Can I make a blade marker style brush from a pen line?

[Gadg3ts]

Hi, I've not been able to find an answer to this with some googling, so I thought it'd be best to ask.
Basically, I'm trying to recreate a logo that was originally done with a sweeping calligraphic brush, but the original has been lost in the mists of time and now the file only exists as a 400px png.
I've managed some of it so far with the pen tool and poking at that with the brush options (the dark path in the image), but what I'm really looking to do is like a blade-tip marker so that it will look like the rest of the text - as in the angle of the brush stays at the same angle rather than perpendicular to the path.
Is this possible?

Thanks,
Sean

[telemax]

Hi,

As far as I know, for vector brushes it is impossible to set the line thickness as a relation to the angle. 

After creating a line, you can set the unevenness of its thickness, using the "Pressure" curve in the "Stroke" panel.

[GarryP]

You can get pretty close to what I think you want by creating your own brush.
See attached video – you will need to be much more artistic than me to use this properly.
You will probably have to play with the brush shape and settings to get a better result.

[Wosven]

@GarryP

Your "pleins et déliés" (broad strokes and light ones) are inverted. I'm not sure it's possible to do them properly (we tried long ago... somewhere here).

But testing with an inverted version of the logo, and inverting the new drawing once done, to have it in the proper reading left to right, is perhaps possible.
And to simulate pressure, perhaps a slight enlargement for the bottom curves could help.

[GarryP]

My knowledge of calligraphy is thin on the ground at best so the brush I used, and how I used it, probably isn’t what is needed, but the technique for creating the brush might be.
Just thought I’d give a possible solution; then the OP could say that it’s no good and tell us why; then we can perhaps come up with something better.
For example, they haven’t mentioned whether they want to use the brush along an existing vector, which is important.

[NotMyFault]

Maybe try different approaches. Instead of using a vector brush,

1. just use the pen tool and trace the edge on both sides to achieve a closed curve. Then add fill, maybe an outline.
2. Use pixel persona and pixel brush (as GarryP explained). It allows to rotate the brush while drawing (arrow keys). Or you may need to use a pressure-sensitive pen to adjust width on the fly while drawing.

Depends if you want just a logo (pixel or vector), or want to use the letters in other places or add letters.

[telemax]

 

[Gadg3ts]

7 hours ago, GarryP said:

My knowledge of calligraphy is thin on the ground at best so the brush I used, and how I used it, probably isn’t what is needed, but the technique for creating the brush might be.
Just thought I’d give a possible solution; then the OP could say that it’s no good and tell us why; then we can perhaps come up with something better.
For example, they haven’t mentioned whether they want to use the brush along an existing vector, which is important.

It can be a new one? (as in vector)

[Gadg3ts]

11 hours ago, telemax said:

Hi,

As far as I know, for vector brushes it is impossible to set the line thickness as a relation to the angle. 

After creating a line, you can set the unevenness of its thickness, using the "Pressure" curve in the "Stroke" panel.

This is actually what I've done - just using shorter curves for more control over the 'waviness'. Thanks.

[Gadg3ts]

5 hours ago, NotMyFault said:

Maybe try different approaches. Instead of using a vector brush,

1. just use the pen tool and trace the edge on both sides to achieve a closed curve. Then add fill, maybe an outline.
2. Use pixel persona and pixel brush (as GarryP explained). It allows to rotate the brush while drawing (arrow keys). Or you may need to use a pressure-sensitive pen to adjust width on the fly while drawing.

Depends if you want just a logo (pixel or vector), or want to use the letters in other places or add letters.

It's part of a larger logo - mostly for web & some video idents. I do have a pressure-sensitive pen with my Wacom tablet, although I've not used it properly for some time, so all the lines come out a bit wonky ATM! But editing the pressure curve after manual editing of the curves seems to be working out ok! Thanks.