Chinese Painting Equipment and Materials

Chinese brush painting involves the use of traditional equipment and materials. As with many national traditions, the various accessories are often appealing in themselves. In the past, scholars and artists revelled in beautiful objects, which created a whole genre of antiques called the “scholar’s desk.” They include both the essentials and fringe objects which help create the ideal surroundings for the art to flow.

Although costly equipment can be purchased, without the necessary qi in the painting, the expense is wasted. Wonderful paintings can be achieved with ordinary, but appropriate, equipment. The main items are called the “Four Treasures” and consist of the ink stone, ink stick, paper, and brush. Good advice on equipment is difficult to find, as very few suppliers are also painters. Many teachers either sell equipment, or are able to advise on the most appropriate, or more easily obtainable, items. There are various specialist mail-order firms, and some good art stores may have a limited range. Do make sure that the items for sales are Chinese, as some of the equipment stocked ( mainly the ink and brushes) is Japanese and may not be so appropriate.

Ink stones
Ink stones (yan) are carved from slate or stone, the best coming from Duan. It is ideal to have one with a lid, so that the ink does not dry up too quickly. The surface must be neither too smooth nor too rough. Beautifully carved versions are available, as well as student-quality stones. Square, circular, rectangular, hexagonal, or free-style, they are available in a variety of colors and patterns. Some make use of the natural layers in the stones and have been carefully considered before carving.

There are many wonderful antique stones, in a variety of shapes and sizes. Those used in the past by famous or respected artists are highly prized. The size can vary enormously, from tiny traveling stones to large studio versions that can hardly be lifted. The lids may be made of the same stone or slate as the main grinding surface, or the stone may have a wooden lid or be enclosed in a fitted box. It is all down to taste, availability, and expense. You should look after the stone to prevent chipping or breakage, and if too much dried ink accumulates to allow smooth grinding, clean it with a cloth (or a very soft brush). If you paint at home, and travel to group as well, you might consider buying two stones. Often the first stone purchased is cheaper and smaller, so once you are addicted to this style of painting buy a better, larger version, for your studio.

The stone should be large enough for the size of painting planned-too much ink will take too long to grind; too small a stone will interrupt the painting unnecessarily and will prevent a smooth, rhythmical painting movement. For convenience, many painters use liquid ink today, but some inks are of poor quality. Some enthusiasts believe that Western artists need to prepare the ink on a stone in order to set the scene and to achieve the right frame of mind. After using liquid ink, remove it thoroughly from the brush by rinsing it in clean water.

Above all, grinding the ink is a time for reflection on the work ahead, and for preparing both the brush and the wrist. Good ink may help to produce better work, as it is fresher, lacks preservatives, and thus penetrates the paper properly.

Ink
Ink (mo) is usually supplied in stick form. It is prepared from pine, oil, or lacquer soot. The soot can come from differing parts of the kiln, that from the top and farthest from the fire being regarded as better than “neck” and “body” soot. There is also “vegetable soot” (from burned ice ash), which is said to be good for painting hair, beards, and feathers.

Ink sticks are often highly decorated, and are available in various sizes and shapes, often described as one ounce, two ounce, etc. There are several types, sometimes with numbers such as “101”, “102”, “104”, etc, or with names like “”Purple Light” and “Dragon’s Goal.”

When buying an ink stick, look for a matter surface and a lighter weight. A glossy, heavier stick probably has too much resin. Additional glue can be mixed while painting once the techniques are learned, and by using suitable natural products such as bone or horn glue. Take care of the ink stick by propping it on the edge of the ink stone, or finding a rest specifically for it. This can be a proprietary item or something like a chopstick rest, which will allow the stick to dry. When not in use, store it away from damp or heat.

Paper
The paper (zhi) used for Chinese brush painting can have many different specifications. There are four main types: practice papers (semi absorbent), absorbent papers, sized papers, and special papers. With so many papers available in the Orient, and an increasing number in the West, it is important to keep samples of the different papers, and to make notes about the results achieved and your preferences. Try as many as you can and make a file or book for reference.

Practice papers are best for the beginner, and good paintings can easily be framed, whatever the paper. Grass paper (mao bian) is a straw color, and is available as 297x420mm/11.7x16.5 in sheets or larger. For those who do not like the color of grass paper, there are Japanese and Taiwanese papers in roll format called “Moon Palace”, which are very white and bland in texture, but are popular with flower painters. This paper is strong and is also useful for backing.

Absorbent papers fall mainly under the description of xuan paper, which has many variations, such as single-, double, or triple-ply xuan, or bark xuan. The absorbency varies, both between the different types of paper and even between batches of the same paper, making good control essential.

A very absorbent paper is useful for painting furry animals, but a slightly sized paper is preferable for flowers and insects. Paper available in some art stores is often very absorbent- try to obtain a less “fuzzy” paper to start with. All of these papers can be purchased in large sheets, and some are also available in rolls of 10 or 12 sheets.

For the Gongbi style you will require meticulous or sized xuan paper. You can size it yourself, but it is difficult to obtain an even result and time is more profitably (and pleasurably)spent painting. There are three main qualities of this paper. The best (and thinnest) is called “cicada” (due to the sound it makes when shaken), followed by “clearwater” and “icy” (thickest). Some of these papers have a sparkle on the surface from the sizing. These papers are more expensive than the unsized versions.

