BLOG | Calligraphy & Watercolor

May 28, 2025June 1, 2025

DIY Creative Gift Ideas with Brush Lettering for Any Occasion

Looking for a meaningful, personalized gift that feels extra special? Brush lettering makes it easy to turn simple items into heartfelt treasures — perfect for birthdays, weddings, Raya, Christmas, and more.

Whether you’re a total beginner or already obsessed with calligraphy, here are some fun, easy DIY gift ideas that anyone can make with just a brush pen and a little creativity.

1. Hand-Lettered Greeting Cards

Nothing beats a handmade card with your brush lettering. Write the recipient’s name or a short quote like:

“You’re the best, Ma!”
“Selamat Hari Raya”
“You make my heart smile.”

What you need:
Brush pen, blank card, maybe some stickers or washi tape.
Tip: Add floral doodles or a watercolor wash to level it up.

2. Custom Name Tags or Gift Tags

Create small name tags for party favors, wedding tables, or gift boxes. Write each guest’s name in your style—everyone loves seeing their name in beautiful writing!

Materials:
Craft paper, twine, brush pen, hole punch

custom brush lettering gift tag with floral background

3. Personalized Tote Bags

Buy a blank canvas tote and letter a motivational quote or their name using fabric brush markers (like the Pilot Laundry-Tec Pen).

Quote ideas:

“You Got This!”
“Books. Snacks. Vibes.”
Their name in big calligraphy + a doodle

Where to get blank totes: Shopee, Daiso, Art Friend

4. DIY Framed Quotes

Design a favorite quote or inside joke with brush lettering, and frame it! This makes a great decor piece for home or office—and it’s budget-friendly.

Tip: Print your lettering on watercolor-textured paper for an artsy effect.

5. Handwritten Envelopes with Cash (Duit Raya or Angpau)

Turn ordinary money envelopes into a mini artwork with brush lettering and doodles. Write their name or a blessing.

6. Lettered Bookmarks

Cut thick paper into strips and letter your favorite quotes, affirmations, or initials. Laminate them if you’d like. Add a tassel for flair!

Perfect for party favors, teacher gifts, or handmade giveaway items.

7. DIY Mini Calendars or Planner Covers

Design a mini calendar with hand-lettered months or decorate a planner cover with a motivational brush-lettered quote.

Don’t Know Where to Start? Join a Class!

At Washilicious, we’ll guide you step-by-step through creating your hand-lettered gifts in our private brush lettering workshops (in KL or online). You’ll learn basic strokes and layout tricks and leave with a gift-worthy final piece.

Book Your Creative Class Here
(Materials included — even if you’re a total beginner!)

Download Free Brush Lettering Worksheets

Do you want to practice your brush lettering before creating your custom name and gift tags? We’ve got you covered! Click the links below to download your free worksheets and create stunning brush lettering tags today!

Free Downloads:

May 6, 2025June 1, 2025

Best Brush Pens for Beginners in Malaysia (2025 Buying Guide)

Best Brush Pens for Beginners in Malaysia

Getting started with brush lettering can feel a little overwhelming, especially when there are so many brush pens to choose from. If you’re a beginner wondering which tools are worth trying, this guide will walk you through the best brush pens for different skill levels, all easily available in local stores or online.

What Makes a Brush Pen Beginner-Friendly?

When choosing your first brush pen, here are a few things to look for:

Flexible Tip: Not too soft or too hard—just enough bounce to control.
Ink Flow: Smooth and consistent, without bleeding.
Grip & Control: Feels comfortable in your hand for longer practice sessions.

Top 5 Brush Pens for Beginners in Malaysia

1. Tombow Fudenosuke (Hard Tip)

Why Beginners Love It: Great control, especially for small lettering.
Where to Buy: Stickerrific, Kinokuniya, or Shopee Malaysia
Best For: Practicing thin and thick strokes, journaling

2. Pentel Fude Touch Sign Pen

Why Beginners Love It: Comes in beautiful colours with a soft-but-snappy tip.
Where to Buy: Popular Bookstore, Lazada, Pentel official Store
Best For: Colourful lettering, decorative headers

3. Sakura Pigma Brush Pen (Fine Tip)

Why Beginners Love It: Archival ink and waterproof—great for long-lasting work.
Where to Buy: Art Friend, Shopee
Best For: Card-making, final pieces

4. Kuretake Fudebiyori

Why Beginners Love It: Rich colours, slightly longer tip for bold strokes.
Where to Buy: JetPens
Best For: Medium lettering styles and decorative designs

5. Pilot Fude Makase (Fine Tip)

Why Beginners Love It: Affordable, reliable, and comes in soft pastel ink.
Where to Buy: Pilot Official Store, Cziplee
Best For: Budget-friendly practice pens

What About Paper?

