Brush Strokes

Slanting Strokes (sokuhitsu—側筆)

As the name of this category of strokes makes clear, brushes are not held perpendicular to the paper but instead are held at something other than a right angle to it. Before touching on that, however, something about the preparation of ink needs to be said.

"Sumi has five shades" (sumi ni gosai ari—墨に五彩あり) is an oriental expression that reminds one of the many shades that can be produced with ink on paper to depict a subject. Many simple sumi-e can be painted using a single shade of ink, however more sophisticated works require several shades to bring out the subtleties of painting subject. The most sophisticated paintings are made with multiple shades loaded simultaneously on a brush.

Beginners should develop their skills using no more than three shades until they become somewhat proficient.

Preparation

Begin to prepare multiple shades of sumi by grinding very dark sumi (nōboku—濃墨); i.e. grind a relatively large amount of ink in proportion to the amount of water used. Load a brush with nōboku and successively dip the brush into first one dish containing water, then into a second dish containing a similar amount of water. The result is three shades of sumi; dark (nōboku—濃墨), medium (chūboku—中墨), and light (tanboku—淡墨). Some experimentation is necessary at first to produce the proper shading.

Loading the Brush

Refer to the illustration on the right below for an example of loading a brush with just two tones.

Applying the brush at various angles to the paper can produce different effects.

Practicing Strokes Yourself

It is a good idea to begin every painting session by practicing the various kinds of strokes. There is an old expression that says that if you practice a stroke 10,000 times, you might start to become good at it. Sit upright with your feet flat on the floor, your back straight, and begin. Some people like to practice painting standing up. Be sure to spread you legs comfortably apart so that you are well balanced. Another technique favored by some is to paint on the floor, kneeling down to do so. Classical Japanese artists often favored that approach. Whatever works for you is okay.

Much of sumi painting skill depends on regulating the amount of water in your brush before loading it with ink. Use paper or other towels to do so after rinsing your brush in water. Getting this right for the desired effect takes practice. You need to experiment.

Learning about how paper reacts to brush strokes is important, too. Not all paper is the same. Among the differences are the varying kinds of fiber used and the amount of sizing in the paper. The same brush stroke that produces sharp, clean lines on one type of paper can make blurry ones in another. Either type is okay when it yields the results you want. Most washi (rice paper) has a smooth side and a rough side. The smooth side is the most commonly used one for painting, but the rough side can be used, too, depending on what kind of effects you want to achieve. Learn how the paper you are using behaves, and adjust your strokes accordingly. Again, you need to experiment.

Successful sumi painting requires four elements; the brush, the ink, the paper, and you. The you part is especially important. You need to want to paint, to put your heart and sole into the effort. All four elements need to work together to in order for you to be able to express yourself properly.