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The Magic of Chinese Brush Painting

As with any artistic medium, a general knowledge of the materials created for Chinese brush painting and how they are used seems a good beginning. Simple materials, consisting of an ink stick, brush, paper, plus water and a cloth or paper toweling to blot the brush, are all that is needed.

Rich, opaque ink is one of the three important elements of traditional oriental brush work. The ink is made of pine soot prepared with just the right amount of high-quality glue and comes in stick form. When preparing ink stick for use, the stick is rubbed with a small amount of water on the surface of a fine stone (inking dish). Ancient ink sticks and stones are very valuable and highly prized by collectors, but inexpensive ink sticks and inking dishes are available at most art material suppliers. Traditional styles call for a single, even tone of ink, but modern tastes have dictated a full palette of tones from all colors of ink. These tones are made by simply adding or reducing the water used to create the ink.

Western streamlining of the materials includes many ready-to-use bottled inks. While these do an adequate job and function very well, especially in study work, they lack the traditional aura and mystique of the ink stick. But the creation of an individual's own ink is considered a mandatory step in the traditional process.

The second element is the brush itself. It is made of animal hair in a variety of firmnesses and brush tip sizes. The hairs are placed in the handle to form a plump, rounded point. The overall character of the brush is soft, capable of making many shapes and designs as the artist expands his/her control of movement. It is easily charged with a quantity of ink capable of creating many designs with each fill.

The brush should be handled with spontaneity so that each stroke, while it seems effortlessly placed, is exact in location, appearance and "feel." The brush is held by the thumb, forefinger, and middle finger. Hold the brush as close to the end of the handle as possible. Grip is just tight enough as to hold for control, yet loose enough for a fresh and free painting style. The angle at which the brush is held is more vertical than Western painting techniques; and it is the point--the very tip--of the natural hair brush that creates the sweep and elegance of the design.

As you can tell, even the way the brush is held and used supports a spontaneous painting style. The way the brush is used--the amount of pressure exerted between the brush tip and the rice paper--is the most elegant portion of the process. Simplicity of line is a characteristic of oriental brush painting style, and the subtlety of motion to achieve the line is the true philosophy of the medium.

Finally, the third element of oriental brush painting is the paper onto which the designs are placed. These papers can be selected from a wide variety available at any art supply store. Traditional Chinese paper surfaces are created in many thicknesses and firmnesses. Other papers are made in Japan or Taiwan, as well. All-natural fibers and a complex "screening" create delicate, lacy papers of extraordinary strength and uniform thickness.

The degree of line work planned might help you choose the paper best matched to your painting style. Heavier-bodied papers with smooth finishes might accommodate rich line work while a softer, more delicate sheet may offer the best look for fine-line designs. Experimentation will help you understand the properties of the papers available to you.

TIP: If you have trouble with light rice papers wrinkling as your brush strokes dry, this is happening because the paper shrinks slightly where brush strokes are placed and does not shrink in the areas around the design. One solution is to pre-dampen the paper with a clean sponge, allowing the paper to dry before continuing. This establishes a uniform shrinkage of the entire sheet and prepares the surface for the painting.

The predominant element in a completed traditional brush painting is overwhelmingly the linear quality of the ink painting. The simple truth, and one shared in Chinese painting workshops given by professionals, is: The most important line is the first line--and every line is the first line. With the permanence of the ink, the absorbency of the paper on which the paintings are done, and the disciplined nature of both, there is virtually no margin for error.

Consider Chinese brush painting for a fresh and captivating experience--the feel of the brush, held in a new way. The shape and softness of the brush against the paper is different from any other technique. Buy an ink stick and create your own medium with which to work. And, despite what sounds like an exacting and unforgiving medium, painters who do Chinese brush painting love doing it. Maybe because it is both exciting and exacting; maybe because it seems to have a bit of control; or maybe because it transports a contemporary artist into an ancient time.