Basic painting methods of flower and bird painting in traditional Chinese painting

Observation of flowers When learning to paint flowers, in addition to viewing and copying ancient and modern famous paintings, you also need to appreciate and sketch actual flowers in depth. To understand the withering and blooming of flowers and their moods in frost, rain, and dew, here is a brief description of their structure and ecology from the leaves, branches, and other parts of the flowers.

(1) Flowers: Flowers are often the theme of the picture. Generally, flowers It includes petals, stamens, receptacle, calyx and other parts. The petals are divided into single petals and double petals (complex petals). The flower shapes are divided into separate petals and double petals. Peonies, roses, etc. have separate petals and double petals, while pear flowers, kapok flowers, etc. The single petals of morning glories, lilies, etc. are single petals of closed petals. Most flowers have different varieties of single petals and double petals, such as peach blossoms, hibiscus, narcissus, hibiscus, plum blossoms, etc. The stamens vary in length. , monoecious flowers have large and small stamens together, while dioecious flowers have only small stamens or only large stamens. Some stamens are more obvious, and some are more secretive. All require careful observation, and the calyx is also It varies depending on the type of flower, such as plum, apricot and peach with five small petals gathered together, plum, pear and begonia with five small petals growing on a long handle, rose with long calyx tip, camellia with calyx like fish scales, etc.

(2) Leaves: When single-leaf plants grow leaves from branches or stems, the phyllotaxis is opposite, alternate, whorled, and clustered. Some compound-leaf plants are pinnate, palm-shaped, or bird-foot-shaped, and some are double-duplicated. The form of leaves is more complicated. You must first understand the rules of their growth to avoid making mistakes in the complexity. Leaves have petioles and veins, and their shapes have different size ratios such as pointed, rounded, length, etc.

(3) Stems and branches: They can be divided into woody herbs, vines, creepers, etc. The woody branches are stiff and some are quite thick. The herbaceous stems are mostly tender, and some become right-handed or right-handed. They spread left-handedly, and some even have whisker-like climbing stems.

Sketching of flowers

All kinds of flowers are relatively fresh and vibrant in the morning or morning, which is a good time for sketching. Sketching is to collect materials for creation. If it is for the needs of meticulous painting , we must make a detailed description. Sometimes we need multiple flowers to gather together in the painting. When collecting materials for sketching, there must be front, back, side, and oblique; there are complete flowers, and there are also branches and leaves. Cover part of the flowers, including both small buds and large buds that are about to bloom. The same is true for leaves. In addition to adult leaves, there should also be young leaves and buds. Pay attention to the fact that the yin and yang are facing away, and the large and small are interspersed. The branches should also be divided into trunks and branches, as well as their posture and density on the picture. These are the first things we should pay attention to when collecting materials for purpose sketching.

Although flower-and-bird paintings do not often use moving viewpoints in landscape paintings, and the viewpoints are usually relatively stable, we can use the moving viewpoint method when observing, select the most beautiful angle for sketching, and pay attention to the flowers, branches, and leaves. Size ratio. When drawing flowers, you can start from the stamens and petals. Usually, draw the most complete and front petal first, and then expand it outwards. If the petals are too complicated, you can summarize them, and pay attention to the beauty of their shape. The same is true for painting leaves. In addition to paying attention to leaf order and structure, you should also pay attention to the changes in uprightness, drooping, backwardness, density, and front and rear leaves. Finally, when painting branches, you should also draw skin lines on the large stems, such as the large stems of plum blossoms. The branches should be old, the skin texture should be diagonally chapped, the small stems should be straight and strong, the peach stem skin should be horizontally chapped, the pine stem skin should be scaly, the crape myrtle stem skin should be smooth, and other characteristics of different types of branches.

When sketching flowers, you should start by breaking off branches of flowers. Take a branch with flowers and leaves that are easy to draw, put it in a vase and observe it in detail. You can also open the covered stamens to study the detailed structure. After you are familiar with simple branch breaking, you can choose a corner of the whole flower to try or sketch the whole flower. Due to the complexity of the branches and leaves, you must choose an appropriate angle and make significant cuts or adjustments. In short, sketching flowers is not just illustrations or illustrations of plants. It requires subjective selection and beautification, and emphasizes the expression of interest.

