Analysis of Gongs Six Dynasties Watercolor Still Life New Works: I Paint, I Speak

Author: Gong Liuchao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Combining still-life arrangements with different colors, shapes, and textures for sketching can comprehensively improve students' modeling skills in color drawing. The more complex the object combinations, the more intricate the still-life composition becomes, and the more pronounced the effects of basic teaching. In teaching, I have found that many teachers often set up very simple still-life arrangements when training students in sketching. A vast space is filled with only a few small objects on top, making it look thin and the color extremely monotonous. In fact, if teachers set up a complex still-life arrangement, students can still draw it. Perhaps it won’t be ideal at first, but as practice deepens, students’ modeling abilities will undoubtedly improve significantly.
As a standalone painting medium, watercolor has its unique properties. It is similar to oil painting in its strong covering power but resembles watercolor in its water-based application. It combines the advantages and disadvantages of both watercolor and oil painting. Its covering power and rendering capabilities are unmatched by watercolor and oil painting, primarily evident in handling large, uniform color areas, the application of thick and thin forms, and the richness, softness, and fullness of color. In watercolor sketching, techniques should employ both dry and wet methods, with appropriate thickness and thinness, to bring out its inherent strengths. In practical creation, the choice of methods and techniques varies from person to person. Ultimately, everything is aimed at a common goal—to vividly depict real-world scenes on the canvas.
Each watercolor painting method has its own characteristics and advantages. The approach to techniques and color application differs from artist to artist. The coloring process can unfold from the whole to the details, layer by layer, or proceed locally in a single, continuous stroke. In recent years, the author has published many books, and it is difficult to ensure that every point and every painting is outstanding. However, the author remains committed to their art, striving to improve with each stroke and produce increasingly brilliant works. Over the years, the media has paid increasing attention to the author. TV news interviews and online reviews have been both praise and criticism, but the author pays no heed to what others say—they focus solely on their art, gaining much from it.
This year, the author has edited and published over twenty books and created more than 160 new works, a workload so intense that they must race against time, every second counting. This book, I Paint, I Speak, interprets the author’s deeper understanding of watercolor art from a completely new perspective. It features only the author’s recent works, and it is hoped that this book will inspire the growth of a new generation of young students.