Ink In A Stick?! How To Use Chinese Ink Sticks

Who knew you could get ink in a stick?! Well now you know you can! So today I thought I'd try a pack of Chinese ink sticks, as well as the Chinese ink block for grinding the ink sticks, and eventually show you how to use the Chinese ink sticks! At first I was super intrigued and excited to try a very different art supply.... eventually I realised that they weren't the best art supplies I'd ever got my hands on! It took a while for me to figure out how to actually use the Chinese ink sticks, and then when I did eventually get some ink from the sticks, I was left a little underwhelmed! The colour saturation of the ink wasn't the best, and I felt like the white one didn't work at all! Ultimately I think you could get a way better and easier paint/ink effect from using a regular water colour paint pallet! The Chinese ink sticks were definitely an experience, but an experience I shall not be trying in the future! But let me know what your thoughts were on these Chinese ink sticks in the comments below!
#ChineseInkSticks #ArtSupplies #Ink
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About my channel:
My names Anthony Crammen, an artist based in the UK, and my KZbin channel focuses on arts and crafts, DIY projects, various attempts at Pinterest projects, creative product testing and reviews, and everything creative! All created with the idea of fun and entertainment, however some serious videos from time to time. Anyway hopefully you enjoy the videos I make, if you do make sure to comment below, give the video a like, and subscribe to my channel and turn on notifications so you never miss an upload! Make sure to follow me on social media too so we can stay in touch outside of KZbin!

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Also just to note: these ink sticks looked way better on camera than they did in person!

[@amethyst1826]

That's typical! Lol

[@DiscoKittie]

Oh honey! I knew as soon as I saw the thumbnail that you weren't going to like these! 🤣 I have a set of these, and I love them. Here's the thing, though; grinding ink is a really big part of the process of using these. It takes longer to grind the ink than it does to make the art in some cases. It's a meditation to get you into the right frame of mind to do the art, either brush calligraphy or brush art. I took one semester of Japanese in college (would have done more, but couldn't), they had a few extra curricular classes that they did that were fun. One I went to was Japanese flower arrangement (Ikebana), and the other that I went to was brush calligraphy. We the students didn't have time to grind sticks, but the teacher showed us how. And told us how long. She had been already grinding her stick for an *hour* when we got there. An hour. In meditation. Her ink was so incredibly thick, it was amazing. It was much better than the bottled stuff we students used. Plus, after a quick Google, your sticks might be crap. They aren't supposed to make scratchy sounds when grinding. 🙁 I should check to see if mine are crap, too. I also should make a video about them soon. You're the second KZbinr I've seen use them in the past week or so. 😊 So, yeah. It can take an extraordinarily long time to grind for good, thick ink. So, I was pretty sure you weren't going to like it. But if you ever need to just relax and unwind and just grind, you can. 🥰

[@AnthonyCrammen]

A whole hour to grind them?!?!?!? 😱😱😱 Oh wow!! I wasn't expecting that, definitely not sure I have the patience for it tbf! But I'm glad that you can get a better ink from them! I definitely think mine were some cheap crappy ones, I have a feeling if they were more expensive then the result would be much better too!

[@DiscoKittie]

@@ZengHuaXiansheng the woman I was talking about was literally a brush calligraphy teacher. That’s her job. And I said she had done it for an hour *in meditation*. But thank you for the info!! 🥰😊

[@DiscoKittie]

@@ZengHuaXiansheng I wasn’t there for the grinding, I’m sorry. But keep in mind this was Japanese brush calligraphy, not Chinese ink painting. 🥰

[@emporertorvus4475]

@@ZengHuaXiansheng Calligraphy and painting are different things. That i am aware of, typically bottled sumi ink is designed for optimal use in calligraphy but can also be manipulated to create different tones for painting. Think of this like the difference between buying tomato paste for making food and making tomato sauce by processing raw tomatoes. Tomato paste is pretty flexible and convenient as an ingredient but cannot me turned back into tomato puree for use in something like salsa, whereas processing raw tomatoes into paste or a thick sauce can be laborious but can be used for something like salsa. Sorry that was a mouthfull.

