Chinese Brush Painting and Calligraphy are collectively known as the Twin Sisters.   They both have common origins and employ the same basic equipment, with the brush being the principle instrument.  Calligraphy, endowed with formal beauty, elegance, and distinctive brushstrokes, holds the prominent status of the highest form of Chinese art.  "Had I been born Chinese, I would have been a calligrapher, not a painter." ~ Pablo Picasso

Although both art forms share the same ancestry, their evolutionary paths diverged.  Over 3000 years ago, Chinese painting and calligraphy were born.  Ancient Chinese writings were in the form of pictograms and were used to adorn pottery and silk, though none of the early silk paintings have survived to date.  Decorative pictures were created to represent words instead of phonetically sounding out each syllable.  Gradually, writing standards emerged and calligraphy became more stylized and abstract.   Meanwhile, Chinese painting became more creative and impressionistic.   Around 2000 years ago, a major milestone was achieved with the invention of rice paper.  This produced an innovative evolution in Chinese brush painting and calligraphy. The absorbency of rice paper gave the artists a new freedom of expression that was not previously attainable in the former mediums.

Over time various painting styles emerged.  The three main styles are:  Gong-bi (fine-line) - distinctive brush strokes are used to capture the fine details of the subject such as feathers on a bird or petals on a flower;  Spontaneous (Free Style) - painting is limited to using the fewest brush strokes possible to capture the essence and spirit of the subject being portrayed; Combination Style - combines elements of both techniques.