A Comprehensive Guide to Chinese Brushes

Natural Brushes

Natural brushes are the main type of brush, with the advantages of flexible, elastic, and durable tips. They are essential tools for artistic creation such as calligraphy and painting.

The main materials for making natural brushes are as follows:

• Badger hair: Badger hair is the tail hair of a badger, which is the highest-quality type of brush. Badger brushes have a strong and resilient tip that can create a variety of line thicknesses, making them suitable for writing running script, regular script, and cursive script.
• Rabbit hair: Rabbit hair is the tail hair of a rabbit, with a fine and soft tip that is suitable for writing small script and regular script.
• Sheep hair: Sheep hair is the tail hair of a sheep, with a soft tip that is suitable for writing running script, cursive script, and clerical script.
• Combination hair: Combination hair is made from a blend of two or more animal hairs. Combination brushes have tips that combine the characteristics of different animal hairs, making them suitable for a variety of scripts.

The production process of natural brushes is complex, requiring multiple steps such as selecting hair, washing hair, making brushes, and installing rods. Selecting hair is the key to making brushes, and it is necessary to choose high-quality, flexible, and strong hair. Washing hair is to remove impurities and grease from the hair. Making brushes is to process the hair according to certain specifications and shapes. Installing rods is to install the hair into the pen shaft.

Synthetic Brushes

Synthetic brushes are a new type of brush that has developed in recent years. Synthetic brushes are relatively inexpensive and have a long lifespan, but the elasticity and resilience of their tips are not as good as those of natural brushes.

The main materials for making synthetic brushes are synthetic fibers, such as nylon and polyester. The production process of synthetic brushes is relatively simple and can be mass-produced.

Mixed Brushes

Mixed brushes are made from a blend of natural hair and synthetic fibers. Mixed brushes are priced between natural brushes and synthetic brushes, with a certain degree of elasticity and resilience.

The production process of mixed brushes is to blend natural hair and synthetic fibers in a certain proportion, and then process them.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Brush

When choosing a brush, you should choose the right type according to your needs and habits.

If you are a beginner, you can choose a synthetic brush or a mixed brush. Synthetic brushes and mixed brushes are relatively inexpensive and have a long lifespan, making them suitable for beginners to practice.

If you are a professional, you can choose a natural brush. Natural brushes have the advantages of flexible, elastic, and durable tips, making them suitable for professional creation.

In addition, you should also pay attention to the following points when choosing a brush:

• The tip of the brush should be flexible and strong, not too hard or too soft.
• The pen shaft of the brush should be sturdy and durable, not too light or too heavy.
• The color of the brush should be uniform, without any impurities.