What is the difference between pine soot and oil soot sumi ink and how does it affect Patreon documentation?

Sumi ink sticks are made from carbon black — the incompletely burned carbon residue of either pine wood (shōen, pine soot) or vegetable and mineral oils (yuen, oil soot) — suspended in nikawa hide glue binder. The carbon black type determines the ink tone and colloidal behavior. Pine soot carbon black is produced from burning pine resin; the combustion conditions produce fine spherical carbon particles in the 20–80 nm primary particle size range (measured by TEM) that are relatively monodisperse and have high specific surface area. Pine soot inks are tonally cool, with a slight blue-black hue; the fine particle size produces stable colloidal dispersions that maintain suspension well during painting. Pine soot inks are preferred for detailed brushwork and calligraphy because the small particles flow evenly and deposit cleanly on sized paper. Oil soot carbon black (from burning sesame, rape, or tung oil) produces larger, more aggregated carbon particles with lower specific surface area. Oil soot inks have a warm, brown-black tone with slightly more texture when dry. They are preferred for expressive ink wash painting (sumi-e in the haboku style) where the warm tone and slight granulation contribute to the aesthetic character. Commercial liquid inks (Boku-Undo, Kuretake) use pre-ground carbon black suspensions and are convenient but generally have different tone and flow characteristics from traditionally ground stick inks. Document the ink stick brand, type (pine or oil soot, where labeled), grinding time, water volume added, and the resulting tone (compared against a standard tonal strip) for each session to build a reproducible reference library for Patreon subscribers.

How does sumi-e brush loading documentation help Patreon subscribers replicate dry-brush and wet strokes?

The brush loading state — the ratio of ink to water in the brush, and the distribution of that ink-water mixture from heel to tip — is the primary variable that determines stroke character in sumi-e and cannot be inferred from the finished mark alone. A dry-brush (hihaku) stroke is achieved by loading the brush with full-concentration ink, then pressing the brush against the ink stone or a cloth to partially remove moisture before application; the partially-loaded brush drags across the paper, depositing ink only where the bristle tips make contact with surface peaks and leaving white paper showing through where the bristles bridge gaps. A wet wash stroke requires brush loaded to near-saturation with dilute ink and drawn rapidly across the paper; the large ink reservoir in the heel of the brush feeds the tip continuously without the brush drying out mid-stroke. Graded wash strokes (starting dark and fading to pale within a single stroke) require loading the tip with concentrated ink and the heel with water, then drawing the stroke at a speed that allows the natural dilution gradient to deposit proportionally. Document brush loading state for each major stroke type as: ink concentration (full strength, 1:2 dilution, 1:5 dilution, etc.), brush saturation level (fully loaded = ink visible at heel after pressing; half-loaded = ink extends to mid-brush only; tip-only = ink loaded only into the final 1–2 cm of tip), and application pressure and speed. These three variables fully specify the loading state and allow subscribers with different brushes to replicate the loading process by matching the same measurable states.

How does the Apple Tax affect sumi-e Patreon creator income?

Sumi-e and ink wash painting creators build audience through Instagram process photography and YouTube brushwork tutorial videos. The iOS concentration: YouTube sumi-e and ink wash tutorials 55–68% iOS; Instagram ink wash painting photography and Reels 70–82% iOS; TikTok brush painting process content 70–82% iOS. Beginning November 1, 2026, Apple charges Patreon 30% on every subscription processed through the iOS app. At $200/month with 62% iOS: approximately $37.20/month ($446.40/year) in Apple fees. At $350/month with 68% iOS: approximately $71.40/month ($856.80/year). At $500/month with 72% iOS: approximately $108/month ($1,296/year). Enable Patreon's web-only billing toggle in Creator Settings before October 31, 2026 and update all social media profile links to the Patreon web URL.

Explainers · 2026-07-08

Patreon for sumi-e creators: sumi ink carbon black suspension chemistry, ink stone grinding mechanics, brush hair composition, washi sizing, five-tone value scale, iOS rates, Apple Tax 2026

Sumi-e Patreon tiers retain subscribers when they deliver the process layer that the finished photograph cannot carry: how long and with what motion the ink was ground, what the water-to-ink ratio is for each of the five tones, which brush hair type was used and how it was loaded, and how the paper sizing was prepared. The sumi-e audience is heavily iOS across Instagram and YouTube — the November 1, 2026 Apple Tax warrants action before October 31.

Creator subtypes and tier structures

Traditional Japanese sumi-e practitioners work within the four Confucian noble plant subjects (plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum) and landscape brushwork traditions using traditionally ground ink stick on inkstone, washi paper, and natural hair brushes. Tier documentation covers the seven fundamental brushstroke types (chukan, side strokes, dry-brush, stippling, horizontal wash, graded wash, and outline), the specific bamboo node sequence and branch direction protocol for bamboo rendering, and the seasonal variation in ink concentration preferred for each subject. Subscribers receive access to the creator’s practice stroke documentation: the daily practice strokes that maintain technical consistency, with commentary on which aspects of control are being developed.

