Chinese Artist Paint Brush

Common Bristle Hairs Used in Chinese Artists Paint Brushes

• Wolf
• Sheep
• Squirrel
• Goat
• Bear
• Mink
• Weasel
• Otter
• Mixed

There are other animal hairs used to create brushes in China, though they are not as common as those listed above. Each artist will favor certain types and sizes of brushes and will collect a wide variety of brushes to create the different strokes required to create Chinese brush paintings.

Mixed hair bristles are another popular design, allowing brushes to be made that contain the beneficial properties of more than one natural animal hair. Wolf and sheep are one of the most popular mixed hair bristles, while wolf/bear is a good combination for detail painting.

Chinese Artists REALLY Care About Their Paint Brushes

Chinese artists have a sincere love for the brushes the choose, and care for them before and after their useful life ends. During their useful life they make sure brushes are cleaned very well after each use and stored properly so they are ready to be use the next time they are needed.

After an art brush has reached the end of its useful life some Chinese artists will bury the brush to show their appreciation for the many artworks the brush helped them to create during its life. This act clearly demonstrates why Chinese artists prefer brushes made with natural animal hair bristles.

Brushes made with natural hair are still far superior to those made with synthetic bristles and have a special "feel and energy" that cannot be recreated using artificial materials. To find a Chinese artists paint brush visit our Chinese Art Brushes category or one of the other categories on this site.