The meaning of sketching

Viewpoint Liang Wenbo: The significance of sketching

Shandong Art Museum

November 14, 2019 · Shandong Art Museum official account

Professor Liang Wenbo commented on the works during the province's youth art talent training class

On November 3, under the leadership of Liu Yanchun, Secretary of the Party Branch of Shandong Art Museum, and under the guidance of Professors Liang Wenbo and Guan Puxue of Shandong Art Institute, The end of the ten-day life sketching in Guizhou also marked the successful conclusion of all courses in the province's young art talent training class, a key project of the 2019 Shandong Art Museum Master Introduction Project.

Every day during the sketching period cannot be copied. The natural phenomena and humanistic customs provide a unique artistic perspective and artistic materials for painting creation, allowing the artist to have a broader creative vision. At the same time, many unknown external environments constantly inject fresh elements into sketching creation, providing unlimited possibilities. As the instructor of the Chinese painting group, Professor Liang Wenbo not only demonstrates painting for students, but also comments and guides their sketching works one by one. He teaches each student accurately so that they can all gain, grow, and mature.

After returning from sketching, Professor Liang Wenbo gained a new understanding of sketching Chinese paintings, so he wrote an article "The Meaning of Sketching" for the benefit of readers.

The significance of sketching

Wen/Liang Wenbo

Sketching should be an important part of traditional Chinese painting. From the perspective of the history of Chinese art, the remaining Most of the classic works are directly or indirectly related to sketching. You can think about it, without sketching, Zhang Zeduan's "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" would be impossible to depict deeply and vividly. Without sketching, when we look at Wang Ximeng's "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains", it is impossible to have the immersive feeling of traveling to the Five Mountains.

Liang Wenbo "One of the Sketchings in Jiangnan"

Of course, sketching is very hard, and it is difficult for those who have not experienced it to understand the joys and sorrows involved. It is said that when Mr. Wu Guanzhong was sketching in Huangshan Mountain, he looked at the mountains and clouds in front of him. When he stood, he felt that the clouds were too high and he couldn't see them when he sat down. It was just a good idea to bend down and observe the sketch, but it was a pity that he was on the slope of the mountain and could not set up his easel. When he was helpless, his wife appeared at the side and said: I was kneeling on the front stone, and my husband put the drawing board on my back, which was just right for sketching. Although Mr. Wu felt sorry for his wife's suffering, he painted with difficulty for more than two hours with his wife's insistence. After the work was completed, the old man helped his wife up and stroked his wife's numb, red and swollen knees until she burst into tears. Over the years, this story has become a touching legend in the art world and has been passed down to this day. It is said that Mr. Wu Guanzhong always hung this sketch in his living room, and it is considered one of his most representative works. This shows how difficult it is to obtain a good sketch. I remember one time, I happened to see a deep frostbite crack on the back of Mr. Yang Songlin's hand. When asked about the reason, he said that he had frozen it while sketching in the snow, and that he had forgotten everything since he started painting. It can be seen that the persistent spirit of the artistic predecessors to "forget everything" and "find joy in suffering" for the sake of art should always be worthy of the deep respect and learning of our younger generations. It should also leave an evocative mark in the history of contemporary Chinese art.

Liang Wenbo "Jiangnan Sketching Part 2"