Observation of Birds

Birds are also called "feathers" in Chinese paintings. They can be divided into two categories: waterfowl and mountain birds. According to their living habits, they can also be divided into Wading birds, swimming birds, raptors, climbing birds, songbirds, pheasants, etc. The characteristics and habits of each type are as follows:

(1) Wading birds: They live in shallow water and prey on fish and shrimps. Its mouth, The neck and legs are very long. For example, cranes, storks, herons, etc.

(2) Swimming birds: They like to swim in the water. They have flat mouths, short feet, and webbed toes. They prey on fish, shrimps and small insects. For example, seagulls, wild ducks, mandarin ducks, geese, albatrosses, etc.

(3) Birds of prey: They have powerful wings, hook-shaped mouths, sharp feet, fierce temperament, and specialize in preying on small animals. For example, eagle, vulture, osprey, falcon, etc.

(4) Climbing birds: Most of them have hook-shaped upper beaks and shorter lower beaks. They have two toes in front and two in back. They can grab onto tree trunks with barbarians. For example, parrots, woodpeckers, etc.

(5) Songbirds: They like to sing, and most small birds generally fall into this category.

For example, wei, warbler, thrush, shrike, oriole, starling, etc.

(6) Pheasants: They are roosting birds with large bodies, beautiful coats, long tails, and beaks similar to those of chickens. They mostly grow in the bushes of mountains and forests. For example, pheasant, golden pheasant, long-tailed pheasant, peacock, etc. Birds lay eggs, so their bodies (excluding head, neck, feet, tail, etc.) are egg-shaped.

Due to different living environments and habits, their beaks, foot wings and tails also have different proportions and characteristics. Generally speaking, most waterfowl (wading birds, swimming birds) have long beaks and short tails, and mountain birds (songbirds, climbing birds, Pheasants) mostly have short beaks and long tails. Those with hooked beaks eat meat, those with thin pointed beaks eat insects, those with long beaks eat bears and shrimps, and those that eat shells have thick, conical beaks. Most birds that can fly long distances have long and well-developed wings. Most waterfowl have long necks, so that they can attack quickly and peck at fish. In addition, the shape of the head, the color of the eyes, and the height of the position are all different, and their characteristics must be grasped.

Birds have feathers all over their bodies. The fine cotton feathers have the function of keeping warm. In addition, there are also semi-cotton feathers, as well as many unclear shapes and many layers that overlap into one large piece. The other type has clearer pinnae shapes, such as wing and tail feathers, which all have detailed names. You should carefully observe the shapes of feathers in different parts and their overlay relationship in order to become familiar with the organization and order of bird feathers.

In addition, it is necessary to understand the male and female of birds. In most birds and beasts, the male is more beautiful. A few male and female birds have the same feathers, but the female bird is always slightly smaller than the male bird. The wings of the bird are as small as The tail, super left or super right, is the opposite of male and female; the female bird's right wing and right tail feathers are on top, and the male bird's left wing and left tail feathers are on top. The joy, anger, sadness, and fright of birds are also expressed differently in their wings, tails, and postures.

Sketching of Birds

In addition to having complex structures, birds are also lively and active. It is a big challenge for beginners to draw directly from real birds. You might as well start sketching birds. Class specimens. The advantage of drawing specimens is that you can observe details in detail from all angles, and even the number of important feathers can be counted slowly. Especially painting fine-brush feathers, the observation of specimens is of great help. However, the disadvantage of drawing specimens is that it is easy to draw works with stiff dynamics and even distorted shape and proportions. Although the specimens are taxidermied from real birds, they are artificially stuffed with cotton in the body and are easily deformed. The eyes of the birds do not change according to different types, and are usually equipped with uniform artificial substitutes. The open wings and legs are made of iron wire to support the weight and maintain the shape. Often due to the maker's neglect of observation and lack of skills, the joints become distorted, stiff and straight, the center of gravity is unstable, and the feathers are messy. After beginners understand these likely symptoms, they may wish to compare pictures of birds in reference books, or go to bird shops, zoos or even wild observations. They can also use the function of the camera to freeze momentary movements as auxiliary reference materials for sketching.

After observing bird specimens, you can try sketching birds in cages. It is best to go to a bird shop to buy a familiar and docile bird. It is best not to be too expensive and easy to keep as an object for sketching. First of all, we need to observe its various movements, such as stepping on branches, pecking and drinking, searching for feathers, wanting to rise, wanting to fall, crying, necking, flying, etc., and memorize their characteristics. Before sketching, you may wish to observe carefully and discover the most repeated movements or the longest-lasting patterns as a sketching option. Make a sketch with a pencil or brush. When the bird's posture changes, you may wish to modify it from memory, or wait for it to appear. When it comes to the same dynamic, grasp it quickly. If it is more time-consuming to draw in detail, you need to patiently stop painting and complete the drawing in several times. It is best to observe frequently when creating, so that you can easily capture the expression of the bird.