[@edward3dofficial]

Oh the internal struggle of wanting to give something a chance while simultaneously wanting to throw it against the wall. A tale as old as time.

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Oh I struggled a lot! I tried to be as kind as I possibly could! 🙈🙈

[@WaverleyWanderer]

Some people are content to grind away all day in hope of a happy result. While others seek happiness from a bottle.

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Haha very true! 😅

[@debbiestyer453]

That is funny!

[@amethyst1826]

Bottles have other uses after you've emptied them, too! 😃😃

[@seventhave]

Love your energy! Thanks for the midweek video! Love to watch you try new things - definitely inspirational to me!

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Ah no problem! 😊😊

[@Meowgismom]

Yay a surprise Ant video on Tuesday. You must have known I was having a 💩 day, lol. You should try Derwent Inktense pallets or colored pencils. They are more like watercolors, but they are ink. Thank you for getting frustrated for our viewing pleasure!

[@AnthonyCrammen]

😁😁 Hopefully I've made your day a lil cheerier! Oh I'll definitely look into them!! 😁😁

[@lyndaelefsen486]

I have the inktense pencils they’re great! 😁

[@pearlmacmanus7451]

I followed your instructions and found by grinding the ink on the stone for longer you get beautiful ink. If it is too thick just add a little water spray. The colours are rich and deep and once dry are water fast. If you haven't got rid of the sticks have another try. The grinding is meant to be a slow mediative process.

[@Luxinda]

I saw a video on these about a year ago and remember thinking at the time that the results didn't seem worth all the effort. I have something of a paper fetish so I guess it makes some sort of sense that I have a corresponding ink fetish 🤔🙄 but even so, these inks hold no appeal for me beyond the beautiful packaging. However, a mid-week bonus video from you is always the best! 😁😁

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Oh tell me about it! A lot of work involved for an ink that's a bit meh! But the packaging was lovely! 😅 At least they weren't that expensive! Oh well December's coming up so you might get two of me every week! 😅😅

[@Luxinda]

@@AnthonyCrammen be still my heart 💖

[@cherylalikhani5957]

Hi Anthony! You might want to invest in xuan paper and a paint brush made specifically for using with Chinese ink. The paper and brush does make a difference. You could also transfer concentrated ink to little glass jars using pipettes, allow it to solidify, and add water to use like watercolor. It would allow you to switch between colors without buying one stone per stick or wasting ink.

[@AnthonyCrammen]

I didn't even realise that existed, so I'll keep that in mind if there's a next time!

[@cherylalikhani5957]

@@AnthonyCrammen I edited. 🙂😜

[@AnthonyCrammen]

That sounds like an insane amount of effort when watercolour palettes and regular ink exists 😅

[@cherylalikhani5957]

@@AnthonyCrammen I agree and think learning the skill is possibly supposed to be about preserving an ancient art and tradition more than having fun. I thought about trying it then decided to buy gel plates instead, with no regrets and have loads of fun.

[@janetfernie4588]

You should had your bottle of wine with you😂😂😂😍

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Oh I finished that after the last video! 😆🙈

[@tracyharper2121]

Tuesday treat! Thank you xxx

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Ah no problem Tracy! 😊😊😊

[@quiltedwithlove]

After seeing a few videos and yours, I got my set out again. I have the same sticks, but may have a different stone grinder than yours. First few times was a disaster and just like you gave up. I tried again after watching a few more videos and got it working. Use a small amount of water, like dip the bottom layer of your stick in a cup of water and put it back on the grind stone. Grind using the whole surface of the stick. Works amazingly. The colors are stunning. I'm also wondering if there's a small layer of protective something to get past first. Once I got the stick going, it was fine. You can add larger amounts of water as you go. I'd probably try some rice paper as that's what it's meant for. Hope it helps. I saw another set from a different company that looked amazing, but they were around 180 dollars.

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Oh I'll keep that in mind if I ever decide to revisit them! 😁 180 dollars?! Wow! Not sure I could afford them! 😂😂

[@brandijenkins3351]

We love you. Your funny in a great way!

