A Guide to Chinese Painting
Introduction to Chinese Painting
What Do I Need to Get Started in Chinese Painting?
What’s the Difference Between Meticulous and Freestyle Painting?
What is Chinese Ink and How Is it Made?
How Can I Alter the Appearance/Consistency of the Ink?
How Easy is it to Clean Up My Workspace After Chinese Painting?
What is the Best Surface for Chinese Painting?
Introduction to Chinese painting
Chinese Brush Painting is the art of using simple and effortless brush strokes to depict the essence of a figure or scene – an ancient art that continues to fascinate contemporary artists. A distinguishing feature of Chinese Brush Painting is that each brushstroke is a defining move that is not changed or corrected.
The vivid and varied calligraphic style of Chinese brushwork comes from the combination of three things: a soft absorbent brush soaked in strong Chinese or Indian ink, and the permeability of Chinese (rice) paper. The Chinese do not differentiate between brushes that are used for calligraphy and those used for painting. Besides brush handling, another important skill that comes with practice is knowing how much to dilute the ink and how wet your brush should be. A variation of Chinese Brush Painting can also be painted on watercolor paper.
The two traditional styles of Chinese painting are ‘meticulous’ and ‘freestyle’. The meticulous style is detailed and controlled, whereas freestyle is looser, allowing for more expression through the brush.
The six principles of Chinese painting as established by Xie He, a writer, art historian and critic in 5th century China are as follows:
- Spirit Resonance, or vitality: the overall energy of a work of art. Xie He said that without Spirit Resonance, there was no need to look further.
- Bone Method, or the way of using the brush. This refers not only to texture and brush stroke, but to the close link between handwriting and personality. In his day, the art of calligraphy was inseparable from painting.
- Correspondence to the Object, or the depicting of form, which would include shape and line.
- Suitability to Type, or the application of color, including layers, value, and tone.
- Division and Planning, or placing and arrangement, corresponding to composition, space and depth.
- Transmission by Copying, or the copying of models, not only from life but also the works of antiquity.
What do I need to get started in Chinese painting?
You can start painting with the following materials:
- A few brushes (one of each: soft, medium, stiff)
- An ink stick or prepared liquid ink
- A mixing stone (or inkstone) if you are using an ink stick
- A jar of water
- A roll of rice paper or silk
You can buy prepared inks or make the ink yourself using ink sticks and a mixing stone. Ink sticks can be ground down over a mixing stone with a little water to make Indian or Chinese ink – by holding the ink stone and forcing it down into the mixing stone and moving in a circular motion whilst adding a little water from time to time, you will make your own ink with which to paint.
Brushes traditionally have a bamboo handle and hair made from goat, cattle, horse, sheep, rabbit, marten, badger, deer, boar, or hog. To get started, a basic set of brushes could include a variety of hairs so you have a range of ‘soft’, ‘medium’ and ‘stiff’ brushes. Chinese brushes are heavily starched to protect the hairs until they are purchased, so when they arrive the brush head is very rigid. Before use, the starch should be removed by soaking the brush head for a few minutes in room-temperature water and then washing the brush until the entire length of the brush hairs are fully loosened.
The paper you choose tends to be defined by which style of painting you are using. Meticulous painting requires paper that is totally sized so that paint will run easily across the surface. The paper used for freestyle is usually non-sized, single-ply Xuan (such as rice paper) which will absorb the color instantly, leaving no opportunity to modify or lift brush marks once they are made. Other papers such as regular sized watercolor paper can be used and will be more forgiving for those just starting out with this process. Brushes and inks are the same for both.
Box Sets
A box set will offer enough equipment for you to start practising Chinese painting techniques and would also make a beautiful gift. Some typical items that you are likely to find in a Chinese painting set might include:
- A round pointed brush which is well suited to very fine detail as well as having the liquid holding capacity for broader strokes and washes.
- A soapstone – which, in Chinese and Japanese painting tradition, should be carved so that it can be used as a ‘name seal’, a stamped signature on your work which acts as a mark of authorship and authenticity.
- An ink stick – which can be ground down in the mixing stone with a little water to make Indian or Chinese ink – by holding the ink stone and forcing it down into the mixing stone and moving in a circular motion whilst adding a little water from time to time, you will make your own ink with which to paint.