The behavior of the bird in the cage is slightly different from that of the bird in nature, just like the expressions and movements of a person in prison are different from those of a free person outside. In order to express "A good bird is also a friend on a branch" ’ of nature, and to understand the living environment and habitat of each bird. It is best to go to the mountains and forests for on-the-spot observation, and it is better to use a telescope to watch birds. Each bird has different habits and postures. For example, swallows and pigeons do not stand on tree branches, cranes and egrets sleep with one fist and one foot, and the dynamics of crows and magpies are completely different. If you do not observe carefully, the old ones are in line with the state of matter, physics and things. In addition, when birds are perching or not flying, their heads must face the wind. If the wind is at their backs, their feathers must be lifted up. This phenomenon should also be noted.

When sketching, you can first draw the main shape of the bird (egg-shaped) and then add the head (the head is also roughly egg-shaped) according to the head's dynamics (such as extending the head, constricting, twisting, etc.) , then add wings, tail and feet. The claws need to be firm when on flat ground and tight when on branches. If you are not careful, if you shrink your neck, you will stretch your legs, and if you shrink your legs, you will stretch your neck. You cannot stretch both at the same time. The most important thing is that the body must have a center of gravity and the shape must be lively and lively in order to express vitality.

White drawing method

White drawing method refers to a drawing method that uses ink lines to depict objects without color. There is also a line drawing method in the paintings of figures, animals and animals. For example, the two earliest silk paintings unearthed from Chu tombs in the Warring States Period were expressed by line drawing. In ancient my country, they were called "white paintings". Li Gonglin of the Northern Song Dynasty was a representative of this painting method. Sexual characters.

The white drawing method is mainly lines, and can also be rendered with light ink. When drawing lines, the brush and ink should be combined with the characteristics of the form. The twists and turns of the brushwork and the thickness of the lines should all be based on the texture or characteristics of the object being expressed. For example, using thinner and lighter lines to draw petals can easily show their delicateness. Soft; it is easier to draw leaves and branches with thicker and thicker lines to express their hard and thick texture; it is easier to express fluffy feathers by using thin lines that are slightly dry and empty at the beginning and end of the brush. And soft feeling.

Chinese painting is the eloquence of lines, especially in line drawing. The quality of lines is the main key to the success or failure of a painting.

In line drawing, the brush stroke should be centered on the center. The pressure and speed of the pen should be even. The drawn line should have the effect of "soft on the outside and hard on the inside". The power should be contained inside and should not be exposed to the outside. Lack of subtlety The words are difficult to read for a long time. Excessive sharpness and exposed strength can easily show a domineering appearance. Sometimes fashion can reduce the beauty of certain flowers and birds, so the lines drawn by Bai should "embrace the gracefulness of the new building."

In addition, the speed of moving the pen should not be too fast, nor should it be sluggish. It must have the meaning of "going all the way without going back". The strength of the wrist must be brought to the end, and when the pen is stopped and lifted up, it must not be scribbled hastily. As for the line drawing of flowers, according to the demonstration provided by Professor Wu Xuerang, there are three main lines. One is starting and stopping (one-character drawing), which is suitable for drawing leaf stems, bamboo trunks, etc. The second is nail head and rat tail drawing, which is suitable for drawing leaf ribs, leaves, etc. The third is continuous arc drawing, suitable for painting petals. The picture below is a partial drawing demonstration of a bird. The order of drawing a bird is to first draw a long stroke in the middle of the beak, then draw a stroke in the upper and lower jaws, and then draw the eye circles, eye spots, forehead, back, wings, chest, Abdomen, legs, claws, and tail. When drawing fine hair, the strokes should be started and closed lightly, and the middle section should be slightly thicker. If the strokes are started too heavy, it will not be easy to express the texture of feathers.

