The same is true of the pen and ink nature of traditional Chinese painting. As the saying goes, "Ink is divided into six colors":
"Ink is colorful", that is, it feels dry, wet, thick and light. On the other hand, it is said that the ink is divided into six colors, which means that the white of rice paper is also a color, which is actually a "blank space" in the painting. "Blanking" is a special expression skill in picture composition, and it is very important. There is a saying in Chinese painting that "counting white is black", which is used as color here.
The ancients said that "ink is color", and thick and light ink can replace various colors. Ink and wash should be divided into shades, only dry but not wet and too dry, only wet and not too bloated, and the combination of shades is varied and vivid. Generally speaking, the methods of using ink can be divided into Jiao Mo, accumulated ink, broken ink and rolling ink. Jiao Mo is an extremely abrasive ink. When using Jiao Mo, you need strong ink and light ink to respond. Otherwise, Jiao Mo is isolated and it is difficult to see the meaning of this pen. Accumulated ink is dyed and painted several times with thick ink and light ink, so that it has a deep taste. When ink is cut off, apply paper with light ink first, and add thick ink while wetting. Because of the special nature of rice paper, it will change into a wonderful charm. Rolling ink is to dip a big pen in thick ink, twist it on the paper, turn it slightly like a fish scale, and it is uneven from thick to light. This is called rolling ink. So ink and pen are inseparable.