For Sumi-e painting, the best medium is the rice paper. The main qualities of the rice paper are thickness and absorbency. Thick rice paper does not necessarily mean that it is strong or more absorbent.
There are many names for various types of the rice paper, sometimes it includes the names of places where the paper was manufactured. Some varietes are hand made, some are machine made.
For practise, it is more economical to use other soft paper, similar to rice paper in the absorbency.
When painting, the paper is laid on a felt - the felt is a cushion to help to move the brush smoothly and absorbes access water. It is good to use white felt, as it will help to see the different shades of paint on the paper.