- A pot of red stamp ink – to use with your carved soapstone seal
- A mixing stone – this is a very smooth black stone slab that is designed to be used to grind the ink stone on to in order to make a water based ink with which to paint.
- Porcelain water dish and mini water spoon – This water dish is designed to be used with the ink grinding process, use the mini spoon to add a little water from time to time as you grind the ink stick on the mixing stone.
- Porcelain brush rest.
What’s the difference between meticulous and freestyle painting?
Meticulous Painting
The Chinese call the meticulous style of painting ‘Gongbi’. This term derives from the words ‘Gong Jin’, which literally means ‘tidy’. Gongbi painting is a careful, realistic technique that incorporates the most intricate detail and vivid colour to describe narrative scenes, often featuring figures, and most traditionally, figures of nobility. The very first Gongbi paintings were made over 2000 years ago during the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), a period that brought about both prosperity and political stability and allowed for a climate that would nurture a significant development in the advancement of Chinese arts.
Gongbi painting reached its peak of popularity in Chinese culture during the Tang and Song Dynasties (7th-13th Century). At this time it was de rigueur for Chinese royalty to collect and commission Gongbi works; they were a status symbol for people of the highest social standing, with many collectors actually featuring in the works themselves.
If we are to compare Gongbi painting with a western painting equivalent, there is a loose similarity with religious icon paintings. Traditionally, there are very specific ways of painting subjects of nature that were taught and passed through the generations, and little room for the artist’s own personal expression in how the works were painted. Gongbi painting is based on the idea that there are very specific perceived ideals within nature and it is the job of the artist to pay homage to these ideals using a rigid pre-set visual language.
The Gongbi process involves 2 stages – contouring and coloring, using a specific set of brushes. Traditionally there would be 4 contouring brushes – known as Hong Mao, Yi Wen, Ye Jing and Xie Zha – all of differing widths to help paint contours that range from the longer flowing lines of mountains to clothing, flowers, and facial features. The coloring brushes are very soft hair brushes designed to apply thin washes and are usually called clouds, ranging from a large white cloud to a small white cloud. Contours are painted on first, and then thin washes of ‘underpainting’ are applied before thicker, more saturated applications of color are added.
In the main, Gongbi paintings are very colorful, opulent depictions of noble Chinese life, however the artist Wu Daozi pioneered the way for painting Gongbi without color; he was the first artist to only use black ink. His mastery with the brush would draw crowds who would marvel at his skill. The finished works were the first ink paintings that were not considered merely sketches or works in progress.
Freestyle Painting
Freestyle painting is also known as literati painting, or in Chinese ‘Xie Yi’ – literally meaning to write an idea; the Chinese painting technique of the artist scholar more interested in personal expression than accuracy, detail, or merely a beautiful painted surface. Works appear simple and spontaneous and are made up of a wide range of more visible brushstrokes. It might be seen as the Chinese equivalent of impressionism, and certainly shares a philosophy with traditional Asian Calligraphy, where the artist’s aim is to capture the embodiment of inner feeling and spirit rather than a record of what a scene or an object looks like in a literal sense.
Freestyle painting dates back to the 5th Century. In the beginning the process was executed only in black ink, made from the soot of pine or oil combined with animal glue. Although the works were in black and white, the tonal range that could be achieved with the ink was vast, and artists would find ways of varying the ink load on the brush and play with the amount of pressure applied with the brush on to paper to vary both the quality of line as well as the ink saturation of each mark. Works were made on the most absorbent rice papers, meaning that once a mark was made it could not be erased or undone. The skill of the literati painter lies with having the confidence to take a leap of faith and allow the brush to dance across the page, making a series of bold marks that would capture the spirit of a subject, editing out superfluous detail.
In the 8th Century the poet painter Wang Wei created what are thought to be the first literati paintings that incorporated color. This technique adds another dimension to Chinese Freestyle technique – instead of having the tonal range possible with just black ink, there was now scope to play with the color saturation of a number of colors, to load the brush with different colors and apply multi-colored marks in a single brushstroke, and watch how colors would fuse together on the paper.
Freestyle painting artists seldom paint from life, and subject matter is usually categorised in the following groupings: Flowers and Birds, Fruit and Vegetables, Animals, Landscapes, and Figures.
