Kuretake Brush JG201-101

The Kuretake JG201-101 is a traditional Japanese round brush with a short bamboo handle – designed for watercolor, Gansai colors, and Japanese picture letter painting (Etegami). The hair blend of horse and deer hair provides medium elasticity: the brush springs back but gives noticeably at the moment of contact, allowing for a flowing, controlled brushstroke. The short natural bamboo grip makes it particularly handy for precise detail work and allows a grip angle close to the paper.

Features

• Horse & Deer Hair Blend: Medium softness with pleasant restoring force – the hairs absorb water and color well and release them evenly without the tip fraying. Ideal for rich color areas as well as for fine line work.
• Round Brush Shape with Medium Hair Length: The hair tip tapers reliably, making both opaque color areas and sharp contours possible in a single brush – without constantly changing tools.
• Short Bamboo Handle: Natural bamboo feels cool and light in the hand. The short grip length shifts the center of gravity close to the tip and provides more control when painting with the wrist – typical of the Japanese brush holding style.
• Good Color Storage Capacity: The brush body holds enough color to make longer strokes without refilling – important for even glazes and flowing brush calligraphy.

Application & Tips

• Gansai and Watercolor: The hair blend is tuned to the viscosity of water-based paints. With Gansai Tambi colors, the brush shows its full strength: it applies the pigment-rich colors precisely and without splattering.
• Etegami (Japanese Picture Letters): The compact grip and controllable tip make it the typical tool for this painting technique – sketchy outline lines with Sumi, followed by loosely applied color areas.
• Watercolor Calligraphy and Characters: With sufficient water application, this brush can be used to write Kanji, Hiragana, or Latin characters in brush lettering style – the brush responds sensitively to pressure changes and creates organic stroke widths.
• Care: After use, rinse the brush under clear, lukewarm water and gently reshape the hairs to their original form. Let dry lying flat or with the tip pointing downward – never stand upright with the tip pointing up in a glass, as residual water can damage the binding.

For Etegami & Gansai Enthusiasts

Within the JG201 series, the 101 is the entry point into smaller formats – with the firm horse/deer hair blend, it responds faster and more directly than the softer goat variant (JG201-102). Those accustomed to painting with firm brushes and still wanting to learn Japanese brush handling will find a good balance here: enough inherent life in the hairs for organic lines, enough restoring force for control. The bamboo handle is not merely decorative but functional: bamboo doesn't absorb moisture while painting, stays grippy, and doesn't become brittle from water – a clear advantage over lacquered wooden handles with intensive water use.

Technical Data