Appreciation of Ancient Costume Character Paintings Series - Xie Zhi'ao

Author: Xie Zhigao (Illustrator)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: A series of appreciations of ancient costume figure paintings by Xie Zhigao, a prominent contemporary Chinese painter. The collection includes 20 of his ancient costume figure paintings for everyone to admire. The Chinese nation has a long history, marked by ups and downs, dynastic changes, and over thousands of years, many heroes, scholars, and outstanding figures have emerged, like stars in the vast sky shining with brilliance. They are revered, celebrated, sung, and remembered by later generations. Today, the ancient costume figure paintings depicted by modern painters are a way for the present to express the art of the past, using the people and events of ancient times to: either to promote their spirit, convey their ideals, praise their virtues, or celebrate their talents. However, for Chinese painters, especially those specializing in freehand ink wash painting, ancient costume figures often appear in small-scale works, becoming a common subject for learning tradition, refining form and brushwork. They rarely carry significant thematic ideas, with more lightness than solemnity, more joy than moralizing, and when emotions are sincere, the brushwork is bold and direct, flowing freely to pursue vivid figures, natural and elegant brushwork, the inheritance of traditional language, exploration of artistic forms, the pursuit of aesthetic taste, and the revelation of personal emotions.
I have been engaged in Chinese figure painting for decades. In addition to creating modern figure paintings, I also paint ancient costume figures, which serve as a and supplement to my serious thematic works. I believe that the ebb and flow of this artistic practice, the change and balance of rhythm, align with the logic and principles of artistic practice and creation.
Since ancient costume figure paintings generally have lighter content and are not large in scale, they mostly fall into the category of small-scale works. According to my habit, I often skip sketching, without preliminary drafts, forming only a rough outline in my mind before laying out the paper and painting directly. I focus on the "writing" aspect of calligraphy. Without mental burden, my brushwork becomes relaxed and unrestrained, light and lively. Over time, I seem to have improved my skills in modeling, composition, and brushwork. In recent years, I have accumulated quite a number of works. Now, as Western Garden Press plans to compile and publish them, I have selected some for your criticism and correction.
Xie Zhigao
October 2003