Techniques and Appreciation of Ink and Wash Landscape Painting

Author: He Jialin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-02-01
Features: As the ancients said, "Ink has five colors." They also said, "Plants and grasses flourish without the seven colors of vermilion and lacquer, and clouds and snow drift without the whiteness of lead powder. Mountains do not need empty blue to be green, and the phoenix does not need five colors to be resplendent. Therefore, when ink is applied, five colors are present. Since the Five Dynasties, landscape painting has primarily used ink as its expressive medium, especially in literati painting, which emphasizes the expressive power of ink. This aligns fundamentally with the simple aesthetic philosophy of traditional Chinese culture, which values substance over form. Ink can represent all things and all colors in the world. Thus, ink landscape painting has become a classic means for contemporary landscape painters to express natural mountains and rivers, human character, and artistic realms. It remains the most beautiful way for us to observe and understand the world.