Ink brushes (筆, in Japanese fude) are speciality brushes used in East Asian calligraphy. They are also used in Japanese brush painting (sumi-e), an art that developed entirely from calligraphy.
The best quality ink brushes are made of bamboo and animal hair. Synthetic brushes are rarely if ever used as bamboo and animal hair brushes are considered the best, and most are reasonably priced ranging from US$5 to US$150.
While a variety of sizes is avaialable, most brushes fall into three general categories: small, medium and large. The smallest brushes are used for very small pieces and to sign works. Medium brushes are the most widely used; wielded by a skilled artist a medium brush can produce a variety of thicknesses of line, from very thin to fairly thick. The largest brushes are used only for very large pieces.
Inkbrushes of various size and material for sale at a Taipei store.
Inkbrushes (Traditional Chinese: 毛筆, Simplified Chinese: 毛笔; pinyin: máo bǐ, in Japanese fude) are used in Chinese calligraphy.
The invention of inkbrush resulted in the Lesser Seal Script (Xiaozhuan), which is elegant and curvy unlike its predecessor the Greater Seal Script (Dazhuan) which is rugged and blocky.
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