Double hook filling method

Double hook filling method is a painting method that uses lines to outline the object and then fills it with color. It is also called the hook filling method or the double hook coloring method. , which is dyed based on the line drawing. Its origin is very early. This painting method has been seen in the silk paintings unearthed from the Western Han Dynasty tomb in Mawangdui. The Five Dynasties painter Huang Quan is a representative painter of the double hook filling method. His lines are slender and the colors are bright. He is the representative painter of flower and bird paintings in the Northern Song Dynasty. The mainstream of the painting method is Xu Xi from the south of the Yangtze River, who also used the double-hook color-filling method, but his style was wild and elegant, paying more attention to the interest of lines and the charm of ink. Later flower-and-bird painters mostly adopted Xu Xi's method of brushwork and Huangquan method of color. And it captures the charm of both families.

For the double-hook painting method, you should choose cooked paper (paper) or silk. First use an ink line to draw the double-hook in white, and then prepare two brushes for rendering. One should be dipped in color and the other in water. Practice first. Hold two pens in one hand and exchange them flexibly. When coloring, the color should be light and should be dyed several times. Use a clear water pen to push the color from the inside (or center) of the flowers and leaves to the edges. The water content in the clear water pen should be appropriate. Too much water will leave traces. Too much water will leave traces. If it is dry, it will not render. After rendering, if the original ink lines have become blurred, you can use a heavy color to re-hook it once and once again, which is called "Le". You can also use the back of the drawing paper to make the colors of the flowers and leaves in the painting thicker and more uniform. . There are three ways to render flowers:

(1) Dyeing in succession: first base the flower with the lightest color (i.e., flat paint the base) and then dye it with other colors, usually white, pink, light For yellow flowers, use white foundation first, and then dye them with light green, magenta, garcinia and other colors. The leaves can be first dyed with grass green, and then dyed with cyan.

(2) Dye first: For purple-red or dark red flowers, you can first use cyan (or light ink) to dye them from the inside to the outside, and then red. You can also dye the leaves first with flowers. After dyeing with green (or light ink), then grass green.

(3) Tip-dye painting method: For example, pink lotus petals have red tips and slightly light green roots. You can first use white foundation and then magenta to dye from the tip to the inside, and immediately use light The green is dyed from the inside out and joined before the water dries. The infection method can also be used for broken leaves that are partially eaten by insects.

The painting method for birds is slightly different. The picture below is a demonstration by Professor Wu Xuerang. First, draw in white and then dye with light ink, then dye with color for the second time, and then spread it for the third time after drying. Color, then the fourth combing, and the fifth color combing (silk hair) is commonly used for feathers (or livestock). In order to emphasize the soft and fine feeling of feathers, the principle of combing feathers is to comb light-colored feathers with dark colors. , dark feathers should be combed with light colors.

Boneless painting method

The boneless painting method is a painting method that directly uses color to draw objects without using ink lines. It is said that the boneless painting method was created by Xu Chongsi in the Northern Song Dynasty. There were very few painters after that. Yun Shouping in the early Qing Dynasty was the master who revived this painting method and had a great influence on modern times.

The boneless painting method is also more appropriate to use cooked paper. Since ink lines are not used, the blank "water line" is used to divide the front and rear leaves or the relationship between petals. Dark taste. The boneless painting method can also be subdivided into several expression methods:

The first type is more detailed, such as the double hook and color filling method, which just omits the ink line of the double hook and relies on layer by layer of color.

The second painting method is a slightly sparse and freehand brushwork, which is directly dyed with color and completed in one go. The third painting method is to finish the color first, and then dot the area with other similar colors before drying. Similar to broken ink, because cooked paper is used, it produces a semi-fusion effect or a slightly mottled color change.

Generally speaking, the line drawing method, the double-hook filling painting method and the boneless painting method all belong to the category of meticulous painting. Pay attention to the completeness of the form and the clarity of the structure. Beginners should pay attention to the completeness of the form and the clarity of the structure before painting. You can first hook up a sketch of the same size and place it under the drawing paper. Then you will have a basis for the composition and shape, and you can focus on the interest of color and brushwork. No matter which method you use to draw flowers and leaves, the colors must have shades. For the change, dip a pen in water to separate the dye. You can also use the "sequential dyeing" method to pursue richer color changes, but the colors should not be too bright and elegant. After dyeing, wait until it dries, then hook the leaf tendons, silk flowers or add stamens to add details.

