Calligraphy brushes: types, selection rules and tips for use

Calligraphy is beautiful, flowery handwriting. There can be many tools for such writing, but today we will talk about brushes. It is believed that calligraphy originated in China, so let's look at the features of Chinese brushes.

Experts prefer to select a specific instrument for each performance technique. According to some reports, there are about 200 different types of brushes in total. For the convenience of users, on the handle of the tool, markers write information about the type of hieroglyphs or stylistic direction for which it is intended, as well as about what exactly the brush is made of.

Before choosing one or another version of the tool, it should be understood that all brushes for Chinese writing should be made of natural fur. This is due to the fact that this material absorbs paint and ink better, and also provides a more comfortable glide on paper than brushes made from synthetic raw materials. Calligraphy brushes can be used not only for writing, but also for some types of painting.

There are several classifications of calligraphy brushes. Let's consider all of them.

• By size, large, very large, medium and very small brushes are distinguished.
• There are short, medium and elongated hairs along the length of the pile of the working part. The longer the pile, the more graceful the line can be drawn. However, the more difficult it is to work with such a tool.

Brushes are classified according to the degree of hardness.

• Yanghao - soft brushes. They are usually made from goat hair. Working with them, as a rule, is easy and convenient, the hand does not strain or get tired.The softer fibers hold in more moisture, so the image is better.
• Lanhao - hard brushes... Literally translated, this word means "yellow wolf", so they are often called wolf. In fact, dog hair is used for their manufacture. Horse hair is considered to be of higher quality, as well as bear, deer and badger fur. Such specimens are more expensive. They are intended for drawing a thin outline, as well as for a clearer drawing of small details.
• Jianhao is a combined option. Such tools can consist of hair from different animals of varying degrees of hardness, for example, from rabbit and dog fur or goat and badger fur. Combination brushes allow you to create clear, correct lines, and hold ink well.

Fur of various animals is used to make calligraphic brushes. There are the most popular varieties here.

• Goat fur soft and docile, brushes are ideal as a first working tool, have a long bristle, medium to large size.
• Columns - harder fur, tools made of it can be of any size, suitable for detailed drawing of details, recommended for more experienced professionals.
• Rabbit Tassels have a hard fur, a small size of the hair part, are intended for writing small hieroglyphs. This is a rare and expensive specimen.
• Chicken or swan down brushes in their pure form are extremely rare, and are most often combined with column fur. Quite difficult to use.
• Horsehair is also rarely used for calligraphy, usually it is counterfeited with goat fur or other long pile.
• Pork bristles - a very hard material, therefore, when making brushes, the bristles are split in a special way. However, it is not possible to achieve special softness, therefore it is extremely inconvenient to use such tools when writing.
• Plant fibers - they mean bamboo, reed or fibers of other trees, which are pre-split and give them some softness. However, such brushes cannot be called soft; they are used exclusively for drawing large hieroglyphs.

The peculiarity of Chinese brushes is that it is impossible to completely modernize the entire process of their production. Some of the manufacturing steps are very specific and cannot be mechanized. For example, the pile part of the tool is made exclusively by hand. Economy models have handles made of bamboo or other types of wood. The pile of such brushes is pre-impregnated with a starch solution so that it is not damaged during transportation.

Before the first use, they should be soaked in water to dissolve the starch. For more expensive versions of Chinese calligraphy brushes, porcelain, animal bone, and other valuable materials can be used. Some brushes are inlaid with rhinestones and precious stones. Such things are often true works of art, and their cost is very high. They are not processed in starch and are immediately ready for use. There are whole gift sets on sale, consisting of brushes of different sizes with different handles. Items made of jade are considered to be especially chic - this stone is held in high esteem in China.

Some brushes have a built-in reservoir for water or paint. This is especially convenient if, for example, you need to take a brush with you on the road, since there is no need to take a bottle of liquid that may spill.

After each use, the writing instrument should be thoroughly washed in warm water to remove any traces of ink or paint. After washing, the excess moisture from the hairs should be gently squeezed out with your fingers and the brush should be left to dry completely. The writing devices should be dried in a hanging position, with the pile down. The brush is suspended on a special stand with hooks by the loop - it must be on the right device. If it is expected that the writing instrument will need to be transported frequently, it is recommended to purchase a special pencil case to avoid possible damage.

Like a felt-tip pen, a calligraphy brush should have a protective cap. Only if in the first one it serves so that the rod does not dry out, in the case of a brush, everything is exactly the opposite - until the brush dries out, you should not put a cap on it.

How to choose a brush for calligraphy, see below.