The change of ink color can express the charm of calligraphy, so the beauty of calligraphy is colorful. Ink, like the color of painting, plays a great role. There are two types of ink: graphite and pine smoke, which are described as follows:
graphite
Graphite is a natural thing. It is a kind of rock called ink. In ancient times, without Song Yanmo, the only way to write calligraphy was to use graphite, and many people used graphite as proof of books. However, since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the use of graphite in writing has been unknown, but it was replaced by pine smoke before the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and calligraphy turned to another new realm.
But since it's gone today, I won't discuss it here.
Pine smoke ink (stick)
After Wei and Jin Dynasties, pine smoke replaced graphite. The origin of pine smoke is very early, and there were precious pine smoke in Han Dynasty. Among the famous Mohist writers of past dynasties, Li Tinggui of Southern Tang Dynasty is the most famous. According to legend, its texture is as hard as graphite, "its ink can cut wood and fall into the ditch by mistake, which will not be bad for months." Famous Mohists in later generations include Pangu in the Northern Song Dynasty, Wu Guoliang in the Yuan Dynasty, Jun Fang and Fang Youlu in the Ming Dynasty, and Cao Sugong and Hu Kaiwen since the Qing Dynasty, all of which are giants. Types of Calligraphy Ink Types of Calligraphy Ink