Brush is the tool to write Chinese calligraphy. A brush is made of animal hair – usually yellow weasels’ hair and white goats’ hair, and a bamboo handle (Zhenzhong). There are brush-tips of different sizes and rigidities. The bigger the size of the brush, the bigger and bolder the Chinese characters are.
The materials of the brush-tip affect the rigidity of each brush. If you are a novice, a brush-tip that is made of yellow weasel hair can help you get used to the new writing habit, for this type of brush is more rigid, which means that is easier to control. However, when you are getting more adept, you can switch to using the type of brush that is made of white goat hair. White goat’s hair is more flexible, but the flexibility makes it harder to control the brush well. However, the advantage of white goat’s hair is that it is more durable than yellow weasel’s hair.
Example of Brushes for Chinese Calligraphy
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The ink we use for Chinese calligraphy is different from the ink for pen. Chinese ink has a distinguishable scent. Traditionally, people use animal glue, particular oil, and other ingredients to produce inkstick.
When calligraphers want to use ink, they have to grind the inkstick on an inkstone to produce ink. This process is very time-consuming, but it is always worthy, for the ink produced by grinding is more fluent to use. However, not everyone likes to use inkstick. Nowadays, more people prefer to use bottled ink, which is also high-quality.
Chinese ink has more than one color. The ink of black color is most commonly used in calligraphy, but the ink of other colors is widely used in other art forms, such as Chinese painting.
Example of Ink
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Xuan paper is the name for the paper people use for Chinese calligraphy and Chinese painting. The classification of Xuan paper is due to the production method of paper. Sheng Xuan, also known as Raw Xuan, has a strong ability to absorb water, so the ink can blur on this type of Xuan paper. Shu Xuan can be called Ripe Xuan. Different from Sheng Xuan, the lack of the ability to absorb water of Shu Xuan means that ink can hardly blur on it. The last category of Xuan paper is called Banshu Xuan, which refers to its intermediate feature between Shu Xuan and Sheng Xuan.
Usually, painters would prefer to draw on Sheng Xuan, for it the layers and changes of ink can be easily observed. On the other hand, some calligraphers are inclined to write on Shu Xuan, so that people can identify the details of each Chinese character.
Example of Xuan Paper
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Inkstone is also one of the Four Treasures of Study. It is made of special kinds of stone and is used for inkstick to be ground on. There are two parts of one inkstone, namely – a surface and a water-holding cavity. Calligraphers grind the inkstick on the surface, and the ink will flow into the water-holding cavity.
Inkstone of different types of stone will affect the efficiency and the quality of ink. The size, texture, and pattern of an inkstone are three main aspects that determine the price for it.
Example of An Inkstone
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