Freehand Flowers and Birds · Grape Painting Technique

Author: Li Zhigang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Grapes are perennial climbing plants. There are numerous grape varieties, and they are cultivated in vast regions. Their fruits are sweet and delicious, rich in various nutrients, and deeply loved by people in China and around the world. Grapes are divided into wild and cultivated types, with shapes ranging from round to oval, and also include giant and miniature varieties. The colors are predominantly purple and green. Grapes are also an important raw material for making fruit wine, and raisins made from grapes in Xinjiang have unique characteristics. In Chinese flower-and-bird painting, grapes belong to the vegetable and fruit category and are often paired with pomegranates, persimmons, peaches, and various vegetables to create small works depicting the Mid-Autumn Festival. When painted alone, grape works are grand in scale, allowing artists to fully showcase their brushwork and ink techniques. Many masterpieces have been passed down through the ages. Grapes are highly favored in freehand flower-and-bird painting. Throughout China's history, there have been masterful grape painters in every dynasty. Notable examples include Wen Riguang of the Song Dynasty, Xu Wei of the Ming Dynasty, Wu Changshuo of the modern era, and Qi Baishi of the contemporary era. These artists not only rendered grape fruits with crystal clarity and charm but also fully leveraged their brushwork and ink skills, incorporating calligraphy into their paintings, such as seal script, running script, and cursive script. Their brushstrokes are sharp and powerful, penetrating the paper, with bold and unrestrained movements, allowing nature to take its course. Therefore, as a whole, painting grapes is more challenging than painting vines. In the entire composition, branches and leaves dominate, while grapes, though the main subject, should not occupy too much space, especially in freehand grape paintings. To learn how to paint climbing flowers and plants, one must focus on calligraphy and incorporate calligraphy into painting. Only when the vines are well-executed can the entire composition stand firm.