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Brushes
Chinese painting uses a wide variety of brushes. Here are the three most commonly used types:
- The goat hair brush: 羊毫 . Very soft, it is generally used for painting large surfaces and color gradients.
- The wolf hair brush: 狼毫 . It is used for more precise drawings such as contours, bamboo, trees, and rocks.
- The mixed goat and wolf hair brush: 兼毫 . Composed of an outer ring of soft goat hair and an inner tip of hard wolf hair, it combines the characteristics of the two previous brushes.
New brushes are stiffened with a glue that holds the tip to protect it. This glue should be dissolved with lukewarm water so that the hairs regain their flexibility.
Before using the brush, it should be slightly moistened before dipping it in ink or color. Then, gently tap the brush on the ink stone or saucers to remove any excess. The brush should not be loaded or emptied by twisting as this could deform the tip.
Here is the correct way to hold the brush in calligraphy as well as in Chinese painting:
Supports
Generally, rice paper 宣纸 is used. There are two types:
- Absorbent paper: 生宣 . Allows for beautiful gradients and is used for calligraphy and Chinese paintings such as 写意 , 水墨 , etc.
- Non-absorbent paper: 熟宣 , also called 矾宣 . Unlike absorbent paper, it does not absorb ink, making it suitable for precise tracing in Chinese paintings such as 工笔 , 木骨 , etc. It is actually absorbent paper that has been coated with an alum solution.
A special type of silk called 绢 in Chinese can also be used. However, this support deteriorates more quickly.
Ink and Ink Stone
Traditionally, solid ink sticks are used. Before painting or calligraphy, the ink stick is rubbed on an ink stone with a little water. Different densities can be obtained by rubbing for more or less time. The ink stone should have a lid to prevent the ink from drying out when not in use. (If it dries, which inevitably happens even with a lid, a little water can be added.) Ink stones come in all sizes and shapes and are themselves considered works of art.
Nowadays, high-quality black inks in small jars are used for calligraphy, and watercolor paint tubes in various colors are used for painting.
Small saucers are used for colors (a smooth plate can also suffice). Colors can be mixed and water can be added to achieve the desired color and density. They should be used in small quantities because if they dry out, even if water can be added, they lose their qualities.
Other Useful Materials for Chinese Painting
A water container (such as a bowl) for washing brushes.
A brush holder (usually ceramic) to place brushes during work so that the tip does not touch the table (similar to how we place knives so they do not dirty the tablecloth). A wooden brush holder with hooks can also be used to hang and dry the brushes.
Paperweights to hold the sheet of paper in place.