Using the wrong paper can damage your brush tips! Stick to:

Rhodia Dot Pads
Canson Marker Pads (for final work)

Want to Try Before You Buy?

At Washilicious, we provide all materials during your first class, including beginner-friendly pens. You’ll get to test different paper types and discover what feels best in your hand.

Final Tip: Start with One Pen and Practice Daily

You don’t need an entire collection to start. Just pick one, print out some basic stroke drills, and practice for 5–10 minutes a day. It’s all about consistency, not perfection.

Ready to Start Your Lettering Journey?

Join our beginner brush lettering class in KL! You’ll leave with your pen, practice sheets, and a finished piece you’ll be proud of.

Book Your Spot Today – Limited Monthly Slots

May 4, 2025June 1, 2025

Brush Lettering for Beginners: 7 Tips to Get You Started

If you’ve ever watched someone effortlessly create beautiful hand-lettered quotes on Instagram or TikTok, you’re not alone. Brush lettering is not just a hobby, but as a relaxing, therapeutic art form.

Whether you’re a total beginner or just curious, these beginner-friendly tips will help you start your journey into brush calligraphy.

1. Choose the Right Tools

Start with basic tools:

A beginner brush pen like Tombow Fudenosuke or Pentel Fude Touch.
Smooth, bleed-proof paper (you can find these at Cziplee, Stickerrific, Art Friends, Kinokuniya, or even Mr. DIY).

Want a ready-to-go starter kit? We provide one with our beginner classes!

2. Master the Pressure: Light Up, Heavy Down

This is the golden rule in brush lettering:
Light pressure on upstrokes, heavy pressure on downstrokes.
It takes time for your hand to get used to it—don’t worry if it feels awkward at first.

3. Practice Simple Drills First

Before jumping into writing words, start with basic strokes:

Upstrokes
Downstrokes
Loops
Ovals

These drills help build muscle memory—just 5–10 minutes a day works wonders.

4. Take It Slow

Speed ruins control. Brush lettering is more like dancing than writing—it’s all about rhythm.
So… slow it down. Breathe. Repeat.

5. Learn from Local Creators

There are plenty of Malaysian artists sharing brush lettering on social media.
Look for local hashtags like #malaysiacalligrapher or follow creators like @washilicious (that’s me!).

6. Don’t Compare Your Start to Someone’s Finish

We all start at zero. Comparing your Day 1 with someone’s Year 5 only adds pressure. Enjoy your progress—it’s part of the fun!

7. Consider Taking a Class

Self-learning is great, but a class can:

Correct bad habits early
Give you personalized feedback
Boost your progress with hands-on demos

At Washilicious, our brush lettering classes in Setapak (or online) are designed to be beginner-safe, stress-free, and full of good vibes. You’ll leave with a finished piece, a brush pen, and loads of confidence.

Want a Free Starter Guide?

Download our free practice sheet for beginners by joining our email list!

Ready to Try Brush Lettering for Real?

Book your private class with us today – we’ve taught over 400 Malaysians how to turn words into art.

Book a Class – Limited Slots Monthly

May 4, 2025June 1, 2025

Top 5 Brush Lettering Classes in Kuala Lumpur – 2025 Edition

Looking to explore brush lettering in Kuala Lumpur but don’t know where to start? Whether you’re aiming to create handmade cards, design your wedding signage, or want a relaxing, creative hobby, brush lettering is one of the most fun and rewarding art forms to try. Here’s our pick of the top classes in Kuala Lumpur you can join in 2025.

1. Washilicious – Private & Personalized Classes in Setapak / Online

If you’re looking for a cozy, beginner-friendly experience, Washilicious is perfect. Classes are led by a Malaysian lettering artist with a warm teaching style, perfect for nervous newbies. You get full attention with one-on-one or small-group sessions, and all materials are included.

Why We Love It:

Personal attention and feedback
Perfect for total beginners
Relaxed, cozy vibes
WhatsApp support before and after class

Website: Class Schedules

private brush lettering and watercolor floral class KL Malaysia — Image via Washilicious

2. Craft at No.7 – Creative Studio Workshops in PJ

Located in the heart of Petaling Jaya, this cute studio offers weekend brush lettering workshops. The setting is IG-worthy, and the vibe is very community-oriented.

3. The Alphabet Press – Calligraphy with a Professional Twist

They specialize in both modern and copperplate calligraphy with a sleek studio setting. Slightly more advanced but great if you want a polished portfolio.

4. Stickerrific – For the Hobbyist

Stickerrific is a stationery store that hosts occasional lettering and journaling workshops. Great if you want to try brush lettering before committing to a full class.

5. The Weekend Workshop – Creative Events Across KL

They host all sorts of crafty events, including occasional calligraphy sessions. Good for casual learners looking for something social.

