Beijing

Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Brushes

Wondering how to choose your brush? What length? What kind of hair? Your in the right place!! Lets do this step by step and finally get answers for the questions we always asked but never got straight forward answers for.

Brush Hair: What you really need to know is that Chinese brushed are divided into plenty of different categories and types but the two main and most important ones are Wolf hair brushes and Sheep hair brushes - the third category is Sheep and Wolf mixed brushes. Don’t bother with other stuff at the beginning and it will probably make you feel much better to know that some of China’s and Japan’s greatest Calligraphers and Painters have never went beyond the Sheep and Wolf categories to use stuff like Weasel, Horse and Rabbit hair brushes.

The main difference between Sheep hair and Wolf hair brushes is their elasticity and their capacity to absorb ink. The Sheep hair brushes are more absorbent and more flexible. Generally speaking they are harder to handle as they are less “obedient” to your will, this is particularly so with long tip brushes. However, as you become more proficient in handling the Chinese brush it is recommended to slowly shift towards using Sheep hair brushes because once you can actually handle them well you will be able to reach a wider range of line diversity and possibilities of expression. This does not mean Sheep hair brushes are better as many masters prefer the Wolf brush for their own unique characteristics.

 The Wolf hair brush, although less absorbent and not as flexible as the Sheep brush remains the first choice of many artists for exactly these reasons! The relative stiffness of the hairs enables you to reach a more rough line with a different personality than the gentle and rather smooth Sheep hair strokes. The fact that it is not very absorbent will help you getting rid of the ink on your brush faster and therefore reach the dry strokes that can give your calligraphy and painting a desired sense of motion and vigor.

 There are no strict rules for brush choice but at least at the beginning it is recommended to begin with a Wolf hair brush but it will be a good idea to get a sheep hair brush as well and experience the different feeling and mood these brushes deliver.

 The mixed Wolf and Sheep hair brush is somewhere between the two brushes and serves as a good intermediary brush before shifting from the wolf hair to Sheep hair brush. The mixed Chinese brush is made of a wolf hair core with Sheep hair covering it. It is usually white with a brownish tip. See figure ???.

 How to Choose the Size of my brush?     

 It really depends on what scale you are working on but we can at least give you some warm advice on how to begin. When you first start doing Chinese Calligraphy or painting we recommend you get a medium size Wolf hair brush like the one you see in Figure No. ?. The size of the tip should be between 2.5 to 3.5 cm or 0.98 to 1.38 inches. At the beginning DON’T go beyond this tip length! This brush is designed for standard size characters which are meant to be executed in the designated squares on the student paper, see image No. ??.  The size of the characters should not take up all the space in the square it should rather be situated in the center with space between the edges of the character and the red edges of the line, see figure No. ??..  Remember, medium size characters are the ideal way to begin as they are simpler to write than small and big characters, both of which require considerable control over the brush. As you become better at writing the medium characters you can slowly shift to bigger characters using brushes with longer tips. Avoid small characters during your two to three first years of Calligraphy training as they are truly hard to master.

How do I take care of my Brushed?

After using your brushes make sure to wash them, don’t let the ink dry on you brush but if it does don’t panic your brush is still useable it’s just better to avoid this if you want to use your brush on the long run. Washing a Chinese brush is rather simple but it needs to be done the right way. The best way is to have a large bowl of clear water. First but the ink soaked brush tip under running water with the tip pointing downwards so the water follows the direction of the bristles (from the root where the connect with the body towards the tip). Get rig of the majority of the ink by gently rubbing the hairs. Then dip you the brush in the water bowl and get rid of the remaining ink by pressing the brush tip on the bottom surface of the bowl as if you where writing characters. At the end go back to the tap and get rid of leftovers.

 Once done get rid of the water in the tip by squeezing in a motion from the thick root towards the edge of the tip. At the same time shape it into its original drop shape with emphasis on the very tip. Hang your brushes upside down with the tip facing the ground. Usually one uses a proper Chinese brush rack but feel free to improvise with nails.

 When does my Brush need to be replaced?

When your brush’s tip keeps on splitting even when it is wet with ink it means your brush is starting to go downhill. Taking good care of your brushes will help you avoid this for quite a long while before it happens. Brushes must have an upright tip old brushes slowly start to bend as a result of being used for a long time or not being dried hanging down.

 Should I throw old brushed away?

Never through your old brushed. Every calligrapher and painter have a stock of old twisted, dry brushed. These are great for artistic experimentation and can deliver interesting results especially in painting.

 What is the price ranges for brushes?

You can settle for the cheap brushes ranging from 2.5$to 7.0$ each at the beginning as long as they are not very bad quality. Unfortunately many sites offer very low quality brushes which don’t go through any kind of quality control. For reliable brushes make sure you are getting your stuff from someone who understands. On top of the cheap brushes which should be used for practice, you should have a set a three to four good quality brushes which range between 10.00$ to 30.00$ each. These should be used from time to time so you get accustomed to them but try not to use them everyday.

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