Freehand painting

Freehand painting refers to using simple and general brushwork to express the spiritual state of the object. It is a painting method that does not seek resemblance in form but resemblance in spirit. According to records in the history of painting, the landscapes of the Jialing River painted by Wu Daozi in the Tang Dynasty or the splash-ink paintings by Wang Qia may have taken on the form of freehand brushwork. Among the handed down paintings, Su Shi and Wen Tong's ink bamboos of the Northern Song Dynasty and Shi Zhongren's ink plum blossoms may already have the form of freehand brushwork. It is included in the freehand painting method. In the late Ming Dynasty, Xu Wei used bold brushwork to draw joyful freehand brushwork on rice paper. The picture below is the "Picture of Peony, Banana and Stone" painted by Xu Wei. The Bada Shanren, the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou and the Epigraphy School of Painting all expanded many areas of freehand flower-and-bird painting.

Freehand flower and bird painting mostly uses the technique of "dot stacking" or "dot clustering", which can be subdivided into hook flower dot leaf method, small freehand freehand method, upper freehand freehand method, etc. It is suitable to use raw paper for freehand painting. You can use ink alone to draw, or you can use several colors to draw. The pen contains a light color first, and then the darker color is added to the tip of the pen. You can also add the darker color first and then dip it in clean water to draw. Each stroke must have a change of shades. Use raw paper to melt easily, so as to produce dry and smooth strokes. Different effects of wet, thick and light.

The following illustration is a wisteria demonstrated by Professor Wu Xuerang using the freehand painting method. First, use the double hook painting method to understand its structure. Use freehand painting to create a wisteria flower. First, dip the pen tip in white powder, dip it in cyan, then dip it in magenta, and then add the petals with side edges to draw petals with changes in shades and colors. After filling in the petals, change them to grass green. Draw thin stems, dot the pedicles, and dot the stamens with yellow powder. In addition, the structure of the leaves, phyllotaxy, and the method of threading the vines should also be paid attention to.

In short, although there is a saying in freehand painting that "the idea is not reflected in the brush", there is no need to worry about the simple form or inaccurate image. However, if you want to paint well in freehand painting, you still need to first master the fine brushwork. Only by putting more effort into painting and observing and sketching can the characteristics of simple yet satisfying writing be brought into play.

Basic Techniques of Animal Painting in Chinese Painting

Animals, also known as animals, are one of the more difficult subjects to express well in Chinese paintings. Salmon Dehong of the Song Dynasty pointed out: "The painter can be a god." The appearance of ghosts makes people excited and frightened because of its impermanent form. The impermanent form can deceive the world. However, dogs, horses, oxen, and tigers have permanent forms. However, dogs, horses, oxen, and tigers have permanent forms. Therefore, it is difficult to work in the daytime, and people in the world see them. If they look similar, they are all valuable.” From this we can see that animals have regular shapes, that is, each animal has a certain shape, proportion and dynamics. If you are not careful and observe carefully enough, you will easily become the butt of laughter. The animals often painted include horses, oxen, tigers, lions, deer, sheep, apes, cats, dogs, raccoons, rabbits, pack animals, mules, and dragons that symbolize power. Each animal has different characteristics and habits. Before painting, you must first observe and sketch in detail.

Observation and sketching of animals

Ancient Chinese painters attached great importance to observation. For example, the Northern Song Dynasty painter Yi Yuanji, who was good at painting roe apes, once traveled between Jing and Lake, went deep into the mountainous areas, and observed The animals are moving, still and resting, so their animal paintings are full of life and interest. Every time Li Gonglin passed by the house and saw the royal horse in it, he would observe it all day long and had no time to talk to the guests, so he could draw the characteristics of the horse. Huang Shangu praised it in his poem: "Li Hou's bones are also flesh during the day. It is said that Zhao Yong, a famous horse painter in the Yuan Dynasty, once studied the shape of a horse rolling in the dust. His mother, Mrs. Guan, peeked out of the window and saw a horse rolling in the dust. Therefore, Zhao Yong was able to get a horse in the daytime. its temperament. It can be seen that the highly accomplished Zhou family in ancient times attached great importance to observation and even imitated their movements in order to vividly express the characteristics and charm of animals.

Su Dongpo’s inscription once mentioned that Du Chushi, a collector in central Sichuan, was exposing his paintings and calligraphy one day. A shepherd boy saw a painting of a bullfight wearing a Song Dynasty. He clapped his hands and laughed and said, "This painting shows a bullfight." Also, the cow's fighting power lies in its horns, and the tail twitches between the two legs. Today, it turns its tail and fights, which is ridiculous. "The shepherd boy often lived with the cows and found that when the cows were fighting, the cow's tail was tightly clamped between the two legs. In the Tang Dynasty. Dai Song, a famous cow painter, made mistakes due to his lack of thorough observation, which is worthy of our reference.

