Technique of Painting Roosters by Li Dejun

Author: Li Dejun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Painting chickens can fully demonstrate the aesthetic value of brush and ink in Chinese freehand flower-and-bird painting. Therefore, many Chinese freehand painters incorporate chickens into their works, pushing the use of brush and ink to its utmost. For these excellent works, it is essential to study them frequently, contemplate them deeply, and carefully appreciate their brushwork and ink techniques. Additionally, one can selectively copy and learn their brush techniques and ink handling methods based on their own circumstances. This is highly beneficial and necessary because learning Chinese painting relies heavily on copying outstanding works to inherit and promote the fine traditions.
Even if a chicken painting is lifelike without brush and ink charm, it cannot be considered a good example of freehand Chinese painting. Innovation is valued in any art form, aiming to develop one's own style. For instance, the crabs and shrimp painted by Baishi (Qi Baishi) are extremely skillful, but one cannot simply replicate his techniques. If copied blindly, it becomes immediately apparent, especially for works that are still in the exploratory stage. Many bold and innovative elements can be incorporated—either inspired by them or directly adopted to enrich one's expressive vocabulary. All of these approaches are highly beneficial.