and poured into a mold to dry. The combination of ingredients determines the smoothness of the ink on paper, the tint of the ink when diluted, and the smell of the ink during use. Ink sticks made from charcoal mixed with pine resin and glues make coarser-grained inks. Ink sticks made from soot mixed with glue and fragrant oil from fir and/or pine resins make finer-grained inks. The best ink sticks have very fine particles. There are different grades of fine particles depending on how the wood is burned and collected. Ultimately, the quality of the ink on the paper is determined by how long you manually grind the ink. Some glues are made from deer horns, cows, and fish, each of which lends a different quality to the ink. Some inks leave a very shiny, smooth finish, while others are absorbed into the paper and leave a matte finish. Some combinations of ingredients, such as lamp black or soot, produce a brownish tint when diluted into washes. Others, such as soot and red pine, produce a bluish cast when diluted. Some artists use colored ink sticks, each of which needs its own stone for grinding so the colors do not mix. One of the desirable colors is called Ming green.
The type of wood used to make a charcoal base imparts an inherent fragrance to the ink stick. The most pleasing ink sticks to work with are made from soot and fragrant oils, as the perfume of the oils escapes while grinding the ink stick on the stone. Each family that makes ink sticks uses their own distinctive fragrance.
Ink sticks vary in their outer appearances as well as in their ingredients. In addition to collecting beautifully carved ink stones, true appreciators of the artist’s treasures enjoy acquiring ink sticks of various sizes and shapes. The ink sticks are usually pressed into a mold containing impressions and designs, some of which tell stories of heroes and myths from Chinese history. In most cases, even the cheapest small stick used by beginners has touches of gold or silver foil and some calligraphy. Larger ink sticks may have scenes of historic events with colors applied in addition to the usual gold and silver. Some of the sticks are as large as three inches by eight inches. Most of the large, fancy ink sticks never get used, and some are put in display cases for all to view.
Calligraphers prefer fine-grained natural stones and ink sticks that grind into a fine, powdery ink. This ink produces a clear, decisive line when stroking small characters. When ink is not used, it tends to evaporate and changes its consistency. It is said that old ink is used to restore old paintings, while new, freshly ground inks work best on new, fresh paintings. In most cases, you should not try to rehydrate and use old ink that has evaporated. The ink becomes very grainy and makes streaks. The essence and fragrance of the ink only comes out when it is freshly ground.
White Watercolor Paint
To paint white plum blossoms on tea-tinted paper and white chrysanthemums on colored rice paper, you can use Chinese opaque white watercolor paint.
Paper
Now that you have learned about the brushes and the ink stones on which to grind the ink stick, you are ready to select the substrate for the ink.
Paper vs. Silk
In ancient times, people used leaves, split bamboo sticks, or silk made with early weaving techniques. Early silk was not very absorbent, so the ink and paint had to be painted on both the front and back. Then paper was invented from vegetable sources in l05 BC. The invention of paper was most important, as paper was more absorbent than silk and thus was much easier to paint on. Later, the silk weavers treated the silk so that it was a little easier to use, but paper became the choice even as far back as the Tang dynasty. Many still painted on silk, however, even though it was coarse and harder to paint on.
Types of Paper
The process of making paper evolved from the use of different materials and the mechanical process of collecting the pulp on the screens to dry. Depending on the mix and quantity of materials and the type of screen, different kinds and thicknesses of paper are produced. You may be impressed by the variety of Oriental papers and their feel to the fingers.
Sizes
Some artists have particular goals and need different sizes of paper. For instance, scrolls require long pieces of paper while album sheets are much smaller. Hand scrolls, although narrow, may be 60 feet long. Fans require only small sizes of paper.
Specialty Papers
Hand-made, specialty papers may contain embedded objects, such as leaves, bugs, shiny foils, and strands of colored fibers, or may have a color or bands of color. Some may be thick and textured and embossed. These papers are used for special paintings, decorative purposes, and letters. They are collected by those who appreciate fine hand-made papers and one-of-a-kind sheets.
Colored Papers— Some papers are bleached white as they are dried in the sun on the screens. Other papers have a creamier color depending on the process and materials used. Some papers are tinted with pastel colors and are quite effective when using intense black ink. Colored papers tend to be very absorbent because dying the paper makes it wet for the second time. All papers become more absorbent each time they are wetted and allowed to dry. Some papers take the rich black ink and leave a velvety black or shiny surface. Some people choose papers because of the ink quality on that type of paper. Depending on the project at hand, you choose the proper paper, brush, and the dark or pale ink to be used, knowing there can be l6 different values of black ink color, although most painters use only 10 values. For the Chinese, these values of ink are what they call colors or tones, and they are used to accent or to blend just as in using color.
Tea-Tinted Paper— For a more striking composition with white plum blossoms or chrysanthemum blossoms, you can use paper tinted light to medium brown with a tea wash. Use strongly-brewed black tea or instant tea mixed with water to make a dark brown color. With a large, flat, soft wash brush, paint long strokes across the rice paper to produce an even dark background. As an alternative, soak the paper in a tea solution in a large pan or basin. Wait for the paper to dry before applying white watercolor paint or ink. Of the colored rice papers available, the tea color paper is most authentic, as it looks like old silk that has turned brown with age.
Rice Papers— In most cases, thin papers are used for ink painting. Such papers are called “rice papers,” although they do not contain rice fibers, which are very short and do not make good papers. They are probably called rice papers because people associate rice with the Oriental cultures and the term identifies the papers with Oriental painting. The papers are actually made from long strands of vegetable fibers, like grasses and fibers from mulberry plants left after the silk worms eat the leaves.
Practice Rolls— As a beginner, you will probably want to use a roll of inexpensive practice paper made with mechanically pressed pulp. Practice rolls come in various widths and surfaces, with typical widths of 12, 15, and 18 inches. The paper is thin and white and almost like tissue paper. Usually, it has a slick side and a more absorbent, rougher side. A white felt cloth put beneath the paper absorbs any excess ink that may bleed through the paper. As the ink dries, the paper tends to pucker. Almost all oriental papers require backing. Beginners should have their paintings professionally backed. It is difficult to handle the paste and paper to prevent lumps and wrinkles, and it’s easy to ruin good paintings.
Relative Absorbency of Paper
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