1 — Tombow Dual Brush Pen Art Markers are my all-time favorite pens for brush lettering. I love the precision and flexibility of the brush tip. The other side of the pen features a very fine-point felt tip for adding details or tiny lettering.

2 — Stix Marker Pens with Brush Tips are technically for kids, but I prefer to think of that as the kid inside all of us. I adore these markers. Their brush tips aren’t too long and brushy, allowing for bold, precise lettering.

3 — Kuretake ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Pens are my go-to marker for delicate brush lettering. Their ink is reminiscent of watercolor, with nice translucency.

4 — Pentel Flexible Point Sign Pen Brushes are the best for small brush lettering. The points aren’t technically brush nibs, however they are very flexible so you can produce thick and thin lines easily.

5 — UNI Posca Brush Tip Paint Markers are best for writing on non-paper surfaces, like glass, plastic, and metal. They are filled with real paint, not ink!

6 — Sakura Pigma Professional Brush Pens only come in black, but they offer three nib sizes, which is rare. The smallest one is amazing for tiny lettering.

7 — Pentel Pocket Brush with Refills is like a brush marker / fountain pen hybrid. This is not a disposable pen. You can buy ink refills and keep using it for years!

8 — Pentel Aquash Water Brush Pens are brilliant for customizing your own brush pen colors. Either fill them with water and dip the brush in a paint palette, or fill the barrel itself with ink or watery paint of your choice.

1 — The Kaweco Classic Sport Fountain Pen is my top recommendation if you’re new to fountain pens but aren’t ready to invest in a premium model. A good fountain pen loaded with fine ink is not only luxurious but can really improve the writing experience!

2 — Sakura White Gelly Roll Pens are my go-to when I need opaque, white ink for dark papers. Nothing beats Sakura brand gel pens, and these come in three point sizes for fine to medium writing.

3 — The uni-ball Eye Micro Rollerball Pen is my absolute favorite cursive handwriting pen because its water-based ink flows freely, requiring almost no pressure to write. It is smooth, opaque, fine-tipped, and fast-drying.

4 — Sakura Micron Fine Line Pens are an artist’s best friend. As the name suggests, these are for making extremely fine lines, which can mean anything writing from very tiny letters to drawing outlines.

5 — Sharpie Metallic Markers are a wonderful choice for permanent inking on dark surfaces. I especially like using silver and gold Sharpies when writing on black paper because the colors pop so well.

6 — UNI Chalk Markers are a great option for hand lettering white ink on dark surfaces – not just chalkboards!

7 — A Fons & Porter White Mechanical Pencil is the best tool for drawing guidelines or drafting letters on dark paper. It is extremely easy to erase, making it great for sketching out a composition, writing over it in ink, then erasing it after.

8 — Staedtler Soft Pencils are my favorite all-around sketching pencils. The softer the pencil, the easier the writing. While a classic 2B pencil will work just fine, I personally prefer mine softer when I’m drawing letters, so I tend to buy 4B or 6B.

1 — My all-time favorite tracing paper is the Borden & Riley Translucent Layout Pad. It’s reasonably priced, very smooth, and strikes just the right balance between weight and translucency.

2 — If you’re after an even more durable tracing paper, I recommend Canson Smooth Vellum. It has a lovely finish and super smooth surface.

3 — As far as notepads that double as both tracing paper and regular paper, I can’t say enough positive things about Rhodia’s line of top-bound pads. They don’t ripple, bleed, or tear. As an added bonus, Rhodia Notepads have the perfect lay-flat binding, so you can flip the sturdy cover under the pad without sacrificing a stable surface.

4 — For buying in bulk, a 500-sheet ream is a more practical choice. Premium Laserjet Paper is the most economical option I can recommend. It is thin enough for tracing and most pens will not bleed on it.

1 — The Alvin Letter Guideline Drawing Tool is for drawing your own, customizable lettering guides. You can pick your horizontal line spacing and italic slant angle. Use it with a Fons & Porter White Mechanical Pencil to draw erasable guides on dark paper.

2 — This might seem like an odd desk accessory! But the Black & Decker Laser Liner creates a writing baseline on any surface. Many lettering artists and calligraphers keep one of these parked on their desk so they can cast straight baselines across their writing surface. But they are also invaluable for hand lettering on walls, mirrors, floors, and beyond.

3 — A Leather Writing Desk Mat offers a slightly padded writing surface, which in turn yields nicer, smoother writing than a single sheet of paper on a hard surface. This is because your pen can slightly press into the paper, resulting in less shaky strokes. (You definitely don’t need a writing mat to create padding, though! If you’re writing on loose paper, put at least a couple more sheets under it.)

4 — The Ergo Writing Desk is a great way to customize your writing experience without replacing your entire desk. Many people find that writing on a slightly raised, slanted surface makes their writing more comfortable and consistent.