How to choose Xuan paper for painting and calligraphy mounting

The following factors should be considered when selecting Xuan paper for mounting calligraphy and painting:

1. Xuan paper quality: Good Xuan paper should be smooth, delicate, uniform in thickness, smooth and resistant to falling. You can pay attention to the following points when choosing: at first glance-good paper is not necessarily white, too white means too much whitening agent, which is not conducive to long-term preservation; Paper white but not dazzling, soft reflection; Try not to have attachments such as grass stalks, sand grains, cracks and holes; Handle-smooth, delicate, uniform thickness, smooth and fall-resistant; Shake paper-raw rice paper is soft and not brittle. If there is a loud noise, it may not be good paper, but the cooked rice paper will be brittle when shaken, because the sound will be brittle when brushed with rubber alum water; Dip in ink test paper-the reaction of raw rice paper is to eat ink quickly, spread it evenly, and the ink edge is serrated. Click again. After the ink is dried, the layers are distinct, the ink marks are clear, and there is a thin white mark between the two ink spots. The response of cooked propaganda paper is to draw it several times repeatedly, so as not to lose hair and ink stains.

2. Types of Xuan paper: Xuan paper can be divided into raw Xuan and cooked Xuan. Mature Xuan is suitable for writing small letters or meticulous paintings, while raw Xuan is suitable for splashing ink and smudging, which can be selected according to personal needs.

3. Thickness of rice paper: The thickness of rice paper depends on the gram weight of paper. Generally speaking, heavier rice paper is more durable and more suitable for calligraphy and painting.

To sum up, we should pay attention to quality, type and thickness when choosing Xuan paper for mounting calligraphy and painting.