I have to say I love all of Tombow's range of dual pens. These are great to try especially if you love creating different styles of hand lettering. I’m known for my calligraphy style, but equally I like incorporating bolder hand lettered fonts into my layouts. The tips on these pens are great for creating variability in your lettering. I love the fine tip for its crisp clean definition and I will show you how it's also great for cleaning up any wobbly looking lines.
STEP 1
You’ll need the following tools and stationery to start this project (as shown in the image above).
My choice of paper is either the Tombow Bristol Board paper pad or a good quality watercolour paper. You can use either A4 or A5 sheets. Start by cutting the paper up to your desired size and create a score line with a paper bone folder, to make a perfect crease line for your card.
You can grab a selection of pen colours from the Tombow Twin Tone pack or use the ones I have included. Colours: Coral Pink, Raspberry, Pale Purple, Sax Blue, Mint Green and Grey.
STEP 2
Start by lightly sketching out your lettering layout onto the paper with a pencil. Here I'm using the Tombow Mono100 pencil and Mono Zero eraser.
STEP 3
Using the broad pen tip of your Twin Tone coloured pens, trace over your pencil markings. I’ve kept the sequence of colours similar for the initial two words, but you also have the option to choose your own colour combinations. Get creative and have fun with the process. I like to incorporate different lettering styles as well, combining playful mono (single line) lettering and faux calligraphy. I’ll explain how this is done in the next few steps.
STEP 4
With the second word, I’ve used the fine liner tip to trace over my pencil lettering.
STEP 5
I usually like to make the lettering line pop out a bit more, by making it thicker, as the initial line is quite thin. If you are familiar with faux calligraphy then consider creating bolder lines on all the downstrokes of your letters, like I am here.
STEP 6
Draw a parallel line along the down strokes and fill it in with the same colour, to create the thicker line and to make it look more like brush lettering.
STEP 7
I decided to go for a single colour for the last word and used the larger tip to trace over my pencil lettering.
STEP 8
The fine liner tips are great for creating subtle shadow lines, which is what I have decided to do here. Just make sure to apply the shadow lines to the same side of each letter to keep the details consistent.
STEP 9
I mentioned how great the fine liner tips on these pens are for creating a crisp, clean definition. Also if you have any wobbly lines you can easily tidy them up with this tip. Using the grey colour I’m sharpening up the angles and edges of my lettering.
STEP 10
You can again see me thickening up the letter lines, with the fine tip, on my first word to create more definition and make the colours of the letters stand out even more.
STEP 11
Don’t forget to rub away all of the pencil lines you created at the start!
STEP 12
Pair your card with a beautiful envelope of your choice. What mum isn’t going to love this! These pens can be used to create fun and simple faux calligraphy or bolder letter styling options with their dual tip function.
BIO
Thanks for following along! Please let me know how you get on with designing your cards for mother’s day, as I would love to see your take on this style!
I’m Illyahna from Illyboo Designs. I’m a modern calligrapher and lettering artist based in Oxford, UK.
You can find me on instagram @illyboodesigns and via my website at www.illyboodesigns.com, where you can learn more about what I do and what I offer to help take your lettering to the next level.