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Ah thanks Brandi! 😊😊

[@leticiacampos1044]

Hiya! If you watch the one video by Heikala, she uses the kuretake set and it looks beautiful. I tried to buy the same set, but could inly find that one you bought. I gave up because the reviews said those aren't good at all. Sorry you had to go through the frustration of bad brands.

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Oh I'll check that out thanks! Yeah definitely think these aren't the best ink sticks unfortunately!

[@kingmerry10]

Hey Ant, thanks for the super mid week bonus video!! :-D :-D At least you know to avoid ink sticks in future! On the plus side, you now have a nice snazzy box that might be ideal for a future project!! ;-)

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Ah no problem! 😁😁 Haha definitely! A good box always comes in handy! 😅😅

[@kingmerry10]

@@AnthonyCrammen Especially with Christmas looming!! ;-D Hope you have a great evening :-)

[@AnthonyCrammen]

For sure!! Hope you have a great evening too! 😊😊

[@MrGigihp]

Nice one ant. I've also wanted to try these but I'll go for inktense rather I think😘

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Oh definitely! Love the idea of them, but if your after a decent pigment I'd personally choose something else! 😂

[@mayloo2137]

You said it. It looks more like watercolors than color-intense inks. Thank you for testing these so I don't have to!

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Ah no problem May! 😊

[@gavin.d.m]

I wonder if these are for Chinese writing? Thanks for the mid-week. 👍

[@AnthonyCrammen]

They are yeah, they're for calligrpaphy but also painting. And no problem! 😁

[@kathleenbryant7531]

A lot of work! They would make a nicer ornament as they looked pretty. Disappointing I know. Have you ever done the melted wax crayon over a picture? Maybe in a past show but I'm still relatively new and catching up on the shows which I love!

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Oh very pretty! I have done in one of the episodes of the Blind Pinterest Challenge, I can't remeber which one though 🙈🙈

[@user-nf6zf8oj8d]

Hi Anthony, hope you’re having a better week at work. Having watched all your videos I can’t help wandering what happens to all the rubbish kits you’ve purchased over the years 😛. Those inks just look like an awful lot of hard work when you can achieve the same results with water colour paint 🎨 xx

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Hey Ruth! Oh not at all! 🙈🙈 They all end up in random draws and boxes in the studio, that's why I'm running out of space! 😅😅 Oh for sure! I wasn't a fan of them at all!

[@amethyst1826]

@@AnthonyCrammen You need a sort out, then you could find other ways of using the leftovers, & flog the rest!

[@AnthonyCrammen]

I struggle to get rid of things though because I always think they'll come in handy at some point! 🙈 I have materials in the studio that are 10 years old because 'you never know' 😅😅

[@user-nf6zf8oj8d]

@@AnthonyCrammen I think all crafters are like that. At least that’s what I tell my husband 🤪

[@MysticHeather]

When I was tattooing I had a colleague that used these, just the black and maybe red if I remember correctly, he used them to paint traditional flash I think that most people that use these are doing so to recreate some form of traditional painting which wouldn’t have been done with the quality of paints we’re used to today

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Ah cool. Yeah makes sense, I think someone wouldn't get the best results for their paintings etc when other materials are available, it was still interesting trying something new though lol!

[@MysticHeather]

@@AnthonyCrammen for sure! I used to watch my colleague and think “I’ll stick w the paint that’s already paint” 😂 it’s cool to watch tho!

[@lyndaelefsen486]

Oh they’re so pretty to look at and the packaging is lovely 💖 What a shame that they’re not that vibrant, like you I was expecting loads of pigment like you see in Chinese writing. But like you said maybe that’s just our expectations. Also I was thinking that because it takes a while to grind it and make the ink, that’s like a meditation or mindfulness time maybe? Anyway I’d never seen these before so thanks for sharing! x

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Definitely very lovely to look at! Yeah talking to someone else the grinding process has something to do with meditation which I wasn't aware of, don't think it would work on me! 😅😅

[@lyndaelefsen486]

@@AnthonyCrammen hahaha I can imagine you trying to meditate with all the little Anthonys in your mind chattering about art and organising and your dogs and ideas and a million other things 😂 Well that’s how I am atleast!! 😂

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Oh for sure!! 😅😅

[@kraftyiam]

Howdy aww I was hoping they would work. 🥴 guess one pays for the pretty box

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Yeah they weren't the best unfortunately! But at least I did get a nice box! 😅

[@carolmilstead]

Thanks for the video I have just been given some of the paint sticks , I don’t have a stone for grinding the paint 😐 too much work , I’ll stick to water paint 🤣 yes they are cheap get what you pay for 😉

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Haha no problem Carol. Yeah watercolour is a much easier option!

