Calligraphy Brush Types and How to Choose — Stiffness, Hair, and Size

Change Your Brush, Change Your Lines

When I started practicing calligraphy, I assumed it didn't much matter which brush I used. After 13 years of writing, I know better: brush selection is directly tied to expression.

The same character written with a stiff brush versus a soft brush carries a completely different sense of life. That's not a difference in technique — it's a difference in the tool itself.

So brush selection should work backwards from the question: what kind of line do I want to make?

Brush Stiffness — Gogoufude, Jugoufude, Kengoufude

Calligraphy brushes are broadly categorized by the stiffness of their bristles.

Gogoufude (剛毫筆) — Stiff Brushes

Made from relatively firm animal hair such as deer, horse, or raccoon dog. The tip holds its shape well and springs back against pressure.

Characteristics:

• Easy to control fine movements
• Produces clear stops, sweeps, and hooks
• Holds less ink than soft brushes
• Best for kaisho (block script) and gyosho (semi-cursive)

Many calligraphy schools recommend stiff brushes for beginners precisely because they're controllable. My own first brush was a firm horse-hair brush.

Jugoufude (柔毫筆) — Soft Brushes

Made primarily from sheep (goat) hair, these are extremely flexible brushes that absorb a large amount of ink. They have a distinctive fluid, almost slippery feel.

Characteristics:

• Holds abundant ink — one stroke can travel far
• Line width varies dramatically with pressure
• Naturally produces expressive bleeding and dry-brush effects
• Best for sosho (cursive script), kana calligraphy, and avant-garde work

Soft brushes are often called "difficult." But I find them the most interesting — sometimes the brush moves in ways I didn't plan, and that unplanned motion becomes something alive on the paper.

Kengoufude (兼毫筆) — Mixed Brushes

A blend of stiff and soft hair, combining the control of gogoufude with the ink capacity of jugoufude.

Characteristics:

• Well-balanced and versatile
• Suitable for a wide range of scripts
• Works for both beginners and experienced calligraphers

Mixed brushes might sound like a compromise, but they're genuinely excellent tools — many professional calligraphers use them as their primary brush.

Types of Hair — What Each Gives You

Many different animal hairs are used in calligraphy brushes. Here are the most common:

Hair Type	Stiffness	Best For
Sheep (goat)	Soft	Sosho, kana, avant-garde
Horse	Firm	Kaisho, gyosho
Deer	Stiff	Kaisho, practical writing
Raccoon dog	Medium	Kaisho, gyosho
Weasel (kolinsky)	Firm with spring	Fine lines, kana
Nylon	Uniform	Practice

Sheep hair in particular is fine, soft, and highly absorbent — but the tip doesn't hold together easily. That lack of tight cohesion is exactly what produces the distinctive bleeding and dry-brush textures that sheep-hair brushes are known for.

Choosing Between Large and Small Brushes

Large Brushes (Taihitsu 太筆)

The standard brush used for writing 2–4 characters on a half-sheet (hanshi). Sizes vary depending on whether you're writing on hanshi or larger sheets.

What to look for:

• Bristle length roughly 3–4 times the bristle diameter
• Check that the tip comes to a clean point when wet
• Make sure the handle diameter fits comfortably in your hand

Small Brushes (Saihitsu 細筆)

Used for writing names, fine characters, and kana calligraphy.

What to look for:

• Prioritize sharpness of the tip
• Stiffer hair (horse, weasel) is generally easier to handle
• Even for small brushes, choose genuine animal hair for proper feel

How I Choose My Brushes

Honestly, I still don't have one fixed answer for how to choose a brush.

It depends on the work. When I want strong, cohesive lines, I reach for a stiff brush. When I want to surrender some control and let the brush surprise me, I use soft sheep hair. The brush I choose is determined by the line I'm chasing that day.

More important than finding a "comfortable" brush is finding one that can make the line you're imagining. Try different brushes. The act of exploring tools sharpens how clearly you can see your own work.

Brush Care — Making Them Last

Even the finest brush won't last without proper care.

1. Wash immediately after use — dried ink damages the hair permanently
2. Use lukewarm water, gently — hot water ruins the bristles
3. Shape the tip and hang the brush bristles-down to dry — gravity drains water cleanly
4. Store in a brush roll or case when fully dry — protect from direct sunlight and insects

Treating tools with care is a form of respect — for the brush, and for the practice. That mindset, I believe, shows up in the work itself.

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MUKYO is a Japanese calligrapher with 13 years of practice and an 8th-dan rank, pursuing the living quality of the single line.