Why Chinese uses paint brushes instead of ballpens and pencils?

Question

Just wanna know...

Answer 1

Well I am a Chinese-American artist and I definitely write in Chinese with a pen or pencil. But I have also done some calligraphy with a brush.
Classically paintbrushes were used because pens and pencils hadn't been invented yet! And for hundreds of years only the elite and scholars were literate and so calligraphy developed as an elite craft and a fine art.
Modern Chinese does not require the different line weights and strokes to be understood. And in response to an earlier post, brushes are not used so that is bigger. Chinese characters can be printed in just as small of sizes as English and are still perfectly legible.
When brushes are used now, it is more as an art form and a cultural thing.
Hope that helps.

Answer 2

Brush is a very sensitive instrument, perfect for calligraphy and painting. Each brush is hand made from very specific materials (such as cat's mustache). Ball pen are mass produced and as a rule don't have a character of their own. Which doesn't mean that they can't be good. They are just too accesible. Not good for calligraphy.

Answer 3

At least in Chinese calligraphic art it's important to be able to make different thickness to the line with a single stroke, which isn't possible with a ballpoint pen or pencil. Because of the nature of the Chinese characters, they also might be easier to read with proper lines with different thicknesses rather than just a simple lines.

Answer 4

modern chinese use ballpens and pencil too..
paint brush are use for ancient caligraphy (sp?).
it takes alot of patients and skill to write a beautiful chinese character.

nowaday, pple use paint brush more as a cultural practice and not for daily usage.

Answer 5

You assume they do.

It is like asking why people use a stove instead of a microwave oven. Or why people still paint portraits when there is the camera.

It simply is a different kind of tool and both are used to get different results.

Answer 6

uh i went to china and i only saw 4 out of like 10,000,000 people using a brush for calligraphy.

Answer 7

coz it's much better for the style of writing and looks much better as well :) call me crazy but the ink smells good too :P

Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_written_language for heaps of info!!

Answer 8

bcoz its easier for them to understand/see their writings when its in in brush,, coz when it is, it is bigger...(i mean you know their writings are characters...so they have similar characters.)so when they write in chinese, its easier for them to write in bigger fonts(you know)