The two painting styles of Chinese painting are diametrically opposed. Meticulous painting looks calmer, and has a considered elegance that is realistic and expresses the harmony of nature. It shows how things are at their best within the world. It could be seen as the visual equivalent of a beautifully written passage of prose. Freestyle painting is poetry – it is simple and spontaneous and captures the essence of an idea.
What is Chinese ink and how is it made?
In the beginning, Chinese painting was executed only in black ink. Ink sticks are made from soot (pine or oil) combined with animal glue, moulded and dried. Good quality ink produces even and smooth tones when diluted, allowing several shades of ink if ground properly. Liquid ink is cheaper, but does not allow for the same control of tone as ink freshly ground.
How can I alter the appearance/consistency of the ink?
Consistency of Ink
The ink stick is ground down over a mixing stone with a little water to make the ink. The consistency of the ink can be varied by the amount of water added. Thick ink will appear glossy and deep on the paper while thin ink (made with more water) will be more lively.
Pressure Applied With The Brush
A tonal range can be achieved with the ink by varying the ink load on the brush and adjusting the amount of pressure applied with the brush to the paper. This will vary both the quality of line as well as the ink saturation of each mark.
How easy is it to clean up my workspace after Chinese painting?
Because the inks are water-based, cleaning up only requires water.
Brushes for Chinese painting
Goat hair brushes are very soft and absorb water very well. Rabbit, weasel, and horse hair brushes are stiffer than goat hair and are ideal for controlling the thickness of the brushstroke. The stiffer hairs can also result in sharper strokes, while goat hair brushes are more subtle. Mixed hair brushes combine hairs of varying softnesses so that brushes sit between the two extremes.
Synthetic Brushes
A synthetic alternative to natural hair brushes for Chinese painting are the Akashiya Sharaku Synthetic Calligraphy Brushes. These brushes have been developed with high quality synthetic fibre as an alternative to natural hair and are ideal for calligraphy and all eastern painting styles, including Chinese painting.
Chinese Sable Brushes
Chinese sable brushes are very simple – the handle does not taper, and is a cylinder of plastic with a cone of sable hair that tapers to a very fine point. This can achieve the finest of lines, but with more pressure can also achieve broader marks. The leaves of bamboo are often painted by applying an amount of pressure with the brush and then lifting the brush off in a quick ‘tick’ movement, which will enable you to make the leaf shape that tapers to a fine point itself. These brushes are best used with ink or watercolor paint.
Goat Hair Brushes
Goat is a less expensive hair but still possesses good liquid holding capacity and is soft enough to achieve nice even washes. Goat hair is long, at least 2 inches in length and is very absorbent. With a natural inclination to stay together when wet, the hair can be shaped into a fine point, and will, therefore, make it possible to maintain excellent control (after some practice). Few types of hair will hold up well or make good control possible when the direction of a brushstroke is changed 180 degrees without stopping, or without lifting the tip of the brush off the working surface. Goat hair is very elastic and is one of the few hairs that will survive this type of treatment. They can be difficult for beginners to control but soft brushes will deliver very interesting and unpredictable lines.
Black Rabbit Hair
The longest brush is made of black rabbit hair. Called a ‘hard’ brush it is still absorbent and relatively soft but the hairs are stiffer. It is more absorbent than weasel hair.
Weasel Hair
Weasel hair is at the opposite end of the hardness spectrum in the Chinese brush scale from goat hair. Called a ‘hard’ brush it is still absorbent and relatively soft but the hairs are stiffer and yet very flexible. Even if fully loaded with ink the brush’s tip will move fast and with accuracy.
A Mixture of Black Rabbit and Goat Hair
Available as both a small and medium brush, the mixture of black rabbit and goat hair make for a medium-soft brush. Black rabbit hair in the centre and tip and goat hair on the outside. The small brush is particularly useful for small calligraphic script because it is short.
Care and cleaning of brushes
Chinese brushes are heavily starched to protect the hairs until they are purchased, so when they arrive the brush head is very rigid. Before use, the starch should be removed by soaking the brush head for a few minutes in room-temperature water and then washing the brush until the entire length of the brush hairs are fully loosened.
