You are intrigued by the beautiful and ancient artwork of Japan and want to learn more about it. The starting point is to know and understand the traditional tools that are used to create the simple and exotic scenes that depict life in this mysterious land on the far side of the Pacific Ocean.
Painting Surfaces
You will find a wide variety of painting surfaces for Japanese art. Raw rice paper is the most common and in Japanese it is called “Xuan.” Rice paper is available in many sizes and finishes and paper production is a specialty in Japan. Textures and matting are among the most popular. You will find wet-on-wet papers, mounting papers and cards with envelopes for painting. For the advanced painter, silk scrolls and hanging pieces can be used for painting and are often finished with gold or silver leaf. Less expensive practice paper is available for the novice in single sheets or padded tablets. If you really become serious about Japanese painting you might one day consider painting on gold leaf fans, scrolls or even folding screens with gold or silver leaf backgrounds.
Brushes
The brushes you will use to create paintings in the Japanese style are truly the heart and soul of the art. Brushes are called “Fude” in Japanese and range from quite small for details to wash brushes that are 2 or 3 inches wide. Brush making is another traditional craft in Japan. Brushes are hard or soft to fit the kind of stroke. They are handmade with animal hairs grouped to create quite fine points or a more rounded tip. If you follow painting tradition closely, hang your brushes point down rather than laying them on a table or in a paint box. Special brush racks are available for this purpose and usually accommodate several brushes.
Ink
The final element of your Japanese painting kit is the ink used to create the delicate or bold strokes of traditional Japanese art. In the present world ink is available ready-mixed in plastic bottles of various sizes, something a die-hard advocate of Japanese painting would never use. “Sumi,” or Japanese ink, comes in jet black sticks made from soot left by the burning of rapeseed oil. The artist places water in an ink mixing basin crafted from stone and rubs the stick in the water until the desired degree of blackness is achieved. The stone basins are often creatively designed and are used for many years.
