3 Easy Watercolor Lettering Effects Using Brush Pens

A few weeks ago, I shared some watercolor texture tricks using brush pens and I thought it’d be fun to follow it up with lettering effects! If you’re short on space, brush pens are a great alternative for creating beautiful + vibrant watercolor creations. In this week’s video, I’ll take you through 3 of my favorite watercolor lettering effects using brush pens!

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Mentioned in the video

Here’s a quick look at the 3 effects we created!

3 watercolor lettering effects

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Here’s a quick overview of what we did for each effect in written format!

Effect number 1: horizontal ombré/gradient

horizontal blend

Create your base lettering using a very light colored brush pen or pencil.
Choose 2-5 colors depending on the length of your word (keep it to 2-3 colors for short words). Color each letter as you go throughout the word and add extra dots of color where color transitions occur.
Use the waterbrush to blend the color, cleaning off the bristles as you change between colors so as not to muddy them.

Effect number 2: vertical ombré/gradient

vertical blend

Create your base lettering using a very light colored brush pen or pencil.
Choose 2 colors that mix well together. Color the very top of all letters one color and the very bottom, the other color. Leave transition ‘blank space’ between them.
Use the waterbrush to blend the color from top to bottom, cleaning off the bristles between each new letter so the color stay as vibrant as possible.

Effect number 3: character shadows

shadow blend

Create your lettering using one color. For more advanced outcomes, use the previous 2 effects for different looks!
Blend the color so it appears as watercolor vs. the brush pen texture using the waterbrush. Allow to fully dry.
On a separate/scrap piece of watercolor paper, use a darker hue of the original lettering and use the brush pen to color a small circle.
Add water to the circle so the ink transfers to the tip of the waterbrush.
Use the waterbrush to paint in shadow areas within your lettering. This creates a more realistic/subtle look than using a brush pen directly on the lettering.
Done!