Chinese Calligraphy Materials
To write calligraphy, you need four materials
A brush
Ink
Inkstone (this can be omitted if you use liquid ink)
Paper
Calligraphy brushes
Together, these are called 文房四宝 (wénfángsìbǎo), or the Four Treasures of Study (2).
Brushes are traditionally made with white, black, or yellow animal hair (such as rabbit, goat, or weasel hair) bundled together and coming to a point.
The hair is pushed into a tube made of bamboo or wood, creating the handle.
The brush must be flexible in order to create the flowing strokes in calligraphy
Ink is made from lampblack, created from burning pine resin or oil under a hood. Soot is collected and pressed into blocks that are often decorated.
The calligrapher can then use an inkstone to grind the block down to powder and mix it with water.
This way, he or she can control the viscosity of the ink (2). Liquid ink can also be used, but is more difficult to transport and can be messier.
Lastly, paper was originally made from the fibers of plants such as mulberry, hemp, or bamboo.
This was much more affordable than silk