As more links are created with China, so the availability of unusual papers increases. They are often made using longer fibers, such as mulberry and pineapple, some of which are visible on the surface of the paper. These papers, and others called “hemp” or “leather” paper, are thicker and are used for more involved techniques where several layers of pigment or washes are applied to the surface. Many come from Korea and Taiwan, as well as China. They are more expensive to purchased and come in large sheets.

Brushes
Brushes (bi) are of many different specifications. The brush is of paramount importance, and evolved from the burned sticks once used to make marks. Even today there are brushes available that imitate those used in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and earlier. They generally have longer handles and longer fibers. The use of natural fibers is essential to give the resilience and liquid retention required for the fluid and varied strokes. The brushes are classified mainly by their stiffness or softness, and how this affects the marks made on the paper. Compared to Western brushes, the “belly” of the brush is in a different position, which enables maximum flexibility, recovery , and resilience.

Soft brushes are usually made from sheep (or goat) hair, and take time to absorb the liquid. Once fully absorbed, the brush will stay very soft. This means that sheep brushes can become “tired” if you are painting all day, and it is useful to have a second brush while the first “rests.” Soft brushes often use rabbit hair, or even human hair. Some brush makers provide a service to make a brush from a baby’s first haircut-the hair is formed into the brush head and is placed in an ornate holder with the child’s name engraved on the handle. Soft brushes are mainly used for flowers, leaves, and animals-wherever a soft, wide stroke is required. They are more common in Northern China.

Firm brushes are often described as “wolf”-but this can be a misleading term. They may use ferret, bear, or fox hair. They are used for painting branches, stems, trees, calligraphy, and anything that requires strength. If you require a good point on the brush stroke, it will be easier to achieve with this type of brush. Stiffer brushes are made of pig bristle, badger, or horse hair or tail. They are used primarily for landscape or figure work, where dry, textured strokes are desirable.

Mixed-fiber brushes may have soft hair on the outside and stiffer ones in the center, or vice versa. The combination of fibers is often varied by artists, who have brushes made to their specification. Some artists find that a favorite brush will do virtually everything, however. The above descriptions are only a guide, and you will only need two or three brushes to start with.

Colors
Colors are obtained from watercolor paints, available in several different forms. Most Western artists are accustomed to tubes or pans, and these can be used for Chinese brush painting. However, Oriental paints have more resin or glue mixed with the paint (often called a binder), and fewer additives, so the paint soaks into the paper and is more static when dry. The paints are divided into two main elements: vegetable (e.g. madder, rouge, rattan, indigo) and mineral (e.g., cinnabar, vermilion, orpiment, azurite, malachite) pigments. The former is transparent, the latter translucent/opaque. When applying one over the other, you notice obliteration or exposure of the color underneath. These qualities can be deliberately exploited.

There are several manufacturers of tube paints, which vary in quality. Sets of Chinese tubes can be purchased at a reasonable price, but are often still in lead tubes. Other options include Chinese flake paints (also called chips or granules), which are placed in a dish or palette and water is added with the brush to release color. These are very pure pigments. For opaque, mineral colors, use tubes, or powder pigments which are mixed with a glue binder and prepared in a pestle and mortar. The colors are strong, but it is sensible to use them only on the face of a painting ( they are often used on painting silk, where color may be applied to the back surface, as well as the front). The process and expense tends to limit the use of powder pigments for most artists. If modern colors are mixed with glue, they are often called pastes.

Japanese pans of paint are very convenient, but are quite expensive compared with the tubes or granules. They are available in a range of good colors, so color-mixing is less of a problem. Although they have more glue than Western watercolors, some Chinese artists do not like them.

A palette or a white plate is ideal for mixing colors. A white ceramic wall tile is also useful to blend the colors in the brush. The traditional round shape divided into seven or nine sections is called a chrysanthemum palette.

Other Equipment
Felt or a blanket is required to cover the table surface. It can be just under your paper or can cover a larger area. Flannelette or sheeting are not suitable as both are too absorbent. Ordinary felt is also not as good as an old-fashioned piece of felted blanket. Proper painting felts are available in China, but they are very expensive- maybe you could share with a friend, as they are usually at least 1 meter (just over 3 feet) square.

Water pots can be simple glass jars or beautiful objects. The main requirement is for a heavy base-plastic pots overbalance easily, especially when using the edge for wiping the brush. Two or three pots are better than one, allowing at least one for washing out the paint or ink and another to pick up clean water.

Brush rests obtained from an antique store look very nice, but chopstick rests or other forms of rest are quite adequate. It will help if brushes do not roll sideways, and if possible choose a low rest rather than a high one. Ink-stick rests come into the same category- the wet end of the stick must be able to air-dry.

Brush hangers are used in the studio and are often very ornate and well carved. As the glues used to fix the head of the brush into the handle are not always reliable (do not use more than lukewarm water to wash them), it is necessary to air-dry them carefully. Therefore either hang the brushes by the loops provided or leave them on the rest to dry. Do not be tempted to stand them tip upward in a brush pot.

Paperweights vary in shape, size, and weight. Curtain weights or pebbles are suitable, one for each corner. Others are flat bars in metal or wood, placed at the top only, or at both narrow ends of the paper.

Brush rolls or rush/bamboo table mats will allow the air to circulate around stored brushes. Western rolls with pockets may be tidy, but they do not allow the brushes to breathe.

Other beautiful equipment for the “scholar’s desk” may include brush pots (porcelain, ivory, or wood), water droppers (for controlling the amount of water dripped onto the ink stone), or any appealing item to encourage mood and effort.