What is Chinese Brush Painting?

Question

According to the Asia-Art website, Chinese brush painting is an ancient form of art that originated in China around 4000 B.C. Typical subjects of Chinese brush painting include flowers, animals, birds and landscapes that are represented using the Chinese philosophy of Tao.

I want to know more about it.

Answer 1

History

The introduction of Buddhism to China from India around 4000 B.C. is reported by the Asia-Art website as the starting point for Chinese brush painting. As Buddhism developed throughout China, temples and grottoes were decorated with murals, which developed into an art form that used brushes by the 1st century A.D. During the Chinese Song Dynasty of 960-1123 A.D., a variety of styles of Chinese brush painting began to develop and evolved into techniques similar to those used in the 21st century.

 

Types

Throughout the history of Chinese brush painting, various forms of art have evolved. Landscape painting became an established art form by the 4th century A.D. Asia-Art explains that two forms of landscape painting developed: blue-and-green ink landscapes and ink-and-wash landscapes. Flower and bird painting developed from religious art to become a separate form of painting by the 9th century A.D. According to the Asia-Art website, flower and bird painting became a popular style of art during the Song dynasty. Famous Chinese artists of the Song dynasty include Wang Tingkuo and Chao Ch’ang.

 

Calligraphy

According to the Cultural China website, the development of Chinese brush painting and calligraphy were intertwined. In the majority of Chinese brush paintings, the artist uses an inscription or poem to help express the feelings the painting is intended to evoke. Each painting is signed with the artist's personal seal in red wax.

 

Materials

The Chinese brush used for painting is similar to that used for calligraphy, with a small tip for use in a variety of different styles. It is similar to the Western watercolor brush but it has a finer tip, according to Asia-Art. Around the 1st century A.D., ink began to be used for both painting and calligraphy and would be mixed by the painter to create varying degrees of color and texture. Previous to the invention of paper, Chinese brush painting was done on silk. The paper used in Chinese brush painting was developed around the beginning of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) from rice plants. Rice paper has largely been replaced in contemporary painting by machine-produced papers.

 

Tao Philosophy

Chinese brush painting reflects one of China’s most important philosophical movements, Tao. Washington State University reports that the Tao philosophy developed alongside Confucianism throughout Chinese history. In art, the Tao principle allows the artist to reflect his own feelings through the art he produces and become one with the subject. The subject is symbolic, rather than literal. For example, an entire plant is usually not painted; a few blossoms will represent the plant and, in Tao principle, all of life and the artist's connection to it, according to artist Nan Rae.

 

Answer 2

As well as being one of humanity's oldest art forms, Chinese brush painting is full of expression and life. While the techniques associated with Chinese brush painting have been practiced for centuries by well trained experts, it is possible for any aspiring practitioner, from beginner to professional artist, to take advantage of the beauty and grace of the Chinese brush line.

 

Paper

Although traditional Chinese paintings were executed on different media, those completed on rice paper are most common. Rice paper is very absorbent, allowing for the ink to dry very quickly. It comes in many different levels of thickness, but beginners should stick to the stiffest varieties as these are easier to work with. You can find rice paper at most art supply stores. It is possible to use the Chinese painting techniques also on a smooth watercolor paper.

 

Brushes and Ink

The Chinese brush has a few key differences from the brushes commonly used by Westerners: The shaft of the brush is usually equal in thickness throughout, unlike Western-style brushes, which taper at the end. This allows for artists with different hand sizes to grip and properly hold the brush. The bristle end of Chinese brushes also tapers quite a bit more than Western-style brushes. It is because of this increased tapering that Chinese brush artists are able to get such a variance in line width. Both brushes and ink suitable for Chinese brush painting can be purchased at most art supply stores.

 

Ink specifically made for Chinese brush art usually comes in the form of a tightly packed powder, which needs to be mixed with water before use. However, commercially available inks such as Sumi inks can also be purchased, and are easier to use since they are already in liquid form.

 

Subject Matter

Although you can paint anything you want using the Chinese brush painting techniques, there are some subjects which are more appropriate for this art form. Landscapes take advantage of the flowing and peaceful aspects of the technique, while expressive caricature type pieces work well with the quick, choppy strokes required by this technique. Calligraphy, particularly of Eastern alphabets (Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, etc.), also works well with Chinese brush painting.

