Hand Lettering Gift Guide 2019
If you love to letter or know someone who does, you’ve come to the right place today! I’ve got 40 gift ideas for lettering artists of all kinds, including beginners, intermediate/advanced level, kids, and those who are interested in Bible Journaling. Almost every day, I’m asked by at least one person what supplies I recommend, and this list is the answer! I (or my kids) personally own and frequently use the vast majority of the items you see here. A few of the things I don’t already have are actually on my Christmas wish list! All but two of the gift ideas are available on Amazon, so to make things easy, instead of grabbing photos from all over the place, I just added the Amazon listings here so you can hop on over with one click to put something in your cart. I recently heard that these listings don’t always show up if you’re on your iPhone or iPad, so if that’s the case, you can click the linked name of the product to hop to Amazon too. I hope this helps you with your holiday shopping and/or making your own wish list. (PS. If you buy something after clicking one of these links, I do get an affiliate commission. This doesn’t increase your cost at all, but helps to support my business.)
Are you ready? Let’s start shopping!
FOR BEGINNERS
The #1 thing you need to start a lettering hobby is instruction! This book is designed to walk you through the basics of faux calligraphy and brush lettering, as well as a variety of other fonts and embellishments. Each chapter gives you a sample design at the beginning, step by step instruction for a technique, practice space, and a page at the end where you get to recreate the design or invent one of your own.
This handy little kit has all the “must-haves” to get started with basic hand lettering: two Dual Brush Pens, a Fudenosuke Pen (my fave!), a MONO Twin Permanent Marker, a MONO Drawing Pencil and a MONO Eraser.
As you learn to do some embellishments along with your lettering, you’ll want a fine tip marker that’s thinner than the bullet-tip end of the Dual Brush Pen. These come in a pack that includes three tip sizes: 01, 03, and 05.
When you’re starting out (and even when you’re a pro!), it can be helpful to practice on dot grid paper. This allows you easily align your letters without having the appearance of lined paper. This little journal is portable and has high quality paper for honing your skills.
One of the most intimidating things about lettering for a beginner can be figuring out how to lay out and design a project. Artist Stefan Kunz has created an amazing bundle of composition grids that you can print out and use, or you can import them to your digital lettering programs like Procreate. These grids will give you the skeleton of a design, then you can fill in your words to form the shapes. This Megabundle includes four sets of grids, or you can purchase each set individually if you prefer. These were a game-changer for me in my lettering journey!
Chances are, you’re going to want to letter on-the-go sometimes, so it’s handy to have a way to transport a handful of markers and keep them organized. This cute little fabric marker roll with elastic loops will hold your favorite supplies, then roll up and fit in your purse or bag.
FOR INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED ARTISTS
If you’ve mastered some of the basics of lettering and want to take your skills to the next level, this book is for you! It teaches you new fonts and embellishments, as well as the basics of creating and using design grids. The format is the same; a new quote design at the beginning of each chapter, followed by instruction, practice space, and a blank bordered page to create your masterpiece. These quotes are light-hearted and humorous, sure to make you smile.
This kit is a step up from the basic one, including four dual Brush pens, a colorless blender pen, two fudenosuke calligraphy pens, a MONO Twin Permanent marker, a MONO drawing Pencil and a MONO eraser. It’s a great all-in-one gift for a lettering lover!
Tombow Fudenosuke Color Brush Pens
The Fudenosuke is my absolute favorite brush pen for hand lettering, and now it’s available in more than just black! Add color to your work with this gorgeous set!
Tombow Dual Brush Pens 108 Color Set with Case
An artist can never have enough markers, and this is the jackpot gift for anyone who loves to letter. The set contains all 108 unique colors of Tombow Dual Brush Pens, as well as a handy fold-out storage and carrying case. Give this to a lettering artist, and you’ll quickly become their favorite person!
This fabulous sketchbook has super smooth paper, and the unique square shape makes it easier than ever to share your creations on social media! It’s available in three different sizes; 4×4, 8×8, and 10×10.
If you love Stefan Kunz’s pre-designed composition grids, here’s the next great thing! This bundle allows you to build your own grids by inserting, moving, and resizing a variety of shapes, and it also contains letter grids that help you write letters that are consistent in size and shape. Print it out and use it physically, or use the digital format in your favorite lettering and editing program. Both features are also sold separately.
Take your markers on the go with this super-cute fabric carrying case. It’s the next step up from the roll I recommended for beginners, holding up to 220 markers of all shapes and sizes.
FOR BIBLE JOURNALING
Hand Lettering for Faith
Learn to use your creativity to connect with God as you work through this book. Each of the 40 chapters focuses on a particular passage of Scripture and teaches you to hand-letter it in a unique and colorful design. Each chapter also contains a devotional reading for the passage you’re lettering to help you meditate on it while you create.
This Journaling Bible is unique, as instead of just having wide margins, it has a full size blank page next to every page of type. I love it because it lets me create larger, fuller designs.
Dayspring Spiral Bound Illustrating Bible
This unique Bible is spiral-bound, which allows it to lay completely flat…a huge help when you’re journaling!
