Brush:  The brush is the star or main character in Chinese brush painting and Chinese calligraphy.  The brush dances over the paper and delivers the ink while conveying the Qi or life force or of the artist.  The motion of the artist is recorded with each brushstroke. Chinese brushes are made of bamboo and can be classified into 3 basic types:  hard, soft and combination.  Hard brushes are stiff and are made from wolf, horse, or deer wolf hair and are excellent for creating pointed strokes, like a blade of grass or bamboo leaf.  Soft brushes are made from sheep, goat, or rabbit hair and produce softer shapes, like lotus leaves or delicate petals.  Combination brushes are made from a mix of both soft and hard hairs and are good for general use.  There are also specialty brushes for specific purposes.

Ink Stick:  The ink is the co-star in Chinese brush painting and Chinese calligraphy.  Traditional Chinese ink is a simple and effective painting medium.  Unlike many colors, it does not fade when exposed to light nor dissolve when exposed to water.  Many ancient ink paintings and Chinese calligraphy have survived for thousands of years.  Modern ink is available as a solid ink stick or bottled liquid ink and is usually made from pine and glue.

Ink Stone:  The ink stone is used to grind and the ink stick and dissolve with water.  This can be a relaxing meditative process.  Today, good quality liquid ink is available that does not need to be grinded.  We now have instant gratification that we can pour out of a bottle.  An artist can create a variety of tones with the ink by controlling the amount of additional water.

Paper:   If the brush is the star, and the ink is the costar, then the paper is the stage where the dancing performance takes place.  Absorbent rice paper is used for Chinese brush painting and Chinese calligraphy, and is commonly made from bamboo, mulberry, rice plants, or even cotton.  Some rice paper is sized with alum glue to make it less absorbent and it  is best for detail style painting.  Other paper is raw and un-sized and is great for spontaneous style painting.  Usually the paper is white.  Colored paper and/or fiber textured cloud dragon paper can be used for interesting effects.  Rice paper is available in sheets or long rolls and can be manufactured or handmade.

Other Equipment:   Chinese colors in tubes or chips, palette or dishes for mixing colors and tones of black, containers for holding water, absorbent felt to place under the paper, mood seals, name chops for signing painting, paperweights, bamboo brush holders, ceramic or wooden brush racks and books.