Paper Choices for Modern Calligraphy
Practicing modern calligraphy with a brush pen requires smooth paper. So which paper should you use to practice calligraphy? I’ll share my favorite notebook and give you three reasons it is my favorite in this short video.
Reason 1: Smooth Paper
The Rhodia Dot Pad Reverse Book gives you everything you need for modern calligraphy and hand lettering practice. The first quality of the notebook that makes it my go-to for practicing modern calligraphy and hand lettering is it is smooth.
For modern calligraphy, when we’re using brush pens, whether it’s a small tip Tombow Fudenosuke brush pen or a large tip brush pen, the flexible nib on our brush pens is going to get destroyed by rough paper.
You’ll probably hear me talk about how I have Tombow Fudenosuke brush pens nearing the end of their life that I reserve when I’m doing watercolor. That’s because I don’t want to destroy the tip of my Tombow Fudenosuke when I am practicing.
Reason 2: Dots!
The second reason that I like the Rhodia dot grid and this reverse book is simply because there are dots. It’s a simple answer, but they have a huge benefit. The dots give modern calligraphers guidelines, but they’re not so dark that they distract from what you are practicing.
When I use a Tombow Fudenosuke hard tip brush pen, I use two squares for my X height, two squares for my ascender height, and two squares for my descender height.
Now. I will say if you want to scan your calligraphy, the dots will show up on most scanners. Using this paper for practice is great. Rhodia also makes plain white paper and it is wonderful to do a final piece on if you’re going to then scan it with and have to have a digital copy of it.
The dots get in the way of scanning. So that would be a reason not to use this particular.
Reason 3: It’s a Square
The third reason that I love the Rhodia dot pad is….it’s square. As the name indicates, it is a reverse book. So you can move the binding wherever it’s most convenient for you.
So for lefties, having the coil on the right side can be a benefit. I love having the coil at the top because it allows me to lay this notebook flat. So my hand, when I get to the edge of the page, isn’t falling off and an inch up in the air. I love using my Archer and Olive notebooks to do modern calligraphy as well.
The reality is, I can’t lay that notebook flat. There is always a raised edge that I’m dealing with when I get to the edge of the paper. And that’s just not ideal for doing any type of practice work.
So the third reason that I like the Rhodia reverse book, this notebook here that I’ll link to in the description below is simply that it’s square.
What’s Your Favorite Notebook?
I would love to know in the comments below, what is your favorite notebook or paper to practice on.
I’ll give you one bonus opinion: If you are printing out worksheets and I have a couple on my website that you might want to download as PDFs, and if you’re printing those out on your home, I use the HP Premium 32-pound paper.
It is also very smooth. I don’t particularly care for it when I am doing practice. What I have noticed is there is a little bit of a bleed on the edges with the Tombow Fudenosuke brush pen. However, when I practice on printed worksheets, this is the only paper I will use.
Orange Cover v. Black Cover
So you might ask, “what is the difference?”
It’s the same notebook with a different color cover.
So whichever one you find it’s a great notebook for practicing calligraphy.
Summary of Three Reasons
So the three reasons that I love this notebook for modern calligraphy practice is the paper is smooth and the dots give you a way to line up your letters and align your letters. Finally, because it’s square and I can turn the notebook in any direction that I would like. So this is my favorite notebook for practicing modern calligraphy. What’s your favorite paper to practice modern calligraphy?
Supplies Used and Recommended
Tombow Fudenosuke https://amzn.to/3P7tyJW
Tombow Fudenosuke Colors https://amzn.to/3QreIyF
Pentel Sign Brush Pen: https://amzn.to/3ymmRxv
Zebra Fude https://amzn.to/3KV2tWO
Cricut LightPad Go https://amzn.to/3FmCXsB
HP Premium 32 lb Paper https://amzn.to/3KTBknd
Rhodia Dot Grid Square 8 inch X 8 inch notebook – Orange cover https://amzn.to/3QtpXXg
Rhodia Dot Grid Square 8 inch X 8 inch notebook – Black cover https://amzn.to/3QtpXXg
Rhodia Blank Stapled Notebook 8.25 X 11.75 inches https://amzn.to/3O6uBJd
Strathmore Tracing Paper https://amzn.to/3xFdXJs