How do beginners use Chinese brushes?

How to Use Chinese Brushes

Chinese brushes are writing and painting tools made of animal hair. They have a long history and profound cultural background. The use of Chinese brushes mainly includes the following steps:

1. Opening the brush

Newly purchased brushes need to be opened before use. The purpose of opening the brush is to make the brush hair fully stretched, so that it has good writing and painting performance. There are two main methods for opening the brush:

• Rub with your fingers: Use your fingers to rub the brush hair from the tip to the root until the brush hair is fully spread out.
• Soak in warm water: Soak the brush in warm water for about 30 minutes, then rub the brush hair with your fingers until the brush hair is fully spread out.

2. Moistening the brush

Before writing or painting, you need to moisten the brush first. The purpose of moistening the brush is to allow the brush hair to absorb enough water, so that it can maintain its softness and elasticity during use. The method of moistening the brush is generally to dip the brush in clean water, and then gently squeeze it with your fingers until the brush hair is fully absorbed.

3. Dip in ink

After moistening, you can dip the brush in ink. The method of dipping ink is generally to dip the brush in ink, and then gently squeeze it with your fingers until the brush hair is evenly coated with ink.

4. Writing or painting

After dipping in ink, you can start writing or painting. When writing or painting, you need to pay attention to the following points:

• The pen holding posture must be correct. Generally, the brush is held between the index finger, middle finger, and ring finger, and the thumb and little finger are used for assistance.
• The pen should be flexible. According to the needs, you can use different brushwork and ink techniques.
• Pay attention to the angle of the pen tip. The angle of the pen tip will affect the thickness and strength of the lines.

5. Cleaning

After writing or painting, the brush should be cleaned immediately. The cleaning method is generally to dip the brush in water, and then gently squeeze it with your fingers until there is no ink left in the brush hair.

Points to note

When using a brush, you also need to pay attention to the following points:

• Do not rub the brush vigorously, otherwise the brush hair will be damaged.
• Do not soak the brush in water for a long time, otherwise the brush hair will rot.
• When the brush is not in use, it should be stored in a brush holder to prevent the brush hair from deforming.

By using the correct method, you can prolong the service life of the brush and bring out its best writing and painting performance.