Variable width of a pattern brush without changing the proportions of an individual element?

[oleksijp79466572]

With the width tool I can get this:

But how can I easily get something like this:

[Monika Gause]

You can try and get that with a scatter brush (it doesn't use variable width, but it can use a graphic tablet.

Alternatively try a blend.

[oleksijp79466572]

These two ways don't have that kind of spacing. In my handmade example elements evenly abut each other.

[Grant H]

create it manually once and then use it to create an art brush with "scale proportionately" selected:

voila: