of a light colored carpet. Trust me, I know from experience.
- Ziller North Wind White Ink - definitely a bit thicker than Higgins, but contrasts beautifully on dark colored paper. I love it for addressing dark envelopes!
- Zebra G Nibs - it took me a while to get used to this one, but once I did it was hard to switch to anything else! Really nice fine strokes, best for medium-sized letters.
- TomBow Dual Tip Brush Pens - some handletter-ers feel that these aren't best for beginners to brush lettering, but these blend-able beauties allow for so many cool effects. I have a sketchbook dedicated to writing with just these markers.
- FineTec Artist Mica Watercolor Palette - the absolute prettiest watercolors you've ever seen. The "mica" effect makes the color sparkle better than you average metallic. Takes some finesse, but so fun to play with.
- Aqua Pen Brush - eliminates the middle man and combines a brush pen with a water well.