How to distinguish the quality of brushes and how to better maintain them

Speaking of brushes, I believe everyone is familiar with them. Brushes are often used in calligraphy practice, and some people even spend a fortune to find a good brush. So how do you distinguish the quality of a brush? How can you better maintain a brush? Let's take a look.

How to distinguish the quality of brushes

When distinguishing a brush, place the brush on a flat surface and gently roll it. If it does not waver, it is round and straight. If the brush hairs are spread out and moved in circles on the fingernails, the brush hairs do not split and the brush tip is gathered, which is strong and sharp. If the brush hairs are pinched by hand or a row of straight lines is straight. Many brushes nowadays are mixed with nylon threads to strengthen the effect, which is not as good as pure hair. Even if the bamboo pole is a little bent, use a lighter to burn the curved part left and right and it will be straight. The key is that the brush hairs are gathered and not split, which is the core of the brush. Maintenance is also very important, which can prolong the service life of the brush.

How to maintain a brush

First of all, the brush must be soaked in warm water before use, and do not rub the front tip of the brush with your hands.

Secondly, you can wrap a few turns of thin wire around the intersection of the end of the nib and the pen shaft, and wrap it tightly. This can ensure that a large amount of ink is not sucked into the end of the pen shaft. Once a large amount of residual ink or water flows back for a long time, it will hide in the wool at the end of the pen shaft, which may cause the end of the pen shaft to swell and crack. The method of wrapping with thin wire can appropriately delay this situation. However, it also has a disadvantage, that there will always be a little bit of ink left in it, which cannot be washed out.

Finally, after each use of the brush, be sure to rinse the ink off with warm water. Of course, if you write for a long time or many times a day, you can reduce the number of cleaning times by sealing it with the pen cap and washing it after use. Fourth, the brush must be dried quickly after writing. Do not put it upside down in the pen barrel. It must be hung so that the remaining water in it flows out along the tip of the pen. If it is not possible to hang it, place it horizontally on a flat surface.

How to choose a brush for beginners of calligraphy

A good brush should have the following four elements: sharp, neat, round, and strong. The quality of a brush directly affects the quality of writing and the writer's mood. Therefore, when deciding to buy a brush, you should carefully select it according to the above four standards. For beginners of brush calligraphy, they usually start with regular script or running script, so we recommend that you should choose a mixed-hair brush, which is easier for calligraphy beginners to master.