Chinese painting has always advocated "both form and spirit, describing spirit with form", and painting animals is no exception. Only by observing the details and mastering the expression can the painting be vivid. Although animals also have five senses and limbs, their ability to express emotions is not as rich as humans. However, we cannot ignore their delicate dynamics and expressions. Each animal has a unique way of expressing joy, anger, sorrow, and joy. In addition, animals also have many special habits and dynamics. For example, the ears of deer and tigers can turn in various directions at will, like listeners, and can detect very slight sounds; the pupils of cats, tigers and other eyes can sensitively follow the natural light. The animal's tail opens and closes as it changes, just like the aperture principle of a camera; the animal's tail has a balancing effect and can adjust various postures. These characteristics should be noted.

Cats should be drawn to show their cleverness and cleverness, while tigers, which belong to the cat family, should show majesty and bravery; donkeys should be drawn to be silly and funny, and horses, which belong to the family Perissodactylum, should be drawn. It is necessary to show the heroic character of the horse in the day. The character of each animal must be studied a little before making the day.

When sketching, you should have an understanding of animal anatomy. At least you must first observe the relationship between its bones and muscles. The ancients often said, "It is difficult to draw the bones when painting the skin of a tiger." This means that most people tend to go too far in describing eye-catching tigers. Skin, while ignoring the importance of its bones and tendons in displaying the tiger's power.

Sketching is a must-have method for accumulating creative materials and capturing vivid images. However, it is a method that combines observation and silent painting to draw out vivid images. It does not mean just looking at each stroke. For animals that are dynamic during the day, you should master their demeanor, and pay special attention to the moment when they transition from one dynamic to another. With only a few strokes, you must accurately express the characteristics of the animal, and its momentum depends on the different directions of the lines. Contrast and combination to express. Let’s take the sketches of Professor Liang Zhongming, who is good at animal painting, as an example. Together with the album of monkeys represented by You in ink and wash, we can see that diligent observation and sketching are of great help.

Freehand day method

Using freehand method to paint animals, a slightly bold expression method can be seen as early as the Han Dynasty wall paintings and Wei and Jin brick paintings. In the paintings of Shi Ke of the Five Dynasties Tigers with a Zen feel can also be seen, but it was not until the Ming Dynasty that freehand painting became more popular. For example, there are animals in Shen Zhou's sketch albums. Guo Xu's "Ox Back and Flute Picture" has vivid changes in dry and wet shades of ink, and uses broken brushwork. The dry ink sweeps out the hair, full of interest. Modern animal painters mostly use freehand brushwork to express animals, such as Xu Beihong's "Two Horses", which combines the concept of light and dark in Western painting with correct knowledge of anatomy to show an unconstrained galloping spirit. Lin Yushan's tiger shows a fierce and majestic aura, while Qi Baishi and Li Keran's ox have unique personalities.

Freehand painting uses concise brushwork to express rich content and arouse the imagination and appeal of the viewer. Therefore, when painting animals using freehand brushwork, the details must be simplified or omitted. For example, tedious lighting and shadowing can be omitted. Eyes are expressive and can be exaggerated. As for the treatment of background scenery, it must be arranged according to the different habits and living environments of various animals. For example, animals growing in tropical areas are not suitable for plants in cold zones. Animals such as cows and horses can be left blank without being set off by scenery, or some grass color can be dyed on the ground. For example, Xu Beihong's horses are often left blank to allow viewers to freely associate.

The freehand painting method of the tiger: first use light ink to outline the shape, then use ocher and gamboge to paint the tiger's body, then use slightly thicker ink to draw the markings, white powder to dye the mouth, chest, etc., and use ocher to paint the tiger's body. Second time dyeing. After using light ink to break through the fine hair, dip it into the tiger's freehand painting method to demonstrate the thick ink to draw the eyes and ears with heavy hook markings. The second time is to dye white powder and thick ink to fine hair, and white powder to draw the tiger's beard. Finally, the scene is completed. The painting is done roughly at the same time, with layers of emphasis

