Chinese Painting: Ink and Brushstroke
I mentioned in a previous post that I was invited to a basic Chinese painting workshop; well, this is the result! The workshop was so much fun; I never thought that Chinese painting, which seems so simple and elegant, could be so difficult! Apparently, it's all in the brushstroke - a Chinese painting must always be composed of loose, single brushstrokes. Here are some photographs I took during the introductory lecture:
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| Our instructor, Dr. Alex Chan Lim, showing us some samples of Chinese paintings; this is so adorable! |
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| Peonies; absolutely lovely! |
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| The red marks are called 'chops', which Chinese artists use to sign their works rather than their name. |
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| Dr. Lim's materials (look at that gigantic paintbrush!! It's actually usable :O) |
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| Demo of bamboo painting; at the top you can see the traditional Chinese ink slate, where an ink stone is ground with water to make ink. |
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| While our group used watercolors, everybody else practiced using readymade Chinese ink. |
It was such an interesting experience, and thoroughly amusing, because the majority of us - students and staff alike - were beginners, and there'd be several moments when we'd 'oooh' and 'ahhh' over a minor feat like a single brushstroke. Plus, I made new friends with staff members of my school, haha!
Chinese painting is actually a cheap activity; the materials are highly affordable (like the bottle of readymade ink is only about 35-45 pesos), and readily available. It's definitely worth a try! :)
Chinese painting is actually a cheap activity; the materials are highly affordable (like the bottle of readymade ink is only about 35-45 pesos), and readily available. It's definitely worth a try! :)
2 comments
This brings me back to me high school days. :D We used EXACTLY that little white bottle of ink with the red cap and EXACTLY those brushes (minus the gigantic one). :)) I miss doing Chinese calligraphy, even though it can be such a pain to perfect. I still want a chop with my Chinese name on it, lol. BUT NOSTALGIA ASIDE, great job on your painting! :D
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!! :D It looks like child's work to me though :)) Anyway, why don't you make a chop in Photoshop? :D You could mark your photos with it :>
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