Experimentation - Japanese brushes and ink

After more than 30 years working as an artist I still love the craftsmanship involved, and part of the joy in any craft is the tools of the trade. As I've said a couple of times on here recently the mackerel always strike me as very Japanese somehow, in a way that I couldn't explain. Painting their beautiful markings does bring to mind the strokes found in the Japanese characters, so if I can find the time I want to try some mackerel ink drawings. With that in mind the latest addition to the studio equipment are these beautiful brushes from Akashiya. They look almost too beautiful to use!