Painting and calligraphy carrier-general classification of painting and calligraphy paper

1. Core Writing Media

1. Xuan Paper System

   • Xuan paper : strong ink absorption, suitable for freehand calligraphy, with distinct ink levels (commonly available in four-foot and six-foot sizes);
   • Xuan paper : processed with alum water, it has anti-ink seepage properties and is suitable for small regular script and fine brush writing. Most of the paper used for exams belongs to this category.
   • Semi-cooked rice paper : It balances the needs of ink absorption and pen control, and is the preferred practice paper for beginners.

2. Practice paper

   • Rough-edged paper : a specialty of Jiajiang, made of bamboo fiber, with a simple yellow color, moderate ink absorption and low cost. The machine-made rough-edged paper is more conducive to pen control training;
   • Yuanshu Paper : A bamboo paper produced in Zhejiang, white, flexible and anti-moth, used for writing official documents in ancient times and now used as creative practice paper;
   • Grid paper/field grid paper : assists in structural positioning. A4 field grid paper is often used for hard pen calligraphy, and 7.5cm square grid rice paper is recommended for soft pen calligraphy.

2. Functional assistive devices

1. Creative Enhancement

   • Batik paper : wax is applied on the surface to form a texture, which enhances the decorativeness of the work;
   • Leather texture : Imitation leather texture increases the three-dimensional effect, suitable for seal script and official script to express the spirit of metal and stone;
   • Antique letter paper : vertical cinnabar line design, specially used for small cursive letter writing.

2. Learning tools

   • Tracing paper : Translucent rice paper with pre-printed characters, which makes copying easier, such as the long scroll of "The Art of War" in seal script;
   • Thread-bound exercise books : blank pages imitating the binding of ancient books, suitable for continuous daily lesson records, such as the Fenshang thickened copybook;
   • Special paper for examinations : semi-cooked rice paper that meets the specifications of educational institutions, mostly in sizes of four feet three-fold or six feet strip.

3. Advanced Application Tools

• Collection-grade Xuan paper : Xuan paper is 138cm×69cm in size, with a unit price of over 1,000 yuan per knife, and has the value-added attribute of investment and gift;
• Mounting paper for works : special rice paper and silk for framing finished calligraphy works or making scrolls;
• Personalized custom paper : wax paper that can be engraved with a personal seal to highlight the creator's unique identity.

Summarize

The choice of calligraphy tools should match the practice stage and creative needs:

• For beginners, the basic combination is rough-edged paper + semi-cooked rice paper;
• Advanced students can choose paper according to the characteristics of the calligraphy style (e.g., raw rice paper is suitable for cursive script, and cooked rice paper is suitable for small regular script);
• Professional creations require special papers such as batik paper and antique paper to enhance the expressiveness of the works .