Chinese Brush Painting Joanne Chen

2015

Tools: Pen Brush, Ink, Paper.

Pen Brush

Ink

Paper

Stone Seal

The tools used in traditional Chinese painting are paintbrush, ink, traditional paint and special paper or silk.

The Four Treasure of Study 文房四寶 筆墨紙硯

Writing Brush Ink stick

Paper Inkstone

• The nib can be made from rabbit's hair, wool, horsehair, weasel's hair, or bristles.

• The shaft may be made from bamboo, ivory, jade, crystal, gold, silver, porcelain, sandal, ox horn, etc.

• Both soft and hard brushes each producing their own particular styles.

• Paper making is among the 'four great inventions' and one of the great contributions that ancient Chinese people made to the world.

• A good ink stick should be ground so as to be refined black with luster.

• Inkstone is the most important of the "four treasures of study." Because of its solid texture inkstone can be handed down from generation to generation.

Three Genres of traditional brush paintings:

The birds-and-flowers genreThe figures genre

The landscapes genre

Chinese brush painting was classified by theme into three genres:

Figure PaintingThemes of figure paintings included images of immortals, emperors, court ladies, and common people in their works.

山水畫 Landscape PaintingThe term "landscape" is made up of two characters meaning 山水 "mountains and water." Chinese Landscape painting is linked with the philosophy of Daoism, which emphasizes harmony with the natural world.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-asia/imperial-china/song-dynasty/a/chinese-landscape-painting

Birds and Flowers paintingThe birds-and-flowers genre has its roots in the decorative patterns engraved on pottery and bronze ware by early artists. Among the common subjects in this genre, which reached its peak during the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), are flowers, bamboo, birds, insects, and stones.

Song dynasty paintingShang Dynast Bronze

Pottery

Brush Painting Skills

•Holding the paint brush

•Practicing Separate ElementsBrush Painting Skills

Brush Painting Skills: Composition and Space• Chinese painting do not demand strict adherence to reality,

the painter has complete freedom in terms of artistic conception, structural composition and method of expression.

• To give prominence to the main subject, it is quite permissible to omit the background entirely and simply leave it blank.

Seal and Calligraphy• One of the distinctive characteristics of Chinese painting is the use of

inscriptions in poetry of calligraphy and of special seals as part of the painting itself. • This was a major contribution made by scholar painters. • The bright red seal adds a final touch to the painting. The artist has always

given great thought to the placement, length and dimensions of the inscription and the position of the seal on the painting.

Gongbi Style Painting 工筆• The gongbi technique uses highly detailed brushstrokes

that delimits details very precisely and without independent or expressive variation. It is often highly colored and usually depicts figural or narrative subjects. Gongbi painting is known for its application of colors and fine strokes.

Xieyi (Ink and wash) painting

• Xieyi painting aims to capture the Qi or the vital spirit in the practice of painting and calligraphy. • Xieyi painting is associated with literati paintings or the

Wen Ren Hua practiced by scholars. It includes mainly landscapes, flora and fauna, human figures, and the Si Jun Zi Hua (four plants)

Brush Painting Formats

Hanging Scroll

Painting on Fan

Book leaves

Long Hand Scroll