[@alexiscraftyourlifeaway9587]

I'm thinking maybe put them in a grinder instead of doing all that work maybe. I wonder what would happen if you used it in resin

[@AnthonyCrammen]

That might speed it up a bit but doubt the pigment would be much better. Hmmm not sure! 🤔🤔

[@alexiscraftyourlifeaway9587]

@@AnthonyCrammen it is super light pretty box though

[@carlycharlesworth1497]

I have to agree with you Ant, the Chinese Ink sticks were a little underwelming, considering what they are. Usually inks are very bold, striking colours. I have never seen Chinese Inks used in a video before, so I don't know for sure, but I feel that those swatches were very lack lustre, and left a lot to be desired.

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Yeah they weren't the best! Fun to try something new but I'll stick to more concentrated liquid ink next time 😅

[@lynnralph8373]

I bought black ink sticks in a chinese shop in Soho

[@lynnralph8373]

I use it to add shading on buildings.. it is better than watercolour for shading and touches I think, not wahes. Allow the stick to soften a little first

[@shellandshilo]

The box was lovely but too much work for some wishy washy look Anthony at least you help people not to waste their money ☺

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Yeah definitely weren't my cup of tea! 😅

[@nizedinetrollz]

I believe they were used during war etc so were made to be durable, if you check out Jazza, he has an ink stick video and they are very washy, however I think it's more of a traditional thing for China and for writing letters etc rather than drawing.

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Hmm interesting! Guess I went in thinking they would be a little more concentrated.

[@nizedinetrollz]

@@AnthonyCrammen same, most text you see is super vibrant and colourful so I was a bit disappointed with them but I think for day to day letters you wouldn't care

[@meganlouise1125]

You added way tooo much water to grind it in then u add extra water to dilute it:)))

[@darkestdragon]

Couple of things, using too much water so the ink is washed out. Also a few quid for some crap quality ink sticks is not going to give you the results. 😂 literally the range of price can go up to thousands for the highest quality. That is guaranteed to give you heavy pigmented ink. But kudos for giving it a try. For me black is the best colour hands down. Thanks for sharing your experience dude !

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Yeah I definitely think I bought some pretty poor quality versions which was a shame! Next time I won't be so cheap! 😅😅

[@bellabella9918]

Maybe a herb (weed) grinder would of worked better than a stone

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Well I do have one of those in the studio...don't want to ruin it though! 😉

[@nikoliniolnc]

I think its better to try using eye shadows with a bit of arabic gum or walnut oil and a glass grind tool iit would be may very better try it and you will enjoy it 🇨🇾🇨🇾🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🍓🍓🌈🍰🌻🌻🌸🌺✅🇬🇧

[@lilaflohr602]

❤💛💚💙💜🌈🌠

[@amethyst1826]

I'll definitely give those a miss!! Although, it would be interesting to see how they're made!

[@ArtisticaWitch]

It seems like a lot of work for something that's not worth it. And it doesn't look fun either

[@AnthonyCrammen]

Oh for sure! 😅

[@bonniebrinkley720]

The quality of the sticks you purchased is poor, and sold as souvenirs. Quality sticks can cost hundreds of dollars.

[@debbiestyer453]

It's like a beautifully decorated dessert but it taste like shit.

[@clairewhitcher2190]

Shame 😔 just not your thing lovely 🤔🤗🥰🥰

[@Tizer25911]

Time for a refund 🤩😘🤣😅

[@AnthonyCrammen]

😂😂

[@Varzil12]

way too much water...