Oil painting sketching requires a sense of presence. This time, this place, this feeling and this scene cannot be repeated. The painter Manet painted the same haystack differently in the morning, noon and evening. But this is not the case in Chinese painting. The painter needs to "transform" the objective scenery into a subjective "flexibility" of the objective scenery, and then "get the source of the heart", transforming it into a thick, light, dry, wet, tight, virtual and solid relationship between the brush and ink. After all, there is a complete set of rules and methods for learning Chinese painting. For those who are new to the field of Chinese painting, it is necessary to copy some ancient classic works and master some traditional painting methods before sketching. We call it "getting the Fa" or "not getting the Fa". People with a discerning eye can naturally understand how to digest traditional techniques in sketching and how well they understand traditional brushwork. Of course, in the current context of the intersection of Chinese and Western cultures, there are many people who have a clear-cut stand for "innovation". However, when looking at their works, there is always a feeling of "sandwiching rice", lacking the aesthetic charm of oriental painting. Of course, I don’t mean to be against “innovation” here. Innovation is always the driving force for the development of art. There is no doubt that the key is how to innovate. Here is the problem of preconceptions in learning Chinese painting. That is: starting from the basics of Western painting, using Western painting observation methods and techniques to paint Chinese paintings, and starting from the basics of Chinese painting, in-depth understanding of the modeling methods and rules of Chinese painting, and then absorbing the Western painting observation methods to present a different picture. Mr. Li Keran created a new way of contemporary landscape painting based on the profound traditional brush and ink combined with the Western scientific "light sense" and "light and dark" observation methods, which had a profound influence on the landscape sketching of modern Chinese painting. In his later years, Mr. Huang Binhong was inspired by the pointillism technique of Western Impressionism and created a set of pointillism landscape techniques. In addition, Mr. Zhang Daqian was influenced by Western splash-color painting and created a landscape painting method that integrates splash-ink and splash-color into a variety of styles. The innovation path of all of the above is worthy of our in-depth study and research. However, the problems caused by using Western painting observation methods to sketch Chinese paintings are obvious. For example, when foreigners paint Chinese paintings, they have the taste of soaking "Longjing tea" in Coca-Cola. It may be good, but it cannot be achieved at the same time as the above. language.

Liang Wenbo's "Jiangnan Sketching No. 5"

What Chinese painting sketchers are most afraid of is using a mature painting method to apply "sketching". They have a ready-made set in mind, just a small scene. It goes without saying that it is not painting and sketching, but "showing" sketching, playing with mature tricks. The performance may be good. It is okay to look at one or two paintings, but you will find problems after watching too many. Use that painting method to do it. Mount Tai, Mount Huang, and Mount Hua are all the same. There is no difference. The character of the mountains is the same. This is the kind of crusted thing that we are most afraid of in traditional paintings. The paintings are too smooth, too slippery, and too sweet, and the paintings are natural. Not too high.

Compared with sketching, freehand painting is more subjective and refined, and it can be said to be a higher level with both form and spirit. It can also be said that just making sketching a little more vivid and concrete does not mean that freehand brushwork has been achieved. Qi Baishi said it well: If you only focus on the form in sketching, or if you focus on the spirit of freehand brushwork, both are biased. He emphasized that you can "draw from life and then freehand brushwork" in order to "see both form and spirit, and it is not accidental." Just like us. Looking at Shi Tao's paintings, it feels like sketching but not like sketching.

Liang Wenbo "Jiangnan Sketching No. 7"

In ancient Chinese painting theory, there is a proposition of "visual recognition and mental memory", which emphasizes the issue of dictation ability. The transformation from concrete sketching to subjective "hills in the mind" and "confidence in mind" should be the sublimation of writing and silent writing. It can be said that freehand writing shows another realm and another level. It is said that Li Keran's sketching in his early years was so wonderful. But he himself has always been brooding, dissatisfied, and wants to break free and move towards another level that he longs for in his heart. I understand that the old man is pursuing a realm, a state, a clear mind and a clear nature, which is simpler, simpler and more condensed. This pursuit will never end. "The intention comes first from the pen, and the rule is the same; the interest lies outside the law, and it turns into the machine." I particularly appreciate this famous saying of Zheng Banqiao, because he touches the foundation of art, and it should also be the meaning of our sketching.