The main types of traditional Chinese painting. Chinese painting had no definite name in ancient times, but was generally called Danqing. It mainly refers to scroll paintings painted on silk or paper and framed. Since modern times, in order to distinguish it from foreign paintings such as oil paintings (also known as Western paintings) imported from the West, it has been called Chinese painting, or "Chinese painting" for short. It is a painting created using China's unique brushes, inks and pigments in accordance with long-established expression forms and artistic rules. According to the materials used and expression methods, Chinese painting can be subdivided into ink painting, heavy color painting, light crimson painting, fine brushwork, freehand brushwork, line drawing, etc.; according to its subject matter, it can also be divided into figure painting, landscape painting, flower and bird painting, etc. The forms of Chinese paintings are relatively diverse. Those that are unfolded horizontally include long scrolls (also called hand scrolls) and horizontal drape; those that are unfolded vertically include banners and naves; those that are full-foot-sized include albums and squares; and those painted on fans include folding fans and round fans. In terms of ideological content and artistic creation, Chinese painting reflects the social consciousness and aesthetic taste of the Chinese nation, and embodies the Chinese people's understanding of nature, society and the politics, philosophy, religion, morality, literature and art associated with them.

Historical development

Chinese painting has a long history. As early as the Warring States Period more than 2,000 years ago, silk paintings, paintings on silk fabrics, appeared. Before that, there were primitive rock paintings and painted pottery paintings. . These early paintings laid the foundation for later Chinese paintings to use lines as the main modeling method. During the Han Dynasty and the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, society experienced rapid changes from stable unity to fragmentation. The collision and integration of the import of foreign culture and local culture resulted in paintings at this time being dominated by religious paintings, depicting local historical figures, Literary works also accounted for a certain proportion of the material. Landscape paintings, flower and bird paintings also sprouted at this time. At the same time, they consciously grasped the theory of painting and put forward evaluation standards. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the social economy and culture were highly prosperous, and painting also showed an overall prosperity. Landscape painting, flower-and-bird painting have matured, religious painting has reached its peak, and has shown a secular tendency; figure painting mainly expresses the life of aristocrats, and figures with the characteristics of the times have emerged. The Five Dynasties and Song Dynasty further matured and became more prosperous. Figure paintings have shifted to depicting secular life, religious paintings have gradually declined, and landscape paintings, flower and bird paintings have become the mainstream of the painting world. The emergence of literati painting and its development in later generations have greatly enriched the creative concepts and expression methods of Chinese painting. In the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, ink landscapes and freehand flowers and birds developed prominently, and literati paintings became the mainstream of Chinese painting. However, the latter tended towards imitation, becoming further and further away from the times and life. Since the end of the 19th century, Chinese painting has introduced expression forms and artistic concepts from Western art over the past century and inherited the cultural environment of national painting traditions. It has emerged in a situation where there are various schools, famous artists and continuous reform and innovation.

After the 19th century, a large number of painters gathered in central cities such as Shanghai, Beijing (including Tianjin), and Guangzhou where politics, economy (especially commerce, and culture were developed), that is, Jiangsu and Zhejiang painters with Shanghai as the center group, such as Ren Yi, Xu Gu, Wu Changshuo, Huang Binhong, Liu Haisu, Pan Tianshou, Zhu Zhan, Zhang Daqian, Fu Baoshi, Qian Songyan, Lu Yanshao, etc.; the group of northern painters centered in Beijing, such as Qi Baishi, Chen Shizeng , Jincheng, Chen Banding, Wang Xuetao, Li Kuchan, Jiang Zhaohe, Li Keran, etc.; the group of Lingnan painters centered in Guangzhou, such as Gao Jianfu, Gao Qifeng, Chen Shuren, He Xiangning, Zhao Shao'ang, Guan Shanyue, Huang Junbi and others. With the changes of the times, painters from the above-mentioned areas also moved. For example, many painters came to the southwest during the Anti-Japanese War. After 1949, many painters such as Zhang Daqian, Huang Junbi, Zhao Shao'ang and others immigrated to foreign countries and most of the countries in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Painting academies were established in provinces and cities, and in addition to the three centers, many new centers emerged, and the team of painters expanded unprecedentedly.

Among modern Chinese painters, many painters inherited and adhered to the basic patterns of traditional painting. They either imitate and inherit the skills and styles of previous generations of painters, or they try to change while inheriting the tradition, and form their own style while preserving and developing the tradition. The former include Jincheng, Gu Linshi and others, and the latter. Represented by Qi Baishi, Huang Binhong, Pan Tianshou and others.

