At Nobel, we strive to provide artists with the right tools and knowledge to get started in any creative pursuit! We’ve simplified the process of shopping for art supplies by hand-picking select art materials tailored to each discipline in the form of starter kits.
Basic Kit
An ensemble of the essentials needed to get started, perfect for those wishing to try out and get a feel of a specific medium! This set features ready-made ink supplies to simplify the calligraphy and ink painting.
Products featured in this set:
1. Plastic Ink Box
A black box with an air-tight lid to pour and store ink in.
2. Goat Hair Bamboo Brushes - Set of 3
A set of 3 round short-handle, goat hair bamboo watercolor brushes (#0, #2, #4). Goat hair is very soft with a high water absorption, ideal for watercolor and sumi or chinese ink.
3. Rice Paper Sheets - 13.5'' x 18'', 25 sheets
Rice paper sheets are a popular medium in Chinese and Japanese painting and calligraphy. These sheets are made from the fibers of the rice plant, resulting in a thin, lightweight, and translucent paper with a unique texture. Rice paper has the ability to absorb ink and watercolor, allowing for beautiful brushwork and delicate washes. Rice paper sheets are durable and able to retain ink without bleeding.
4. Nobel Zhonghua Chinese Ink - 250 ml
This rich black ink is an affordable option for learning brush painting. It is made from selected carbon and gelatin of superior quality and has a fragrant scent. Suitable for sumi-e (images) and shodo (calligraphy). Ready to use out of the bottle, it can be mixed with water to achieve grey. Can be used with a dip pen, bamboo brush, or bamboo pen for drawing, painting, and calligraphy. It is a dense black, permanent, waterproof and quick-drying ink.
5. Jade Brush Rest
A small token made of pure jade to rest your brush on as you paint.
Standard Kit
A foundational set of products for those wishing to explore further and pursue a medium at a more advanced stage. This set swaps out the ready-made ink products and introduces tools geared towards a more traditional ink painting practice through of grinding your own ink from an ink stick and stone.
Products featured in this set:
1. Bamboo Painted Brush Jar
This bamboo brush holder jar is a handy addition to the studio for storing your brushes and tools upright. Provides a convenient storage solution for them, keeping them organized and within easy reach.
2. Goat Hair Bamboo Brushes - Set of 3
A set of 3 round short-handle, goat hair bamboo watercolor brushes (#0, #2, #4). Goat hair is very soft with a high water absorption, ideal for watercolor and sumi or chinese ink.
3. Rectangular Ink Stone - 3"
A natural ink stone, carved in a special black stone found in the deep mountain close to the streams. This is used to grind ink stick and keep ink moist.
4. Chinese Black Ink Stick (1 oz)
5. Soft Jade Seal Stone - Uncarved
Uncarved jade seal stones provide a blank canvas for creating personalized seals. With its smooth and lustrous surface, the uncarved soft jade seal stone holds the potential for artistic expression and customization. It can be engraved with a name, title, or special design. A meaningful tool for creating official seals or personal signatures. This seal is made from pure soft jade.
6. Rice Paper Sheets - 13.5'' x 18'', 25 sheets
Rice paper sheets are a popular medium in Chinese and Japanese painting and calligraphy. These sheets are made from the fibers of the rice plant, resulting in a thin, lightweight, and translucent paper with a unique texture. Rice paper has the ability to absorb ink and watercolor, allowing for beautiful brushwork and delicate washes. Rice paper sheets are durable and able to retain ink without bleeding.
7. Goat Tail Hair Hake Brush - 2.5"
Large flat white goat hair brush with short handle, finest quality.The Hake Brush is a traditional flat wash brush with tied construction (the hairs aare sewn between flat wood sections; no metal ferrule). The hairs are very soft white goat hair. They hold a lot of paint, and cover plenty of ground.
8. Red Cinnabar Paste For Seal Stamping
It is made from powdered cinnabar, a bright red mineral, mixed with a binding agent. The paste has a thick and viscous consistency, which makes it ideal for creating bold and striking impressions on seals. When the seal stamp is pressed onto paper or other surfaces, the red cinnabar paste transfers the intricate design, leaving a vivid red imprint. This paste comes in a metal tin with an air-tight cap.