Introduction to Liang Wenbo

Born in Yantai City, Shandong Province in 1956

Graduated from the Fine Arts Department of Shandong University of the Arts in 1983 and stayed at the school to teach

Member of the Chinese Artists Association, former Vice Chairman of the Shandong Artists Association, Director of the Chinese Figure Painting Art Committee of the Shandong Artists Association, Vice President of the Shandong Provincial Committee of the CPPCC Calligraphy and Painting Academy, Member of the Standing Committee of the Shandong Provincial Committee of the CPPCC, Professor and Master Candidate of Shandong Art Institute Tutor, researcher at Shandong Institute of Literary Creation

Related recommendations

Only peonies are the true national color, and they move the capital when they bloom. Appreciation of peonies in traditional Chinese paintings by seven contemporary famous artists

3 comments by Zhang Xiaoke on calligraphy and painting

How good is Lin Huiyin’s appearance? 12 old photos from childhood to adulthood, tell you what peerless elegance is

176 comments on the face of the Empire

Guo Zhiguang, the contemporary heavyweight flower and bird painter, look at his paintings, it is really A kind of enjoyment

One Star and Half Moon Night 21 Comments

The "New Northern School" in Landscape Painting

Han Mo Yunqiao 27 Comments

He is the man behind Sun Xiaoyun, chairman of the Jiangsu Calligraphy Association

17 comments on the calligraphy collection

Hot discussions

The most beautiful girl in the mountain city

Girls, it’s best not to stay in a hotel alone. I went to Chengdu on a business trip today and stayed in a hotel for 129 yuan. I got a double bed room. I felt that the soundproofing was not very good. There was a couple quarreling next door. The woman kept scolding the man. Specifically, it seemed that during the late-night snack just now, the man didn't pay, and he was stingy. Anyway, I almost fell asleep after listening to it. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and I asked loudly who it was, but they said it was from next door. They ran out of toothpaste. Can you give me the book

The Wisdom Woman

I once talked about the popularity of Lin Huiyin with a friend. Why is she so prosperous? Not only did Liang Sicheng, Xu Zhimo, Jin Yuelin, and Zhang Xinhai pursue her for many years, but even Mr. Hu Shi, who had not had much contact with her, when she had a conflict with her old friend Ling Shuhua, he abandoned his old friend and stood by her side. In addition to being smart and beautiful, I emphasized Lin Huiyin's self-confidence, diligence, etc., but the friend laughed and said, in my opinion, the main reason is that she is very fashionable.

The word "foreign style" is like "high-end",

Shadowfish

A creator in the field of high-quality entertainment

Ni Pingjia once There was a nanny who was fired by Ni Ping after working for 15 days. On a talk show, Ni Ping said: "You can't admit your mistakes. This kind of people are the most hateful." When Ni Ping's son graduated from junior high school, he had a short-sleeved uniform with the names of his classmates signed on it as a souvenir. Later, the aunt at home saw the dress and washed it without asking. Ni Ping's son cried very sadly after seeing it. After Ni Ping learned about this incident, she felt particularly sorry for her son and severely blamed the nanny

Dandan’s Sanwei Bookstore

A high-quality creator in the field of emotions

In 1992, the creation was completed Not long after arriving in Bailuyuan, after Chen Zhongshi received an envelope from People's Literature, his eyes suddenly became dull and he slumped in a chair. His wife was so frightened that she ran around the house, thinking that her husband was sick.

Looking at the thin envelope in front of him, Chen Zhongshi was calm on the surface, but he was very excited inside, because past experience told him that a thick envelope meant that the manuscript was returned, while a thin envelope might mean that the manuscript was successfully submitted! The envelope in front of him did convey a message -

Song Qinghui

The Economist

Ten years ago, Jack Ma privately separated Alipay from Alibaba, but Hu Shuli could not see it. In the past, Caixin published an editorial titled "Why Jack Ma Was Wrong." When Jack Ma, who was far away in the United States, saw this article, he reacted violently. He sent a text message to Hu Shuli at 1 a.m., and the two had a two-hour heated debate on the "Spirit of Contract." …In 2016, in Caixin’s Series C financing, a subsidiary of Ant Financial invested RMB 20 million in Caixin.

Later, I may feel that I should avoid suspicion, Ant

Wonderful video

Modern meticulous figure painting copying part of He Jiaying's "The Fallen"