How to Use a Chinese Calligraphy Brush

Have you ever wondered how to properly hold a Chinese brush pen?

Using this technique, you will be prepared to write beautiful Chinese characters in the traditional manner.

Steps

  1. Image titled Use a Chinese Calligraphy Brush Step 1
    1
    Prepare a Chinese writing brush.
  2. Image titled Use a Chinese Calligraphy Brush Step 2
    2
    Soak it in a cup of water.[1]
    Advertisement
  3. Image titled Use a Chinese Calligraphy Brush Step 3
    3
    Take the brush out when it is soft.
  4. Image titled Use a Chinese Calligraphy Brush Step 4
    4
    Hold the brush in your right or left hand. Holding the brush higher creates weaker, softer strokes while holding closer to the bristles create solid, more defined strokes.[2]
  5. Image titled Use a Chinese Calligraphy Brush Step 5
    5
    Use your ring finger, middle finger and thumb to hold the brush.[3]
  6. Image titled Use a Chinese Calligraphy Brush Step 6
    6
    Keep your elbow above the table.
  7. Image titled Use a Chinese Calligraphy Brush Step 7
    7
    Dip the ink stick in water and grind against the ink stone until the ink has an oily consistency.[4] See how to grind ink.
  8. Image titled Use a Chinese Calligraphy Brush Step 8
    8
    Bottled ink: Pour ink into the ink stone.[5]
  9. Image titled Use a Chinese Calligraphy Brush Step 9
    9
    Begin writing characters, tilting the brush using the fingers, not the hands. Tilting the brush can add certain effects to the character that may or may not be desirable.[6]
  10. Image titled Use a Chinese Calligraphy Brush Intro
    10
    Finished.
    11. Advertisement

Community Q&A

  • Question
    What is ink stick and how do you use it?
    MongooXe
    MongooXe
    Community Answer
    It is hardened ink in the form of a brick/stick. You grind it against the ink stone and add water to create the the ink needed for painting, writing, etc.
  • Question
    Where can I find a brush?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You can find a brush on eBay or Amazon. Just make sure it has a reasonable price and that the seller has at least 95.5% good reviews so you won't get scammed.
  • Question
    What's the character for "China"?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    The symbol for China is 中国.
Advertisement

Warnings

  • If you want your brush to last longer, here are some methods to protect it.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • Do not put brush in your mouth.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • Wash your brush every time you use it.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • Do not press too hard or paper will tear.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • Before you use your brush, submerge the tip until the water level ALMOST touches the base of the hair. Do not let the base come into contact with water too much, as the glue holding the brush hairs together will dissolve and you get a "shedding" brush.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • NEVER play around with a dry brush. The hairs will be brittle and can break easily if you drag the tip on paper, causing "forked" tips which we don't want.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • When writing, only 1/3 of the tip should be immersed in ink. Any more, and you'll have trouble washing the brush after use.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • When cleaning the brush, make sure that ALL the ink is cleaned out. Chinese ink contains coagulants that damage the brush if left to dry while still wet with ink.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • Before you start writing, quickly submerge the tip in water and take it out as said above, and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes. This way, the hairs of the brush will not so easily break.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
Advertisement

Things You'll Need

  • Chinese writing brush
  • Xuan paper (Or any sort of absorbent paper)
  • Ink stick or bottled black ink
  • Ink stone
  • A traditional calligraphy set includes:
  • Goat hair brush
  • Leopard or wolf fur brush
  • Well (Ink bowl)
  • Ink stick 
  • Inkstone
  • Brass spoon
  • A brass box (Used for storing excess ink)

You Might Also Like

How to
Write in Calligraphy
Identify a Painting
How to
Identify a Painting
Critique Artwork
How to
Critique Artwork
Make a Mannequin
How to
Make a Mannequin
Appreciate Abstract Art
How to
Appreciate Abstract Art
Set Up an Art Exhibition
How to
Set Up an Art Exhibition
Do Digital Art on Your Phone
How to
Do Digital Art on Your Phone
Sign a Painting
How to
Sign a Painting
How to
Write With a Calligraphy Pen
Cut a Picture Mat
How to
Cut a Picture Mat
Make a 3D Model
How to
Make a 3D Model
Design a Playbill
How to
Design a Playbill
Use Procreate to Make StickersHow to Make Stickers in Procreate (an Easy Step-by-Step Guide)
Change Opacity in Procreate
How to
Change Opacity in Procreate
Advertisement

References

  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b3WsbCM3XA
  2. ↑ https://education.asianart.org/resources/an-introduction-to-chinese-brushpainting-techniques/
  3. ↑ https://www.writtenchinese.com/learning-chinese-calligraphy-aka-chinese-shufa/
  4. ↑ https://www.theartofcalligraphy.com/ink-stick
  5. ↑ http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/china_1000bce_calligraphy.htm
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSgoKEy-3QQ

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 20 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 155,179 times.
170 votes - 86%
Co-authors: 20
Updated: October 21, 2021
Views: 155,179
Categories: Artwork
Advertisement