Ribbon Lettering with the New Pastel Dual Brush Pen Set 10

Hi everyone! It’s Marie Browning and I am really excited about Tombow’s new Pastel Dual Brush Pen Set! I am even more excited to share with you a lettering style I developed using the pastel colors!

When the new  Pastel Dual Brush Pen Set and Galaxy Dual Brush Pen Set came out, I wasn’t sure which one I liked best – well, the verdict is in, I LOVE them both!  Enjoy the new Ribbon Lettering style using both pastel colors of the Dual Brush Pens and darker colors of the Irojiten Colored Pencils. You get the best of both worlds when you combine the markers and the colored pencils. The markers make the letters quickly and colorfully while the colored pencils give you the control for delicate shading.

Ribbon Lettering Step-by-Step

1. Make the letters with the Dual Brush Pens using the brush tip. The upper case letters are about 3″ to 3.5″ high. The lower case letters are 2″ to 3″. Give the letters all the same firm pressure, no need for the fine lines with this lettering style. Use a light colored marker – the colors from the New Pastel Set are perfect!
2. Using an Irojiten Colored Pencil the same color as the lettering, but in a darker shade, add the shade marks to the letters. Add the marks where the ‘ribbon’ crosses over or under (your call if the ribbon crosses over or under, for example, in the letter J the ribbon goes over and in the letter Y, the ribbon goes under), where the ribbon changes direction (you should be able to see this from your lettering) and where the ribbon ends. Look at the bottom right motif for different ways to finish the ribbon ends.
3. Shade in the letters with the darker shade Irojiten to make the letters look like ribbon. Start dark at the shade marks and gradually shade lighter.

The Ribbon Letter Alphabet

Here is the entire alphabet in Ribbon Letters, including both the upper and lower case letters.

Suggested Ribbon Letter Colors

Here are some color suggestions using the lighter colored Dual Brush Pens and the darker match with the Irojiten Colored Pencils. As you can see, I used lots of the colors from the new Pastel Dual Brush Pen Set.

Ribbon Lettering Variations

Now you have the basics for the lettering, see how easy it is to change it up to some very cool variations! This method is also great for creating banners and scrolls!

Ribbon lettering Examples

Here are some examples of using the ribbon lettering! Hope you give it a try, let me know how you like it!