 

Technique

Holding the brush is much like holding a pair of chopsticks. Your forefinger, middle finger and ring finger are all used in conjunction with your thumb to hold the brush, palm side towards the paper. Because of this grip, it is almost impossible to use your wrist while painting, creating more fluid strokes. When practicing this technique, you should make sure that the majority of your strokes are being made by movements at your shoulder, not your fingers or wrist.

 

Your strokes should be expressive and minimalistic. When creating a Chinese brush painting, only paint the lines that are essential in creating the image.

 

Answer 3

Chinese brush painting is characterized by its single brushstroke technique. Chinese brush painting draws its inspiration from nature, often the landscape and typically associated with well-known Chinese plants and wildlife like bamboo and koi. This special type of painting comes from a spiritual inspiration within the artist, where the brushstroke not only refers to the landscape, but also to the energy and spirit of the landscape and the artist. This single-stroke technique requires great patience and practice.

 

 

Prepare an image of a Chinese brush painting to reference. Some good subject matter includes paintings of bamboo stalks, orchids, plum trees, fish, pandas or birds.

 

Lay or clip your rice paper onto a flat surface.

 

Dip the bamboo brush hairs in clean water, saturating the hairs from tip to base. Lightly dip only the tip of the brush in black ink, so that the bottom half of the brush is blackened with ink and the top is clean with water.

 

Look at your image source and determine the separate brush strokes used by the artists, such as a blade of grass, pedal of a flower or the body of a fish.

 

Hold the brush in your hand similar to the way you hold a pencil, but much more relaxed, with the brush handle more horizontal than vertical. Hold the handle near the middle.

 

Place the brush to the paper, and imitate one brush stroke from the reference image. Drag the brush slowly, moving your arm instead of you wrist, and create one long stroke, never lifting the brush until the stroke is complete.

 

Change the positioning of the brush as you move across the paper without lifting the brush. Turn the brush horizontal, putting more hair against the paper to form the fat sections of a blade of grass, then slightly raise the brush vertical to the paper to create the thin wisps within the blade of grass.

 

Dip the brush in water and repeat the process. Use single brush strokes and only do one at a time, drawing one pedal or one piece of grass, until you have completed the image.

 

Answer 4

For Beginner of Chinese Brush Painting

 

Chinese brush painting is an art form that combines technical skill with spiritual undertones. It Incorporates Taoist principles about nature and requires artists to use their hearts and minds in their artwork. Chinese brush painting often focuses on scenes from nature or one object from the natural world. Although a great deal of skill and training is required to become an accomplished Chinese brush painter, one can begin his education through a few easy, early lessons in this traditional art form.

 

According to the "Six Canons of Painting," written by Hsieh Ho thousands of years ago as a guide for artists, Chinese brush painting should appear lifelike, due to the chi possessed by the artist. Thus, the artist must be a spiritually healthy individual to become a good brush painter. Ho also said that artists should use strong, sure strokes, and must paint objects as they see them, even if that makes paintings look less realistic. They should use black ink as their medium; the many shades of black that artists can achieve is considered color enough for proper Chinese brush paintings. In this art form, empty space is just as important as objects. Aspiring artists should study the techniques of the masters and attempt to copy their work before trying to incorporate creativity and express themselves individually in their work.

 

First, a beginner in Chinese brush painting must become comfortable with quick, easy brushstrokes. There are no touch-ups or correcting strokes in this art form, so one must discipline oneself to make spontaneous strokes that stay true to the visual image of the artist. Practice painting simple objects found in nature (bamboo branches and leaves are usually practiced by beginners). Work on intermixing bold, thick brush strokes with confident, thin brush strokes—both are necessary in portraying objects and scenes commonly found in brush painting.

 

After practicing branches and leaves separately, beginning students should attempt combining these two elements, creating bamboo branches and leaves in the same piece. Once this is mastered, beginning students should study the works of master brush painters, drawing on their work for practice ideas. Once these more difficult subjects have been mastered, brush painters traditionally begin to branch out on their own and paint from their own visualizations of nature and the beauty of the natural world.