How to Choose the Right Class for You:

Are you a complete beginner? Go for a private or beginner-focused class (like Washilicious).
Do you prefer a social setting or 1-on-1 attention?
Want to learn online? Some classes offer Zoom options too.

Ready to Start?

Washilicious offers a welcoming way to dip your toes into brush lettering. Whether you’re looking for a chill weekend activity or a new creative outlet, their classes are perfect for beginners who want something personal, fun, and stress-free.

March 30, 2025March 30, 2025

The Underturn

Let’s explore the underturn, a fundamental stroke commonly found in lowercase letters such as a, i, u, and w. The underturn is characterized by its u-shape, starting with a thick downstroke that transitions smoothly into a thin upstroke.

To create an underturn, begin with full pressure at the waistline. As you move toward the baseline, gradually release the pressure. When you reach the baseline, your stroke should have transitioned into a thin line. To achieve this seamless transition, start releasing the pressure about two-thirds of the way down. After reaching the baseline, continue upward with light pressure until you return to the waistline. The upward portion of this stroke is essentially an entrance stroke.

Figure 1 Release pressure when you reach the baseline

The underturn also appears in lowercase letters like d and t but with a taller stem. For these letters, begin the full-pressure downstroke and proceed as you would with a standard underturn.

The word ‘minimum’ is an excellent choice for practicing underturn strokes because it contains multiple repetitions of this fundamental shape. Each “n,” “u,” and “m” in the word requires careful execution of the underturn, making it an ideal exercise for building consistency and control in your lettering.

As you write ‘minimum,’ focus on creating smooth transitions between the thick downstrokes and the thin upstrokes. Pay special attention to maintaining even spacing between each letter and ensuring that the height and curvature of each underturn remain consistent. This repeated practice will not only help you refine the underturn stroke but also improve your overall rhythm and flow when lettering.

Start with slow, deliberate movements, and gradually build up speed as you become more comfortable. Practicing ‘minimum’ regularly will strengthen your muscle memory and help you achieve greater precision in your brush lettering. Download the practice sheets below and get started now!

Practise minimum with a fine-tip brush pen Download

February 19, 2024May 4, 2025

Fundamental Strokes in Brush Lettering

These foundational strokes will set you up to create all of the lowercase letters in brush calligraphy. Get to know the strokes in your mind before you pen them. Practicing these strokes individually will help you create consistent letterforms.

Downstroke

The full-pressure stroke is a fully shaded downstroke with a square top and bottom. It is found in all letters. It should extend along the slant angle from the first ascender to the first descender. You can always practice this stroke at longer or shorter lengths as well.

Overturn

Place the tip of your brush pen nib at the baseline. With no pressure, draw a curved line up and to the right toward the header line. Make sure the straight portion of the hairline is parallel to the slant angle. Once you are at the header line, you can either lift or continue the curve over and down, gradually applying more pressure. Release the nib to snap the tines together, creating a square bottom.

Underturn

The underturn is the reverse of the overturn. Place your brush tip on the header line and draw a dash to create a square top. Make sure the stroke is parallel to the 55-degree slant angle and that the pressure is even. Pull down to create a shade, and as you near the baseline, slowly release pressure and form a curve that comes to a point at the baseline.

Compound Curve

The compound curve is a combination of overturn and underturn. Draw a curved line up, then apply pressure, pull the shade down toward the baseline, and finally let the left tine meet the right at the bottom to close the shape. There should be an equal distance between the overturn and underturn.

Oval

The oval shape is important because it is the basis for many of the shapes in the brush lettering. It is found in the letters a, c, d, e, g, o, and q. Begin the top of the shade at the header line. The shaded portion of this shape can be thought of as half of a coffee bean. At the bottom of the shade, at the baseline, draw a hairline up, out, and back over to meet the top of the shade at the header line. You can see the similarities in the bottom of the oval to an underturn and the top of the oval to an overturn.

Ascending Loop

The ascending loop is found in the letters b, f, h, k, and 1. Draw an upstroke and direct the upstroke toward the left and down along the main slant angle to form the beginning of a loop. Start to apply pressure on the brush tip, then pull a full-pressure stroke down, being sure to square the bottom of this stroke. Note that this stroke does not come to a square bottom when applied to the lowercase b and l, but rather ends like an underturn. The top portion of the ascending stem loop should be all hairline.

Descending Loop

The descending loop is simply the opposite of the ascending loop. Draw a full-pressure stroke down along the slant angle and start to release pressure. The curve of the loop, as in the ascending loop, should all be an upstroke. Draw the upstroke back up, stopping once you reach the shade. When you are drawing letters such as g, j, and q, you do not want to pull ink through, so lift and then draw the exiting upstroke on the other side of the shade.