Can You Use a Cheap Pencil for Calligraphy?
The answer to the question posed by the title of today’s post just might surprise you. It absolutely surprised me.
It turns out that a super plain #2 pencil is a fantastic tool for unleashing calligracreativity (calligraphy creativity 😉)
The First Surprise
When I initially had the idea for making this video, I thought it would be a passing experiment to see just how useful and practical it is to work with cheap No. 2 Pencils for calligraphy—particularly the Blackletter or Gothic style of calligraphy that I love.
While I was at a local grocery store one day, I noticed a box of these No. Pencils in an aisle and figured I’d buy some extras to use while filming the video—especially when I saw how cheap they were.
The box of 24 No. 2 Pencils was less than $1! I was so surprised that I took a photo:
The First Try
After picking up the pack of No. 2 Pencils, it was time to test out this Blackletter Calligraphy with pencils idea, so I’d be prepared for the video.
I sharpened two pencils and looked for a rubber band to attach them together. I couldn’t find one for after looking everywhere, so I tried using a velcro cable tie which worked great.
After picking up the pack of No. 2 Pencils, it was time to test out this Blackletter Calligraphy with pencils idea, so I’d be prepared for the video.
I sharpened two pencils and looked for a rubber band to attach them together. I couldn’t find one for after looking everywhere, so I tried using a velcro cable tie which worked great.
Now, it was finally time to test out writing with the pencils, and within a few seconds—after writing the very first letter—I was absolutely shocked.
The two No. Pencils were so much fun to write with and worked really well! I ended up being totally transfixed for over three hours playing with tons of different creative ideas because these tools unlocked something totally new – the magic of space.
The Wonderful Surprise
Most of the time when writing, we place solid lines on the page to form the the letters – this is especially the case with Blackletter Calligraphy where our writing instruments are literally called “broad-nib” pens that lay down solid, thick lines.
The magic of using the pencils, though, it that they unlock the space inside the letters.
We end up writing just the borders for each letter, so creative ideas and styles can be added anywhere – they don’t have to be relegated to just living outside of the letter strokes.
This opened up a new world of creativity that I wasn’t expecting.
I got so hoooked that I even created a game.
You can watch me have fun playing this game in the linked video where the design of each letter is left completely to chance – using multi-sided dice to pick the style for each character.
More Reasons Why Using Two Cheap Pencils is Great
A couple of other reasons why these tools are so awesome.
Cost
Like I mentioned earlier – they’re extremely affordable. I found a pack of twenty-four No. 2 Pencils at a local grocery store for 97 cents!
That puts each individual pencil at right around just 4 cents, or around 8 cents for two.
Paper
Another awesome thing is that we can use any paper we want.
Usually when practicing calligraphy, especially Blackletter or Gothic styles, a lot of papers will tend to bleed because of the amount of ink that the writing tools lay on the page.
With these pencils, though, we don’t have to worry about bleed – we can pick any paper that’ll work for the creative design we plan to make, including basic printer paper.
One Challenge
There is one challenge to mention for this double No. 2 Pencil approach, though.
Because of how far apart the two pencil tips are spaced (I measured around 7mm for two pencils in the pack that I got), we have to use a fair bit of arm movement while writing.
With smaller pens we can get away with smaller movements, but writing lines with a couple of No. Pencils strapped together requires more control (moving your whole arm).
Pulling this off tends to be more challenging when you’re a beginner, but keep at it. A
The awesome thing about this approach is that you can always go back and write over/smooth out your initial lines, erasing your originals when you’re done.
Give it a Try (with FREE Guide Sheets!)
If you’ve never tried using two No. Pencils I encourage you to give it a shot, even making up your own version of the game I play in the video.
To help and encourage you – I’ve made the No. 2 Pencil Guide Sheet I used in the video available totally for free when join my newsletter community. In fact, I’ve included a complete set of guide sheets at four different angles that you can try.
If you give this a shot, I’d love to see what you make!
Tag me on Instagram (@BlackletterFoundry) so I can find your awesome creations!
In the meantime, grab the No. Pencil Ultimate Blackletter Guide Sheets with the form below and start playing right now 😃
Note: This post and the photos within it may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a commission at no extra charge to you.
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