Chinese xieyi ink painting creators work in the expressive tradition (xieyi = “writing idea”, prioritizing emotional expression over literal representation) using both stick ink ground on stone and high-quality liquid inks, on sized xuan paper or Korean hanji. Xieyi documentation emphasizes the brushwork decision: which stroke type captures the essence of the subject, how ink concentration contributes to the expressive weight of the mark, and how the contrast between heavily loaded and near-dry brush creates visual rhythm. Tier examples: Study tier ($8/month) — monthly subject study (one botanical subject, one landscape subject) with stroke-by-stroke guidance; Master tier ($25/month) — full painting demonstrations with ink preparation documentation and Q&A access; Archives tier ($55/month) — complete painting records with subject selection reasoning, preliminary sketch documentation, and session-by-session approach notes.

Contemporary ink wash mixed-media artists combine sumi or diluted India ink with Western watercolor, gouache, ink resist (wax), and collage. Contemporary creators document the material compatibility layer (which inks lift on re-wetting vs which are waterproof, how sumi ink interacts with watercolor blooms, whether gouache over sumi lifts cleanly or drags).

Sumi ink composition and ink stone grinding mechanics

Carbon black composition: Sumi ink sticks contain carbon black (the pigment), nikawa hide glue (the binder that suspends and adheres the carbon), and in some sticks fragrance additives (sandalwood, camphor). Pine soot carbon black (shōen) is produced by burning pine resin in a controlled oxygen-limited environment, producing spherical carbon particles 20–80 nm in primary particle size. Pine soot has a high surface area and forms stable, fine-grained colloidal dispersions. Oil soot carbon black (yuen) is produced from burning plant oils (sesame, rape, tung) in low-oxygen lamps; the particles are larger and more aggregated, producing a warmer, slightly granular dry texture.

Ink stone grinding: The ink stone provides a hard, uniformly abrasive surface (typically fine-grained slate or Chinese inkstone material) that breaks up carbon black aggregates from the ink stick by mechanical abrasion as the stick is rubbed in circular motions with small amounts of water. Grinding is added incrementally: start with 10–15 drops of water in the grinding well, grind for 2–3 minutes in circular motions, add 5 more drops, grind further. A fully ground ink (30–45 minutes for a dense dark concentration) has dispersed the carbon aggregates down toward primary particle size, producing a uniformly dark, smooth-flowing ink. Under-grinding produces visible carbon aggregates that catch on the brush and leave granular marks; fully ground ink flows smoothly and evenly. Document grinding time, water volume added, and the resulting ink’s behavior on a test stripe.

Washi paper and dosa sizing

Dosa sizing is a traditional preparation coating for washi (Japanese handmade paper) that controls ink absorption and feathering. Dosa consists of potassium alum (KAl(SO₄)₂·12H₂O) dissolved in hot water with nikawa hide glue. The typical formula is approximately 2–4 g/L alum and 5–8 g/L nikawa in water at 60–70°C. The alum-nikawa mixture is applied to the washi surface and dried; the alum crosslinks the nikawa proteins and reduces the surface absorbency of the highly porous washi fiber. Sized washi (dosa-gami) prevents ink from spreading beyond the brushstroke edge by feathering, producing clean, controllable edges and enabling graduated tone control within a single brushstroke. Unsized washi (nama-gami, raw paper) allows ink to feather extensively into the wet fiber, producing soft, diffuse edges that are used intentionally in haboku (splash-ink) style painting. Document paper brand and whether dosa-sized or unsized, the paper weight (momme), and the fiber content (kozo, gampi, or mitsumata).

Five-tone value scale and water dilution documentation

Chinese and Japanese ink painting traditions codify a five-tone value scale (goshiki in Japanese, wumo in Chinese) that spans from the densest black through to near-transparent wash. The five tones are:

Jiao (焦, parched/scorched): dry concentrated ink applied with minimum water in the brush; produces dry-brush texture and the darkest possible marks. Achieved by loading the brush with full-strength ink and pressing on the inkstone to remove moisture before application. Nong (濃, dense/wet): full-strength ink with normal brush saturation; the darkest wet stroke producing a deeply saturated black wash. Zhong (重, middle): ink diluted approximately 1:1 with water (half ink, half water by volume added to the brush); produces a medium grey wash. Dan (淡, pale): ink diluted approximately 1:3 water (one part ink to three parts water added); produces a light grey wash. Qing (清, clear): very dilute wash at 1:8 to 1:10; near-transparent, used for atmospheric distance or pale wash underlayers. Document the water-dilution ratio for each tone used in a painting, because the same ink stick ground to different concentrations will shift all five tones, and subscribers need the ratio not just the visual appearance to reproduce it with their own ink.

iOS rates and Apple Tax

Sumi-e and ink wash painting creators build audience through Instagram process photography and finished work, YouTube brushwork demonstration tutorials, and Pinterest for expressive ink painting collections. The iOS concentration: YouTube sumi-e and ink wash tutorials 55–68% iOS; Instagram ink painting photography and Reels 70–82% iOS; TikTok brush painting process content 70–82% iOS. Beginning November 1, 2026, Apple charges Patreon 30% on every iOS subscription. At $200/month with 62% iOS: approximately $37.20/month ($446.40/year). At $350/month with 68% iOS: approximately $71.40/month ($856.80/year). At $500/month with 72% iOS: approximately $108/month ($1,296/year). Enable Patreon’s web-only billing toggle in Creator Settings before October 31, 2026.

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