Because of the expensive supplies, painting can eventually wear out a wallet. Include art lessons and the cost skyrockets. However, there are opportunities in most locations to learn Asian scroll painting for free. All it takes is a little hard work and diligence, but in six months to a year, you can cover your walls with Asian-inspired watercolor art.
Subject Matter
Whereas Western art tends to focus on color and the ability to spark interest, scroll paintings serve a storytelling or calming purpose. Chinese scrolls especially focus on creating something pleasant for the eyes. The subject matter of traditional Chinese scroll painting covered one of three things: tranquil landscapes, people performing simple activities or nature scenes. Additionally, many scrolls depict the "four gentlemen": the plum, the orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, all of which the Chinese hold in high regard. Japanese scrolls (especially the emakimono scrolls from the 11th to 16th century) tend to depict more active scenes than their Chinese counterparts. Battles, stories, religious figures and folktales all adorn these papers. Unlike the vertical scrolls of the Chinese people, these scrolls hang horizontally.
Displaying Scroll Art
The displaying of Asian paintings differs from Western art: Paintings placed on scrolls enable Chinese and Japanese people to change the decorations in a room seasonally. Because of their light nature and easy storage, many houses contained tens or even hundreds of these rotatable scroll paintings.
Watercolor Classes
Asian scroll art uses watercolor painting, so in lieu of a free Asian scroll art lesson, take a free lesson in watercolor painting. Local resources vary, but try adult learning centers, art schools and even friends with art backgrounds. Look for online resources in watercolor painting. The Watercolor Painting website offers free tutorials, which you can use to learn the basics. Once you master introductory levels of watercolor painting, watch videos online of Asian scroll painting. If you can, visit a local museum and look at the paintings closely. Try to discover where the artist made certain choices. If you don't have access to real-life Asian scroll paintings, browse online galleries. Practice imitating easy paintings. Eventually, move into creating your own scroll paintings.
Asian Community Center
You can find Chinese or Japanese community centers in most major cities. Contact these centers to find teachers. Some of the centers may even have free art classes. Alternatively, with the economy removing people from charitable work, many community centers need to fill volunteer positions. Work out an arrangement where you volunteer at the center in exchange for free scroll art classes.
