Sumi-e. Shozo Sato
resilient and springy, useful for painting large forms such as rocks and mountains.
Brush #2 has bristles of bamboo fibers which are the extension of the bamboo handle. These brushes continue to be made with the same method used since ancient times; one end of the bamboo stalk is softened by soaking, then pounded with a small wooden mallet to separate it into fibers. This brush is used for certain effects in calligraphy. I also use it as another mountain horse hair brush.
Brushes #3 & #4 are mountain horse hair brushes with hairs taken from the mane and tail. The coarseness of the hair allows the creation of unique qualities in lines. In addition, when it is used sideways, multiple textures can be created which makes it an effective brush in creating the rough surface of rocks, etc.
Brush #5 has bristles made from coarse raccoon hair, so it has some resilience and flexibility. I use this brush for calligraphy and landscape painting.
Brushes #6 & #7 have bristles made from soft sheep hair. These brushes are good for adding a color wash or for painting flower petals.
Brushes #8 & #9 are large and small choryu brushes: These brushes are made for sumi-e.
Brush #10 has bristles made of weasel hairs and is used for calligraphy and sumi-e.
Brushes #11 & #12 are used in sumi-e for making outlines, and for adding signatures or other formal-style writing at small sizes.
Brushes #13 & #14 are menso brushes; their bristles are made from small mammal whiskers and are used to create extremely fine lines.
Brush #15 is called ita hake (ita = board; hake = flat brush) in Japan. These large or small brushes are used for wetting the paper with water or to smooth the paper out. They are also often used to produce a gradation in ink tone.
Brush #16 is called a renpitsu and is used in ways similar to Brush #15. Renpitsu brushes can be found in many variations, with differences in the number of brushes connected for width. Holes are drilled through the handles and the brushes are held together with a thin piece of bamboo. You can divide a wide renpitsu brush to the desired width by cutting the skewer that holds the brushes together. The major difference between the hake (#15) and the renpitsu is that the renpitsu has more density in the amount of hair, and therefore it can hold more ink. For instance, with one application of ink, you can make a series of sections in a bamboo stalk without running out of ink. See techniques on page 126.
Brush #17 is made for stenciling and painting designs on kimono fabrics. However, it is very effective in making gradations from dark to light. There are times when a brush which is not made specifically for calligraphy or painting can be used creatively to produce unique effects. I may add different tones of ink to the bristles of this brush to create leaves on distant trees, or when I need to create graduated tones of ink.
These brushes are made to use in “formal” style calligraphy and as an outline brush for suiboku-ga. White sheep hair forms the outer skirt and the center is composed of whiskers and other hairs which are flexible, yet strong. (Actual brush head size, larger brush: L = 3cm/1.25“, D = 7mm/0.25“. Smaller brush: L = 2.7cm/1.0625”, D = 7mm/0.25”)
Menso brushes come in a variety of sizes. The menso has many uses and so is a convenient brush to have. (Actual brush head size, larger brush: L = 2.5cm/1”, D = 4mm/0.125”. Smaller brush: L = 6cm/2.375”, D = 1mm/0.03”)
Brushes in art supply stores are usually covered with a clear plastic tube which serves expressly to protect the tip when the brush is being handled during its journey from the manufacturer to wholesalers to retailers. Once the hairs of the brush have been loosened, the bristle will not go back into the cap and you have no further use for it. When the bristles are wet and form a point, if you put the cap back on, moisture cannot escape and often fungus will start to grow; eventually the hair will begin to fall out.
How to Loosen the Brush’s Bristles
When you purchase a new brush its bristles are starched to hold them together. But for use in sumi-e, the bristles must be loosened.
It is extremely important that the brush is not dipped in water to loosen the bristles. If you dip the brush in water to loosen it, the starch will be revitalized and the brush will become “gooey.” The moisture will be drawn into the center of the brush and it will take a long time to get it out.
The proper process for loosening a brush’s bristles is shown on the facing page.
How to Care for the Brush
Artists who have worked in oil, acrylic paints or watercolors are accustomed to using brushes with bristles compressed in metal. Often these brushes are left in water or cleaning fluids for a long period of time. It is highly important for a person who is instead using brushes of the Far East to understand how they are produced and the care they require. Animal glue, which is used to stabilize the bristles in the handle, is very much like gelatin and will eventually dissolve in water. If a brush for sumi-e is left in water over a period of time, the bristles will fall out.
Each time you use a brush, moisten it first with cold water to bring life back to each hair.
The care of a brush after you have finished using it is very important also. Carefully wash out all of the ink. You may use a gentle soap to assist in this process. (Special soaps have been created expressly for brushes.) Never use warm to hot water; that will dissolve the brush’s animal glue and eventually the bristles will fall out.
Special care must be given to washing the base of the bristles. Otherwise, after years of use, the accumulated ink dries around the individual hairs at the base and the brush will not form a point again. The best policy is to never let ink collect at the base of the bristles. Press, squeeze and gently twist several times, then extract the moisture with a paper towel by pressing very firmly at the base of the brush. If traces of ink come out on the paper towel, wash the brush again.
The correct drying process is to place the wet brush on a cloth and gently squeeze; then move the brush to another part of the cloth and brush down to comb the bristles into a point. Do not pull the bristles away from the handle. If as you are pressing down you were to continue pulling the brush through the cloth, your incorrect drying process would eventually make the hair fall out of the brush.
There is a special comb available that helps to remove the accumulated ink at a brush’s base as you wash it. Big brushes are especially vulnerable to ink buildup, and the individual hairs can also become entangled during the process of washing, making the brush bulge out. Use the comb during washing and again after the brush is dry.
A sheep hair brush.
The same brush after the bristles have been loosened. Depending on how the brush will be used, even a sheep hair brush may have the coarse white hair of a horse in the center.
HOW TO LOOSEN THE BRUSH’S BRISTLES
1. Hold the brush in your hand; the tip of the bristles should be between your thumb and index finger. Press the tip gently between them, then release. Rotate the brush.
2. Repeat the press-and-release of your fingertips as you continue to rotate the brush. Move down, gradually loosening each section of the brush head.
3. It takes several minutes to