After use, wash the brush clean with water and make sure there is no residual ink where the brush tube meets the hairs. If rinsing the brush under the tap, make sure the hairs are in the same direction as the water flows.
After cleaning, squeeze the hairs of any excess water and allow to dry by hanging vertically with the hairs pointing downward.
Tools for Chinese painting
Ink Sticks
Ink sticks can be ground down in a mixing stone with a little water to make Indian or Chinese ink – by holding the ink stone and forcing it down into the mixing stone and moving in a circular motion whilst adding a little water from time to time, you will make your own ink with which to paint.
Mixing Stone
A mixing stone – this is a very smooth black stone slab that is designed to be used to grind the ink stone on to in order to make a water-based ink with which to paint.
Bamboo Pens
Bamboo pens are used in Chinese calligraphy and can also be very expressive drawing tools. They are made of dried bamboo stems and designed to be dipped into ink. They do not carry much liquid so you will find you need to dip quite often! It is difficult to create consistent, long flowing lines with a bamboo pen – they are much better for staccato marks, ticks, and for building up textures with short dry marks. The flat ended bamboo pen will produce broad square marks, and we also sell pointed bamboo pens for fine lines. As well as regular bamboo pens we also sell a bamboo brush pen – double-ended with a round pointed goat hair brush on the other end, which creates gentle flowing lines and carries a lot more ink. The diversity of the marks that can be achieved collectively with this tool is impressively vast.
Chinese Brush Stand
Chinese brushes tend to be made with a little string loop at the end of the handle. The loops can be used to hang your Chinese brushes from the stand. This helps to prolong the life of your Chinese brushes because it ensures that the hairs keep their shape once cleaned and shaped with your hands, and it allows any excess moisture to run out of the head of the brush. This stops the moisture causing any rot/deterioration in the brush head over time. The brush stand is also very useful during the painting process as it allows you to identify and select your brushes quickly and easily.
Chinese Roll Up brush Mat
The roll up brush mat is made of natural straw-like fibres which absorb any moisture from wet brushes and prevents rotting. It has gaps between the fibres which allow the moisture to eventually evaporate into the atmosphere. The brush rolls are a lightweight and practical way of transporting and protecting your brushes when they are not being used.
Soapstone
In Chinese and Japanese painting tradition, the soapstone should be carved so that it can be used as a ‘name seal’, a stamped signature on your work which acts as a mark of authorship and authenticity.
A Pot of Stamp Ink
To use with your carved soapstone seal.
Porcelain Water Dish and Mini Water Spoon
The water dish is designed to be used with the ink grinding process, use the mini spoon to add a little water from time to time as you grind the ink stick on the mixing stone.
Kuretake Bimoji Fude Pens
Kuretake Bimoji Fude Pens are designed to look and feel like traditional Japanese and Chinese paint brushes. These pens are felt tipped brush pens, and enable you to replicate the kinds of marks you can make with a traditional Chinese painting brush.
What is the best surface for Chinese painting?
The paper you choose for Chinese painting tends to be defined by which style of painting you are using. Meticulous painting requires paper that is totally sized. The ideal papers for freestyle painting include Washi (Japan), Sumi-e (Japan) or Xuan (China) paper. The best freestyle painting papers are unsized and as a result very absorbent, and made from rice. Some artists also work on silk. These unsized surfaces make it impossible to make smooth washes as every brushmark appears visible and unblended. Nowadays some painters will use papers that contain some size so that washes are possible.
Rice paper is semi-opaque, very absorbent and available in sheets and packs. It allows ink to bleed through its fibres which can create interesting effects. It is best suited to images made with a few gestural and expressive marks.
Hahnemuhle Sumi-e Japanese Ink Paper
Another very absorbent paper that is suited to freestyle and expressive yet minimal painting techniques. Sumi-e painting originated from 5th century Chinese calligraphy techniques.
How to present and store finished work
Paper scrolls are usually used for Chinese calligraphy and are hung lengthways so that script can be written vertically in the traditional way. The painting can be mounted onto a hanging scroll for presentation or storage.
The best way to store finished works is by folding or rolling before they are mounted or backed, so they are easy to keep in that form. Once backed or made into a scroll they need to be kept in a dry place in a cardboard tube. The finished work can also be framed behind glass (after being mounted or backed).