9. Jade Brush Rest
A small token made of pure jade to rest your brush on as you paint.
Deluxe Kit
All the tools you’ll need for the full experience with the inclusion of some specialty products too! This kit is for those looking to invest in a specific medium for the long haul at an unbeatable value. This kit builds up on the traditional ink and calligraphy products featured in the standard kit including some upgrades and additional products.
Products featured in this set:
1. Bamboo Painted Brush Jar
This bamboo brush holder jar is a handy addition to the studio for storing your brushes and tools upright. Provides a convenient storage solution for them, keeping them organized and within easy reach.
2. Dan Xuan Rice Paper - Roll Of 8 Sheets, 12" x 54"
These rice papers are the greatest and finest quality, made for watercolor, printing, collage, paper craft, Chinese painting, and bookbinding. These rice papers are handmade with methods dating back thousands of years. Acid-free, they are the ideal material for an kind of inks and colors. The paper has a unique absorbency, which allows easy expression of shades, dark ink, and colors.
3. Wool Felt - 19" x 25"
Commonly placed under rice paper while watercolor painting or practicing calligraphy 100% wool felt that absorbs humidity, supports rice paper and prevents water and ink from puddling on the table and going back into the rice paper.
4. Goat Tail Hair Hake Brush - 2.5"
Large flat white goat hair brush with short handle, finest quality.The Hake Brush is a traditional flat wash brush with tied construction (the hairs aare sewn between flat wood sections; no metal ferrule). The hairs are very soft white goat hair. They hold a lot of paint, and cover plenty of ground.
5. Mounted Fan Rice Paper - 13" x 26"
The rice paper has been securely mounted onto a backing, that being a rigid board. This mounting process helps to preserve and protect the delicate rice paper and allows for easier handling and display. Mounted rice paper is commonly used in traditional Asian art forms such as Chinese painting and calligraphy. It provides a stable surface for brushwork and ink application, enhancing the longevity and stability of the artwork.
Chinese Art Supplies Set
A comprehensive set of Asian Ink Supplies in a traditional case. This set comprises:
6. soft stone seals
- Uncarved jade seal stones provide a blank canvas for creating personalized seals. With its smooth and lustrous surface, the uncarved soft jade seal stone holds the potential for artistic expression and customization. It can be engraved with a name, title, or special design. A meaningful tool for creating official seals or personal signatures. This seal is made from pure soft jade.
7. Water well with a brass water scoop
- A small porcelain well to store water or ink as you work. The brass spoon can be used to control the amount of water you add to your ink stone when grinding ink.
8. 5 bamboo brushes
- A mix of pure goat hair, camel and sable hair brushes.
9. Porcelain brush rest
- A painted porcelain brush rest with two slots to rest your brushes on as you paint.
10. Round ink stone
- A natural ink stone, carved in a special black stone found in the deep mountain close to the streams. This is used to grind ink stick and keep ink moist.
11. Ink stick
- Made of lampblack-kiln burned pine and tung oil pressed from tung nuts, hemp seed or soybean which is sifted through silk gauze, the stick is shaped with elegant engravings and with hand painted decorations. This ink is dense black, permanent, waterproof (when the ink is dry you can do wet mounting on rice paper) and quick drying. This ink works perfectly for watercolour paint and calligraphy. When use the ink stick, put some water in the ink stone then rub over the stone’s level surface, carbon particles fall off and dissolvein the water to produce ink.
12. Red cinnabar ink in a porcelain pot
- It is made from powdered cinnabar, a bright red mineral, mixed with a binding agent. The paste has a thick and viscous consistency, which makes it ideal for creating bold and striking impressions on seals. When the seal stamp is pressed onto paper or other surfaces, the red cinnabar paste transfers the intricate design, leaving a vivid red imprint. This paste comes in a painted porcelain pot with an air-tight cap.
13. Traditional Chinese case
- A pop-up upholstered and padded case with traditional Chinese embroidery and slots tailored to fit each individual item. This case comes with a clasp to close it securely.
