Starting Calligraphy: Japanese Calligraphy Supplies

Japanese Calligraphy Supplies

You need just four simple supplies to begin practicing calligraphy: paper, ink, a brush, and an inkstone.

Paper:

Not any normal notebook paper will do. You need a special type of calligraphy paper that usually has to be oredered online, or if your lucky you can pick up a roll of it at your local stationery store.

Ink:

You can buy ink in two forms, solid as a stick or liquid in a bottle. The ink in the bottle is cheaper, but the ink in stick form keeps better on paper after a long period of time. It is common for people to practice using the cheap liquid ink and writing professionaly with the ink stick.

Brush:

Brushes are made from a wide variety of materials. The head of the brush can be made from the hair of many different animals, including rabbits, ducks, and sometimes even tigers and pigs. The most important thing besides the head is how the brush is held, which is dependent on what calligraphic style is practiced.

Inkstone:

Inkstones are stones that have a depression where the water used to help create the calligraphic ink is formed. You use the inkstone as a mortar and grind the ink stick against the stone where it collects and mixes with water to form ink.

These are the four basic supplies needed to start Japanese calligraphy.

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