[cwtmovement]

I’ve learned so much in this thread. I have just bought a collectible-level inkstone that I want to treat right and all the encouragement and knowledge from those above is much appreciated. Finally, it is so wise to remember that the stone will show your efforts in practice and time, a real testament to your devotion to the art.

[cwtmovement]

Beautiful work, here and on your website. Thank you for the guidance.

[cwtmovement]

I see that a piece of glass is used as work surface for wetting the artwork.

1. where do you find glass that is long enough to do a scroll piece (40 inches or more)?
2. what is the board he lays the wet artwork on (the wall)?

Thanks for help, the Henry Li vids are very clear otherwise.

[cwtmovement]

Eventually, all the styles you mention are good to practice and the noted calligraphers of history all have something to offer. I would say to continue to practice those you seem to have an affinity for; eventually you will also try others. My teacher has me work constantly on kaishou “standard” styles he gives me models for. But I also do standard from others. It is all good. In addition, be sure to work on various sizes, from very small to single character with large brush. Such a challenge! Good Luck!

[cwtmovement]

I am so appreciative of RaggedyBird’s comments. My inkstone definitely has some small areas that simply won’t clean, even with water immersion and light rubbing. I suspect the bulk of the staining has come from using the stone to hold some bottled YiDeGe ink that I love using in addition to the ground ink since it saves practice time.

Thinking about the nature of inksticks and how grinding works, it all makes sense. Thank you.

[cwtmovement]

I’m often surprised at how much ink is retained in my brushes, even after repeated (half dozen or more) sequences of dipping and swishing brush in cup of water then under running water using fingers and palm to gently open the bristles. I keep washing until the water looks clear. But still, next time I use the brush and dip in water pot briefly before in the ink, I see a tiny amount of ink seep into the fresh water. Very annoying!

[cwtmovement]

I thought I was doing okay with my ink stone by thoroughly washing under running water and wiping with paper towel, sometimes lightly scrubbing with a rough sponge or old toothbrush. But my stone is looking pretty dingy with ink anyway after some years of use. I wonder if anyone has tried the ink stone cubes Inkston sells? I have heard of some who actually grind the stone surface, but I’d be afraid it would hurt the stone’s cutting ability.

[cwtmovement]

A great idea. I have the Shodo book, and a number of others, along with poems and zen sayings. All would be very appropriate indeed.

Thank you for the quick response!

[cwtmovement]

Thank you, that explains it for me. And whether it’s in rolls or folded, it’s all good!

[cwtmovement]

Thank you very much! I was not reading the lower characters very well on that label. The Old Hu Kai Wen is now on my wishlist!

[cwtmovement]

I want to point out that Amazon USA carries a number of Inkston brushes. I just purchased three of them (Inkston 0902WsWl 古法中白云 GuFa Zhong BaiYun “Traditional Small White Cloud Medium” , Inkston 0100Wl 小鶴颈 XiaoHeJing “Small Crane Neck” , and the
Inkston 0503M 貂毫长锋 Diao Hao Long Pointed Marten Brush). These are excellent brushes for cursive and semi-cursive especially. Quality is very very good: point retains sharpness throughout varying pressures, the belly holds a good amount of ink (even the marten!), and I find the brush handles are very well made and balanced. It’s also nice to have brushes imprinted with the manufacturing numbers so I can remember where I got them months from now among my dozens of brushes! Highly recommend these for anyone looking for cursive or semi-cursive capable brushes.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 5 months ago by cwtmovement.

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