New Mustard Seed Garden Manual, Volume 3: Characters

Author: Jia Dejiang / et al.
Editor-in-Chief: Jiang Zhengmeng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-07-01
Features:
Fragment: Pigment powder is often a mineral pigment, which needs to be ground in a mortar and mixed with an appropriate amount of glue before use. Glue should use natural glue like gelatin, not chemical glue. Gold and silver powder does not need grinding and can be directly mixed with glue. Pre-mixed pigment glue in small boxes can be used by adding water. If the pigment does not dissolve after adding water, it is due to excessive glue, which can be solved by adding a small amount of hot water or slightly warming it to dissolve, or by removing some glue before use. For gomphrena yellow, which comes in block form, it can be used directly with a brush dipped in water without crushing it.
(6) Water: In addition to the essential clean water, commonly used water includes alum water, glue water, and soy milk water. Using glue and alum water can treat raw Xuan paper to make it smooth. If they are applied to the paper surface first, they will leave distinct traces, which can be used to create special effects such as patterns, wind, rain, and snow. Alum water is also used in traditional Chinese painting with heavy colors to fix colors, preventing them from smudging or falling off. This is the meaning of "three alum washes and nine dyeings." Soy milk water, in addition to processing soy milk paper, can also be used directly during painting. It is slightly weaker than glue and alum water but still leaves traces that are more blurred. Additionally, you need to prepare brush washers for holding water, white porcelain dishes for mixing ink and color, charcoal sticks for sketching, felt pads for placing under raw Xuan paper, and drawing boards for mounting paper or silk to paint on, which are often required for traditional Chinese painting.
Four. Brush and Ink Techniques in Chinese Figure Painting
(2) Brushwork: Brushwork refers to the method of using the brush. Contemporary painter Huang Binhong once proposed the following principles for the use of brushes in Chinese painting: "It should be round, flat, heavy, lingering, and variable." Round refers to using the brush in the center to draw smooth, round, powerful, and elastic lines, like "bending hairpins." Flat refers to balanced and steady strokes, like "drawing sand with a needle," requiring uniform force and pressure at every point. Heavy refers to a thick and powerful brushwork, like "high mountains falling stones," with strength and weight. Lingering means using the brush with composure, like "water marks on a leaking roof," controlling the movement of the lines to prevent them from "slipping." Variable refers to flexibility and adaptability, not sticking to fixed methods. It should vary according to the factors of the subject being painted to pursue the spirit and charm of the lines.
The first step in brushwork is holding the brush. The correct method should be "firm fingers, empty palm, slightly higher grip." Pinch the brush tube with the thumb and index finger (the thumb tilts upward, the index finger downward, with both fingers pinching the tube), hook the middle finger from the outside to the inside of the tube, and press the ring finger from the inside to the outside against the tube. Then, place the little finger against the inner lower side of the ring finger to assist in pushing and blocking. This way, the brush tube is both stable and flexible in the hand. Firm fingers mean gripping the tube firmly but not too tightly. Empty palm means the palm should be relaxed. Grip the brush like holding a pen, slightly higher to facilitate movement. After mastering the grip, one must also understand the wrist movement. The correct wrist movement should be "level wrist, upright palm." The palm must be upright for the wrist to be level, and the wrist level for the elbow to hang naturally. When the elbow and wrist move together, the wrist can be flexibly used. For small paintings, lift the wrist, and for large paintings, hang the elbow. Generally, when painting, the arm, elbow, and wrist are used, but the finger is only used for extremely subtle details. Although this is common knowledge, it is crucial for the overall effect. Beginners should start with proper techniques to enter the realm of brushwork, as once bad habits form, they are hard to change.
The content of brushwork includes starting the stroke, moving the brush, turning, and ending the stroke. Starting the stroke refers to the beginning of the brushwork; ending the stroke refers to the end of the brushwork. Starting and ending strokes are key to forming lines.