Since the May 4th New Culture Movement, with the large-scale introduction of Western art and the deepening of the anti-feudal struggle, reforming Chinese painting has become a new trend of the times. Represented by Gao Jianfu, Gao Qifeng, Liu Haisu, Xu Beihong, Lin Fengmian and others from Japan, Europe and the United States, they advocated the integration of the realism of Western art and the creative concepts of modern Western art with traditional Chinese painting, creating a new way of reforming and innovating Chinese painting. This approach has given new life to traditional Chinese painting. Among them, painters from the Lingnan School such as Gao Jianfu and Gao Qifeng advocate an eclectic mix of Chinese and foreign styles, integrating ancient and modern techniques, and blending Japanese painting techniques with the traditional water-colliding, powder-colliding and boneless techniques. , creating a vigorous and unrestrained new style with a sense of the times. Xu Beihong integrated the realistic techniques of Western painting into traditional brush and ink, enriching the expressiveness of Chinese painting, and absorbing the simplicity and vigor of folk art. , formed his own unique style with profound artistic conception and novel form. In addition, Chen Zhifo integrated the colors from Chinese and foreign decorative arts into the creation of meticulous flower-and-bird paintings. Zhang Daqian borrowed some techniques from Western abstract expressionism to create the splash-color painting method; Li Keran was inspired by the painting method. Inspired by Western painting and sketching, Wu Guanzhong used the tools and materials of Chinese painting and the forms and concepts of Western modern art to express the traditional poetry and realm of Chinese painting, etc.

With the changes of the times, Chinese painting has transformed from an aristocratic art for literati and nobles to enjoy themselves, to a "people's art", from the ivory tower of the past to the crossroads, which has caused profound changes in the subject matter and content of Chinese painting. They turned their perspective to social reality and created a large number of outstanding works with the characteristics of the times.

In the 1920s and 1930s, painters launched a debate on the innovation and development of Chinese painting. For example, Kang Youwei proposed the idea of ??"taking retrospection as innovation" and "combining Chinese and Western methods to form a new era of painting"; Xu Beihong advocated that "the good ancient methods should be preserved, the outdated ones should be inherited, the bad ones should be modified, and the inadequate ones should be improved. Those who can adopt Western paintings can integrate them"; Liu Haisu proposed to "develop the inherent art of the East and study the elites of Western art"; Lin Fengmian advocated "reconciling Chinese and Western art to create the art of the times"; Chen Shizeng made a contribution to the characteristics and significance of literati paintings He gave a positive analysis and answer; Lin Shu opposed innovation and called on people to despise "foreign new learning" and only regard "ancient ideas as the basis"; Jincheng strongly advocated: "Proclaim the sage and the clear precepts, never forget them, and develop from the old chapters." In the late 1940s and 1950s, people launched a discussion around whether sketching could be used as the basis for Chinese painting styles, as well as how to view pen and ink techniques and various new Chinese paintings. In the mid-1980s, in-depth discussions were launched in theory and practice around the issue of how to innovate Chinese painting to meet the aesthetic needs of the times in the rapidly changing social environment of reform, opening up, and modern times.

Styling characteristics and expression methods

Chinese painting embodies the traditional philosophical concepts and aesthetics of the Chinese nation in terms of observation and understanding, image creation and expression techniques. It also reflects the observation and understanding of objective things. , adopt the method of seeing the big from the small and the big from the small, and observe and understand objective things during activities, and even directly participate in things, instead of looking at the outside world or being limited to a fixed point. It permeates people's social consciousness, so that painting has the cognitive function of "thousands of years of loneliness, and pictures can be learned from it", and it also plays the educational role of "evil to warn the world, and good to show the future". Even purely natural objective objects such as mountains, rivers, flowers and birds are consciously connected with people's social consciousness and aesthetic taste in the process of observation, understanding and expression. They express emotions through scenes and express aspirations through objects, which embodies the Chinese people's "unity of nature and man". " concept. Chinese painting attaches great importance to conception in creation, stresses the importance of writing and image thinking, and pays attention to the unity of subjectivity and objectivity in artistic images. The modeling is not limited to superficial resemblance, but emphasizes "the beauty lies between resemblance and dissimilarity" and "resemblance of dissimilarity". The purpose of shaping his image is to convey the demeanor and charm of the object and the painter's subjective emotions.

Therefore, the parts that are not essential or have little connection with the characteristics of the object can be discarded, and those parts that can reflect the characteristics of the expression can be depicted by exaggeration or even deformation.