Calligraphy Supplies for Beginners

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I get a lot of questions about what supplies I use for pointed pen calligraphy and thought it would be helpful to share them on a blog so you can access it when you’re shopping. Plus, I can also share links to my favorite things to make it even easier for you.

Once you get familiar with the basics of calligraphy, you’ll be able to figure out what types of tools you gravitate to. This will help in deciding what additional supplies you’d like to add to your calligraphy tool belt later on.

The basics I’m recommending will cost you under $30 … or even a lot less than that, depending on how you like to learn. More on that in a bit, though.

A Straight Holder

The holder quite literally holds your calligraphy nib for you — it’s the pen. There are straight holders and oblique holders, but the great thing about straight ones is that they work for both lefties and righties. Even after years of practice, this is still the type of holder I like best. You can grab one for cheap or get fancy with a hand-turned wooden one from Rodger or acrylic holder from Ash Bush Ink.

Photo from Ash Bush Ink

Nikko G Nib

This is the most recommended nib out there and for good reason. Beginner friendly and yet also used regularly by seasoned professionals, the Nikko G works well for nearly any style you decide you want to learn. It’s stiff enough to be beginner-friendly and flexible enough to get those stunning swells of ink on the downstrokes. Get yourself two or three since they do wear out.

Nikko G Nib

Sumi Ink

There’s millions of inks to choose from that work wonderfully with calligraphy nibs but for sake of sanity, start with sumi ink. It’s super deep black and works without having to change the consistency with water or another mixing fluid.

Black Sumi Ink

Empty Glass Jars

You can find any small container (preferably glass so it’s easy to clean) to use but I especially love mini jelly or baby food jars. They are still small but easy to get your nib fully coated with. As long as you have a top for it, you’re good to go.

Rhodia Paper

My favorite paper for learning calligraphy is a lined or dotted Rhodia pad. The paper is super smooth and the pre-printed lines or grids are extra helpful to make sure your strokes are consistent.

Rhodia Lined Notepad

Learning Resources

I obviously recommend my own worksheets for Faux Calligraphy as a great introduction to lettering. I also suggest Molly Suber Thorpe’s book, Modern Calligraphy via Amazon. If you’d rather get started right this very second, you can sign up for two free months of Skillshare*, a huge online learning community that teaches you skills with videos. You can learn at your own pace, pause as needed, and they offer a variety of topics to learn about — not just the creative kind, although they’re definitely my favorite. I’ve been a subscriber to the platform for a few years on and off; it’s a really great resource.

If you have any questions about any of the tools or resources mentioned, I’d love to see them in the comments below to respond/help all the other beginners out there.

This content is not sponsored and all thoughts and recommendations are my own. Links marked with an asterisk are affiliate links where I may earn a small commission from you clicking or using it, allowing me to provide more valuable content at no cost to you. Thank you!