A Chinese Ink Stick and Stone
The practice of writing in Japan [and China] began by rubbing a hard ink stick in a small amount of water. Rubbing small, soft circles over and over just to create a small amount of ink was considered part of the writing process, a moment to calm the mind before one dips their brush into the ink. As the hand writes what the mind dictates, the characters on the paper are an expression of that unification of mind and body, both in meaning and style. The mixture of soot and gelatin in traditional ink sticks determines its shade of color, the feel of the initial strokes, and how much the ink blots or cracks on the paper, all features which one can skillfully use to express the most in their writing. Source: kinkoen.jp/en/narasumi/
A Chinese Ink Stick and Stone
The practice of writing in Japan [and China] began by rubbing a hard ink stick in a small amount of water. Rubbing small, soft circles over and over just to create a small amount of ink was considered part of the writing process, a moment to calm the mind before one dips their brush into the ink. As the hand writes what the mind dictates, the characters on the paper are an expression of that unification of mind and body, both in meaning and style. The mixture of soot and gelatin in traditional ink sticks determines its shade of color, the feel of the initial strokes, and how much the ink blots or cracks on the paper, all features which one can skillfully use to express the most in their writing. Source: kinkoen.jp/en/narasumi/