Freehand Flowers and Birds · Lotus Painting Method: Lotus Painting Method

Author: Han Wenlai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-02-01
Features: The lotus is commonly known as the lily, also called the Chinese rose, the flag lotus, or the Nelumbo nucifera. It has long been celebrated for its spiritual purity, symbolized by its ability to "grow from muddy waters without being stained, wash in clear ripples without losing its elegance, remain straight and unbranched, and emit a fragrance that spreads far and wide." It has been widely praised and adored by generations. In Chinese painting, the lotus has also been depicted by artists using various artistic techniques: from Song Dynasty meticulous brushwork and heavy colors to the Ming and Qing Dynasties' Xu Wei, Zhu Da, Ren Bo'nan, Wu Changshuo, and modern masters like Qi Baishi, Zhang Daqian, Pan Tianshou, Li Kuchan, Guo Weirui, and Wang Xue'tao. To appreciate the freehand painting of lotuses, one must first understand the characteristics of freehand flower-and-bird painting.
I. Characteristics of Freehand Flower-and-Bird Painting
Freehand flower-and-bird painting is a form of traditional flower-and-bird painting, contrasting with meticulous brushwork flower-and-bird painting. Works that combine meticulous and freehand techniques, as well as small and large freehand styles, all fall under the category of "freehand" painting, commonly referred to as freehand flower-and-bird painting. Its main characteristics are briefly described as follows:
1. Using Calligraphy as Painting Technique — The Origin of Painting and Calligraphy
The term "freehand" in freehand flower-and-bird painting carries profound meaning. It requires the artist to shape objects with every stroke, emphasizing "writing" as the essence of the painting technique. Examining the works of freehand painting masters in China, one finds that their styles vary greatly, all closely related to their calligraphy skills. "Those who excel in painting are also skilled in calligraphy." Without proficiency and individuality in calligraphy, a painting will lack depth and flavor. Therefore, learning calligraphy is an indispensable fundamental skill for studying freehand flower-and-bird painting, requiring thorough research and practice. Without understanding or learning calligraphy, one cannot truly grasp what freehand painting is or master it effectively.
2. Capturing the Spirit to Shape, Using Intention to Discard Form — Between Similarity and Dissimilarity
The form of freehand flower-and-bird painting is neither the subjective "abstraction" beyond the eye nor the "representation" seen by the naked eye. It is the "idea" formed with intention, an image abstracted from the concrete but differing from the superficial, known as the "idea." It differs from natural reality yet retains its spiritual essence, capturing the spirit to shape, using intention to discard form. The form here is the shape "between similarity and dissimilarity"; it is the "shape created with effortless strokes, seeking not resemblance." It is the artistic image created after the artist observes objective objects with extreme precision, refining and processing them through continuous artistic effort. It is higher, more intense, more concentrated, more typical, and more ideal than ordinary life, thus possessing a broader universality.
3. Concise and Profound — Less is More
Freehand flower-and-bird painting requires highly concise and generalized brushwork. "The brush may not be complete, but the heart is; the brush may not be round, but the meaning is; the brush may not reach, but the meaning does; simple brushwork conveys complex meaning, achieving more with less, where one stroke represents ten." This is the highest principle of freehand painting. Like the concise and implicit five-character quatrains of Chinese poetry, it leaves room for readers to imagine, associate, and create, thereby gaining richer and more beautiful artistic enjoyment. Special attention should be paid to the "blank space" in Chinese freehand painting, known as the "void." The void is not empty; it contains objects, reveals reality within it, and creates a harmonious balance between void and form. Where there is no painting becomes a wonderful realm, as seen in Zhu Da and Qi Baishi's depictions of fish and shrimp, which often omit water, leaving large blank spaces, yet the fish and shrimp appear to be swimming freely.
4. Poetry, Calligraphy, Painting, and Seal Integration.
Chinese freehand painting considers the inscriptions, signatures, and seals on the painting as indispensable components, working together in mutual support and enhancement to form a perfect artistic whole.