Ten Tricks to Paint Cats: Chinese Painting - A Skillful and Fast Learning Method

Author: Shi Boyun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Key points to note when painting cats:
1. Choose the right brush. Brushes are divided into three types: wolf-hair, goat-hair, and mixed-hair. Wolf-hair is firm and ideal for painting fur. Goat-hair is soft and has high water content, suitable for shading. Mixed-hair falls between the two and becomes more skillful with practice over time.
2. Choose the right paper. For fine-line cat painting, Xuan paper (familiar) is the best, while single Xuan paper (raw) is suitable for freehand painting. Ancient-style paper (both familiar and raw) is ideal for painting white cats. Additionally, goat skin paper, which falls between familiar and raw, can also be used.
3. Choose the right colors. Colors are divided into plant-based and mineral-based. Emerald green, azurite, and cinnabar are mineral-based and can be used from market-packed tin tubes. However, it is better to use block-based flower blue (water-soluble is preferred).
4. Choose the right inkstone. Ink is divided into smoke-fueled and pine-fueled types; we generally use smoke-fueled ink. Inkstones should be fine and clean, such as Duan inkstone or She inkstone. Currently, inks like Cao Suguang or Yi De Ge from the market can also be used.
Additionally, readers must understand some basic cat anatomy and skeletal structure to better grasp various cat poses.