Image by Amanda Marie Portraits

With a huge variety of calligraphy supplies out there – nibs, inks, pens, papers, etc. – I think it can often get overwhelming when making your purchases. While many supplies are based on personal preference, other supplies I believe are a bit more quality than others. I wanted to share with you some of my favorites and give you some tips on where to purchase them!

First off, one of my favorite websites is Paper & Ink Arts. They have such a variety of quality supplies – and always ship very quickly. There, you can buy some of my favorite inks:

• Sumi Ink – my favorite black ink
• Dr. Martin’s Pen White & Copperplate Gold – two great inks for those special white and gold requests. You’ll want to water down the pen white before use, but I love it because it doesn’t bleed. The Copperplate Gold can be found at Hobby Lobby or other craft stores.
• FW – a great acrylic ink for colored jobs. Drying time is a bit longer than most other inks.
• Winsor & Newton – This gouache has been the most quality and easiest to work with. Purchasing Series 1 is just fine, especially for beginners. You’ll mix this with water until you get the color and consistency you desire. Just love this medium. (Excellent for white and gold, as well).

The pen I use for every job is an oblique pen – in fact, I use just a really cheap-y pen. I find I like them and I have so many laying around I never misplace it! People often ask why I use an oblique pen – it’s because it’s what I know! I learned on an oblique pen (used for a traditional script) and have gotten so used to holding it I continue to use it.

My hands-down, absolute favorite nib is the Zebra G nib. You can buy them individually at Paper & Ink Arts or in packs of 10 at Jetpens.com. (They offer free shipping on orders of $25, as well).

For practicing, warming up, or lettering jobs, marker paper is just great. Try one like this.

Lastly, I couldn’t do most of my jobs without my light box. This 9 x 12 box is the current box I use and I love love love it.