Many people who practice Chinese calligraphy or painting keep a Chinese calligraphy felt mat as part of their essential supplies. Previously, Qi Ming mentioned calligraphy felt in the article “Essential Chinese Calligraphy Tools Beyond the Four Treasures: A Complete Guide“ For experienced practitioners, a regular calligraphy felt may not seem particularly noteworthy. However, for calligraphy…
Today I’m introducing Yi De Ge ink, the inventor of Chinese liquid ink and industry leader. This article covers three Yi De Ge ink products that I personally tested at their headquarters in Beijing’s Liulichang district. Yi De Ge Headquarters Building This is a photo I took of the Yi De Ge headquarters located at…
In a previous article about China’s top five ink brands and common ink characteristics, I briefly mentioned the difference between oil soot ink and pine soot ink. However, I didn’t go into detail about the ink-making process. If you’ve ever wondered how ancient Chinese ink was made, this article will answer all your questions. Today,…
Qi Ming has previously published articles about how to prepare new Chinese brushes, how to select and maintain brushes, and proper cleaning techniques. Today, we’ll explore the question: How Does Professor Huang Jian Clean Chinese Brushes? Below, Qi Ming will introduce this method through images and text. Full Article: How Does Professor Huang Jian Clean…
When it comes to Chinese brush handles, I’ve learned quite a few lessons through trial and error. When I first started customizing the Qingquan Chinese brush, I used green bamboo handles. However, some calligraphy enthusiasts reported that the green bamboo handles tended to crack easily. Later, I asked my followers to vote on alternatives, and…
Many calligraphy enthusiasts, especially beginners, often wonder about Chinese calligraphy brush size: How do we distinguish between large script (da kai), medium script (zhong kai), and small script (xiao kai)? What size Chinese brush should you use for each style? Today, Qi Ming will share insights based on Teacher Huang Jian’s classification method from “Huang…
Understanding Chinese brush parts is essential for anyone interested in traditional calligraphy and painting. Whether you’re a beginner choosing your first brush or an experienced artist looking to expand your collection, knowing the different Chinese brush parts will help you make informed decisions. Each component of a Chinese brush serves a specific purpose and affects…
Today, we will learn about how traditional Chinese brushes are made through this article.I once published an article on my blog titled “Visiting Wengang During May Day Holiday to See Chinese Brushes – Truly the Capital of Chinese Brushes.” In that article, I detailed everything I saw and experienced in Wengang during the May Day…
Today’s article is actually notes that Qi Ming took while listening to Huang Jian’s beginner calligraphy course. In this lesson, Teacher Huang Jian mainly introduced us to some ancient Chinese brush making methods and their evolution.We believe that after reading this, you will have a better understanding of ancient Chinese brush construction and the materials…