Krystal has created a gorgeous journal with design ideas to trace, copy, and recreate based on Scripture. It also has space for prayer and reflection.
Carry your journaling supplies to church or a retreat with this pretty little organizer bag.
FOR KIDS
I wrote this book specifically for kids ages 7-17 in the hopes of helping them learn to letter. It walks them through the basics of hand lettering as well as doodles and embellishments designed for younger folks, like cupcakes, cartoon animals, tacos, donuts, and more!
Make No Mistake Erasable Markers
I have this in the kids’ category, but I’m not gonna lie, there are plenty of times when I could use an erasable marker too! How about you?
These dual ended markers have a fine tip and a medium tip, and are available in a variety of great colors. They are great for drawing, coloring, and faux calligraphy.
Once again, I find myself wanting to shop from the kids’ section…this unicorn marker pouch is beyond adorable.
Boys can be artists too (one of mine loves to letter!), and while they may not want the unicorn pouch I shared above, they will definitely think this monster marker pouch is both funny and functional. In fact, my 12 year old has one as his pencil pouch at school too.
Melissa & Doug Mini Sketchbooks
Young artists need plenty of space to practice, and these sketchbooks are a great place to do it! They’re called “mini,” but they’re actually 6×9 inches which isn’t so small. A 3-pack provides 150 pages to fill with doodles, letters, and embellishments.
FOR EVERYONE
A classic favorite supply of lettering artists everywhere, the Tombow Dual Brush Pen features both a brush tip and a bullet tip. These pens are water-based and blendable, allowing you to create all kinds of awesome effects using the blender pen or an aqua pen. Grab your favorite color palette in a 10 pack (my favorite are Brights and Primary).
This is my all-time, absolute favorite, #1 marker choice for brush lettering. Hands down, it’s the best. You’ll never regret buying these. Ever.
Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens
This set of black markers provides you with a variety of tip sizes, XS, S, and M for fine line work. There’s also a pretty thick black brush pen. I frequently use the three monoline markers for my outlining and drawing work.
If you want to give your lettering highlights or want to letter on a dark/colored background, you are going to need a white pen. I’ve tried them all, I think, and this is absolutely the best one. It’s nice and bright, writes smoothly, and creates gorgeous effects.
Want to add a metallic look to your lettering? Look no further than this gold marker. It’s awesome. I bought a multi-pack so I can always have one on hand.
To create fun watercolor effects with markers like the Tombow Dual Brush Pens, you’re going to want a water pen. Just fill the barrel with clean water and it will come out of the brush end as you move it on your paper. There are lots of great tutorials for how to use these and make fabulous projects!
Sharpie Permanent Brush Markers
If you want to do brush lettering using the actual brush technique on a non-paper surface, your only option is to use Sharpie Permanent Brush Markers. They’ll work on wood, metal, and a variety of other things, allowing you to take your lettering off the page.
Paint pens are a great way to create home decor projects and gifts using lettering. Since there’s no such thing as a brush tip paint pen, you’ll have to do the faux calligraphy technique or use other fonts, but these create a great result on all kinds of surfaces.
Uchida Extra Fine Tip Paint Pens
If your non-paper project is particularly small, like an ornament or a piece of jewelry, you’ll want the finest tip paint marker possible, like this one.
Love the chalkboard look but don’t want the mess? Try this chalk marker! I typically use white on a black backgrounds, but this marker is also available in a variety of other colors.
Every artist needs a great eraser. Tombow Mono erasers in all their forms are my favorite, particularly this one, because it attempts to reduce the amount of eraser dust. Please and thank you.
If you are lettering something you want to frame, you’ll want to use something better than just sketch paper. Bristol board is a great choice! It’s available in a variety of sizes, and you can trim it to fit any frame you like.
The other option for a professional looking finished project is to use hot press watercolor paper. This type of paper is NOT textured like typical (cold press) watercolor paper; instead it’s very smooth to the touch, which is what we want so our markers don’t snag while we letter. This is the perfect choice if you’re going to be adding any water effects to your design.
Want to take your lettering to the next level and learn to do it digitally? You’ll need an Apple Pencil. It’s responsive to pressure, just like a brush pen, so you can do your same trusted techniques and get gorgeous results.
Unfortunately, the magical Apple Pencil is not compatible with all models of the iPad. Originally, it only worked with the iPad Pro, which is what I use, although I hear it now works with some of the newer “regular” versions. An iPad that’s compatible with the pencil is a must if you want to letter digitally.
44 Lettering Composition Grids from Beginner to Advanced
This handy, inexpensive little book provides 44 unique ideas for laying out a hand lettered design.
Well, friends, I hope you’ve found this Hand Lettering Gift Guide helpful! Enjoy using it to create your own wish list or to shop for the creative types in your life. If you have questions about any of these materials or want other recommendations, be sure to ask away in the Amy Latta & Friends Facebook Group. Happy Lettering & Happy Holidays!
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Before you go, check out my Hand Lettering Tutorials, Practice Pages, and Projects for more lettering fun.
