Senior University Chinese Painting Teaching Series: Landscape

Author: Wang Ping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Chinese landscape painting can be divided into three major color systems—ink wash, blue and green, and light cinnabar—based on color schemes, and into three categories—meticulous brushwork, freehand brushwork, and boneless painting—based on brush techniques. Among them, ink wash freehand landscape painting is the primary form of traditional landscape painting. The techniques of ink wash freehand landscape painting are diverse, with each school and sect having its own methods. The establishment of these methods was created by the sages through the principle of "learning from nature and expressing the inner spirit." Skilled learners should also pay attention to the rules. Qing Dynasty scholar Dong Qichang said: "When first learning to paint, one should first seek methods. There are brush techniques, composition techniques, principle techniques, and color techniques. When brush techniques are fully mastered, one can discern the styles of various schools; when composition techniques are fully mastered, one can appreciate the works of ancient and modern masters; when principle techniques are fully mastered, one can innovate and transform; when color techniques are fully mastered, one can achieve clarity and brilliance, like a gazelle hanging its horn, leaving no trace to be found—this is beyond the reach of those confined by rules, as well as those who do not understand rules. We should take tradition as a guide to create our own artistic style. When learning from tradition, we must be careful not to be bound by established methods. As the saying goes, the greatest masters have no fixed methods. Only by applying methods flexibly can we break free from established methods and create our own."