Indirect painting method

Author: Guo Runwen / Che Jianquan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: With the deepening understanding of Western painting traditions among Chinese artists, their broadened perspectives, and increasing access to new materials, they are no longer satisfied with merely engaging with Western painting traditions as styles and images. Instead, they now seek more in-depth research and exploration at the level of techniques and materials. Without a doubt, this demand has highlighted the importance of the discipline of painting techniques and has shown a trend toward gradual specialization. The technical issues we discuss here are no longer the purely technical problems of the conventional "subtle" concept, but rather focus on the evolution of techniques and their interrelationships with historical, cultural, technological, and conceptual developments. In this sense, compiling a book on techniques essentially involves an analysis of the humanistic spirit behind them. Especially since the 20th century, the development of painting technical language has expanded in a direction of personalization, stylization, elementization, and extremization. Every aspect related to traditional techniques is undergoing new variations and moving toward new syntheses. The contemporary visual landscape it constitutes is permeated with human spirituality and creative consciousness everywhere. Without approaching it from a cultural perspective, it is impossible to grasp the context of technical evolution. Therefore, while tracing the roots of Western painting techniques, this book alsos the cultural and conceptual issues they have evolved. This is the fundamental starting point of this paper. We take indirect painting techniques as an entry point to explore the historical origins and evolution of Western painting, always keeping in mind the interactive relationship between techniques and spirituality to discuss the intrinsic driving forces behind evolution and development, striving to penetrate the surface of techniques to reveal the underlying creative spirit. At the same time, we place greater emphasis on case studies of domestic oil painters, as these artists have enriched the visual imagery of contemporary Chinese oil painting through their use of indirect techniques, creating new visual experiences and personal technical norms. We have analyzed in detail the underlying reasons for the formation of their language norms with extensive hand materials. Although we have strived to compile this book with academic rigor, standardization, and comprehensiveness, due to personal experience and understanding, there are inevitably omissions. We sincerely invite experts and peers to point out any shortcomings. We also hope that the Chinese oil painting community can, on the basis of permeating Western painting traditions, create a more magnificent humanistic landscape. – Preface by Guo Runwen