Freehand Birds and Animals: A Selection of Teaching Examples from Chinese Flower-and-Bird Painting

Author: Bi Zhang (Illustrator)
Publisher: Xiling Press
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The brushwork of expressive birds is neither a reproduction of meticulous bird images nor a photographic replication of bird light and shadow. The shaping of expressive bird images is a carefully constructed perception of natural birds, constrained by the absorption characteristics of Xuan paper and employing the unique brush and ink language of Chinese painting. It is imbued with the author's distinct personality and achieved through imaginative transformation. However, expressive birds are based on a thorough understanding of the form, structure, dynamics, and color of birds; characterized by "intending before painting," capturing what is seen, summarizing and exaggerating, and using "one stroke to represent ten" in shaping; follow the principle of "assigning color according to type," painting the inherent color, with ink as the dominant color and color complementing ink; and embody the essence of painting through "boneless brushwork," water and ink charm, harmonious brush and ink, and vibrant artistic spirit. In brushwork, it employs variations in direction (straight, oblique, forward, backward), weight (light, heavy), shape (square, round), rhythm (stopping and starting, fast and slow), tapping, and scraping. In ink techniques, it distinguishes between five ink tones (dense, light, dry, wet, and mixed), as well as differences in breaking, splashing, layering, and accumulating. Through a stylized language that captures the main features of the subject while distinguishing between differences within the same category, the objects are shaped. This volume selects eighteen common small and medium-sized birds, providing detailed step-by-step illustrations and textual explanations for self-study and research by beginners.