A lifelong journey

Smack dab in what I figure is the linear middle of my life, I decided I would be a Chinese scholar.  Or is it a Japanese scholar?  The fact that I am neither Chinese nor Japanese does not enter into the equation.  What I am, is a brush and ink painter:  the brush and ink both being of Chinese design and adapted by the Japanese, and the technique a hybrid of the two. What is the difference?  I will eventually get around to that. But I digress.

I remember my first forays into Chinese ink (sumi in Japanese).  I spent days, weeks, months practicing brushstrokes.  The months grew into years, and now seep into decades.  I'm still practicing.  In fact, I will be practicing for the rest of my life.  However, I have learned a few things along the way, some through books, some through associations with other artists, some through my calligraphy master, Lao Zhu, and some I happily stumbled upon myself.   Some, perhaps, are things I forgot from a former life....if one believes in that sort of thing.  

I am writing this in case someone who reads this is interested to plunge into a gleaming black pond of fragrant ink, finds themselves smitten with a similar passion and, despite the availability of a considerable surplus of information on this subject on the Web, would like to understand how to go about becoming a Chinese scholar - without actually being Chinese.

Almost everywhere you look with regard to this, you will be introduced to the "Four Treasures of the Study".  These are the basics.  The very basic of basics.  Oh, trust me, there is a lot more.  But you  begin with the Four Treasures which are:
 - the ink, typically in stick form, but also available as a bottled liquid.  When you are starting as a brush painter, the liquid stuff is a cop-out.
- the ink stone, where one 'grinds' the ink from aforementioned 'ink stick', or pours the liquid ink, if one is lazy. Or working on a large project, in which case you might collapse from exhaustion grinding your own ink.
- the brush, with which to spread the ink and express yourself
- the paper, ON which to paint.

The variety of ink sticks, ink stones, brushes and paper is considerable. Google Chinese ink, Chinese brushes, sumi-e materials, Chinese calligraphy brushes, etc. etc. etc. and you can drive yourself crazy with all that STUFF.


If you have no money, or very little, you can get a similar effect with an 8 x 10 piece of fine water-emery or sandpaper, and water, and a brush.  The water will evaporate, of course, but you can practice that way without going through reams of paper.  Chinese brush painting paper, called Xuan paper and Japanese paper (washi) are expensive.  An alternative is to use newsprint.  Another caveat:  most newsprint is not acid-free, and will become brittle and yellow with age.


There are other things you might like to have, a second tier of necessary toys:
- an appropriate flat work surface, such as a table or desk
- a piece of felt, absorbent cloth or blanket to place under your paper, since the ink often bleeds through paper while painting
- paper weights (at least two) to hold the paper in place
- a bowl to serve as a well for water to rinse the brush
- watercolors to mix with the ink, or for use in addition to it for painterly effects
- a palette for the watercolors.  A saucer will also do just fine.
- a water dropper - usually a small pitcher.  Many things make serviceable water droppers:  miniature teapots, plastic bottles used for Japanese bento, soy sauce pitchers, etc.
- a brush rest.  You can use the real thing, and chopstick rests also work.
- a brush hanger and/or a brush pot.  A small  flower vase can be used for this purpose.
- an ink rest, or place for the ink stick to dry.  This can simply be a small dish.

If there is a shop that sells tea items nearby, you will find some of the materials can be adapted to serve for a brush painter's needs.  The above is by no means complete, and is only a partial list.

If you've become intimidated by now, then being a  Chinese scholar is definitely NOT for you.  I will not attempt to teach you how to paint;  there are plenty of other sites on the Web that offer that.  What this blog is about is to celebrate the process of becoming a Chinese scholar, which is in essence, a way to celebrate living.

More later! It's time for me to paint.