Preparing to Paint

Use your prep time to bring yourself to the present moment. Nothing else matters now except for calm attention to the details. Be aware of your breathing as you organize your space.

Ink Stone

If you are using your ink stone for the first time, soak it in cold water for a few minutes. The stone will absorb some of the water and make your grinding surface kinder to your ink stick. If you have used your ink stone before, make sure the surface is clean.

Image
Image

Get Sumi-e Painting now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.