Rongbaozhai Painting Spectrum (166) -- Figures Part: Figures Part

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: The works selected here are roughly divided into two parts: one primarily focuses on sketches, while the other consists of small compositions. In my view, these are all essential basic elements for learning figure painting. The former involves learning how to use brush and ink techniques to depict and shape people, as well as to portray different subjects in life—different ages, genders, social attributes, and personality traits. The expression of brush and ink techniques is mainly aimed at better describing the subject, and in this context, image expression is paramount. The aesthetic appreciation of artistic imagery and brushwork aesthetics coexist, with the former being greater than the latter. In the other part, small compositions, the situation is somewhat different. In such works, the artist often pays more attention to the ornamental value of brush and ink, while the content is not deeply explored. The subtlety of brush and ink is the key essence of this type of painting. Therefore, as an effective way to learn traditional techniques and improve brushwork skills, small compositions naturally become a compulsory course for figure painters. However, as with everything, there are two sides to it. Small compositions often have simpler compositions, superficial figures, and uncomplicated scenes, resulting in relatively straightforward brushwork frameworks that only require visual pleasure. Once one becomes very proficient in such brushwork formulas and gradually makes them a habit, another crisis lurks here. Because the simple brushwork framework of small compositions cannot handle large-scale, multi-figure, or complex-composition works, unless one only paints a single person in half-body form, which is not the ideal state of a qualified painter.