Thanks for the kind words, Beth. There's a certain type (Okone?) that's a fairly high grade, as I recall. Plant soot, or pine, sometimes bamboo... The Chinese variety may also be subtly different than the Japnaese. I've forgotten some of the particulars about sumi brands, so I may be a bit foggy on details. Of course, paper matters too, but Strathmore 500 plate is pretty smooth.
Oh, and the above drawing of the old woman is superb!
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