Hello art friends,

In this topic I will share with you my journey into Chinese culture that started 8 years ago, when I was 46.
I guess my first encounter with Chinese culture was with cooking books, learning techniques like stir fry, next history and art books; and in 2000 when I got my first PC I was captivated by the magic of learning Chinese characters in animated form, online.
Soon I bought a great book that teaches the genealogy of each character like in this pictogram of a woman and a child that together form the word "good".
Click to view attachment
It's good for a woman to have a child.

This is what Chinese mind designed 4000 years ago and is still valid today. The Chinese language is a wonderful experience in milennia old wisdom and here is the book that I bought from Amazon.com:


Chinese Characters: A Genealogy and Dictionary by Rick Harbaugh (Author)

This author maintains a website based on the concept of the book which has millions of visitors who can learn Chinese online. I have to emphasize this is Mandarin Chinese.

Here is his website. And here is an animated pictogram of the character for the word "heart, mind, feelings".

Next step was to make the transition from the penwriting of characters to Calligraphy, an art that requires special tools.

Here is my gift received on my Birthday many years ago.
Click to view attachment
a=brushes
b=ink stick
c=brush rest
d=water recipient
e=ink slate
f=seal
g=seal paste

Calligraphy is just the beginning of Chinese brush painting and here I am on my adventure to create Chinese art learning from scratch the process.
Searching the internet I found there is a well of information in online courses, video instruction, e-books, websites with galleries, history, tecniques, etc of this ancient art.

Here are some of them which I curently use and can be quite formative as web resources.

Chinese brush painting

general sites

Traditional Chinese painting

Chinese brush painting

Online courses


Chinese painting- online courses -a site in 9 languages

Chinese painting step by step online lessons with exercises and pictures

Articles

The four treasures of Chinese painting text

Six canons of chinese brush Painting text

Traditional subjects text

Brush practice text

ebooks

Chinese brush painting- A Beginner's guide by Pauline Cherrette

Chinese Brush painting Hands-on... by Caroline Self, Susan Self

<H2 class=title>

The Ch'I of the Brush by Nan Rae

Amazon Books

Chinese brush painting step by step

Web galleries

Classic Chinese painting

Chinese painting gallery

FRENCH and ENGLISH site with techniques examples

French -peinture chinoise http://peinturechinoisexiaoqian.wifeo.com/...re-chinoise.php

English http://www.china-phoenix.net/chinese_painting/chinese-painting.html


Videos

Instructional videos

chinese painting material

Bamboo painting

Orchid for absolute beginner

How to draw a dragon

Painting small birdshttp://www.cse.ust.hk/VCB/

Art supplies

Oriental art
ink

Chinese brush painting kit Dick Blick, art store

Chinese art store



I hope you will take a moment to visit these resources and discover like me this beautiful, elegant art that originated 4000 years ago, grew and enriched itself with the time aquiring world fame, generating also the Japanese art of sumi-e.

Click to view attachment

Chinese brush painting based on centuries old Taoist principles is ideal for those like me who want freedom and imagination in their art, an expression of their soul and feelings rather than likeness and photorealism.

This is my first successful exercise after a week of self training.
Click to view attachment
Plum blossoms are considered beautiful and also symbolic for endurance as they flower in January, February in East Asia, beating the cold of winter.They are present in traditional and modern Chinese painting.

Now if you still have 5 minutes to spare, I invite you to listen to this relaxing, peaceful
Song for Plums.

I don't have enough word to thank you for your generosity to share this huge amount of documents on Chinese painting. I have learnt a lot of drawing techniques here in Europe, and now is returning to Chinese brush, that I practice almost everyday, when I have sometime. But, Chinese brush is ... so difficult! I ll give some references (books only)

Merci, An. It might be difficult but is beautiful to do and to admire. A real treat!

Dear Elena,
Again I have to thank you for the time and research you put into presenting this article on Chinese brush painting. I spent a long time looking at these timeless and beautiful paintings. You have given us a treasure trove of information. thanks again
Warm regards,
Trish

I to must add my Thank you, for all of the information that you have put out. Will this become a sharing thread so that some of us can compare and just share our endeavors ? I would love to give it more practice, I have taken a short one day instruction and enjoyed it a lot, but have never found anyone else to talk to about this unique and challenging art form.
Again thanks and hope to see more about this.
Gretchen

Yes, Gretchen, you are welcome to share with us your experience and projects here.It's open to all.

wow Elena, thanks for sharing so much information.

I always like to learn and see new things, medias and tecniques. right now I will have to pass this one, I do not have the materials and I have other things between hands, I like to take one (two at most) thing at a time. But I will follow your work and oters that post here.

Lovely start Elena

Clara, we don't really have "to do" a thing in order to know about it. Much of the knowledge starts with theory, that is information and then leads to practice, formation. There are many abstract subjects that don't imply practice at all, Philosophy for instance.
I guess it's important for one to be informed first, to have even a rough idea of a thing before actually considering it or starts doing it.
In the US for the first time I heard people who talk of distant places and they say they know nothing because they haven't been there. I don't think we need to go to Africa or to Alaska in order to know in theory climate, culture, history, art.WE haven't lived in Middle Ages yet there are tomes of research done on this subject by scholars who didn't live back then either but their job is to study and research based on facts and information mostly in written form, art, tools, etc.
Introducing a topic like this gives me the hope that some of us might spend time in visiting these galleries and art links and discover something inspiring, experience a moment of serene beauty that is Asian art.

OK. Chinese brush painting is done preferably with inkstone and Chinese colors which are natural pigments, usually floral, on rice paper or silk.
Very well, for practice, many teachers advise exercises with regular ink and watercolors on old newspapers.
As long as you need to train your hand to do the brush movements with ease and control of your shapes you don't really need the best tools.Some people learn on drawing paper or newsprint. I used Canson mi teintes for this small exercise and it behaved very well.

By practicing the same subjects again and again it will come naturally to you and you would also acquire the elegance so much sought in this art.The traditional subjects are very few and rather simple: bamboo, plum blossoms, pandas, fish, lotuses and never a finished subject, just the idea of it, the essence of its beauty.
The beauty of your work will be given by the strokes, the movements of the brush which you don't have to correct in order to render a perfect or a certain image. You offer them as they happen.But in order to have that casual look in your art you really need to repeat that panda, fish, lotus again and again until becomes a play and your soul is expressed in your brush work as you unravel your talent.

I completely agree, Elena! You should give some simple examples (of the master work, not of the demos in the net), so that we can imitate.

An, I guess that anyone learning this art should find or create his/her own masters according to the level of difficulty he/she practices at a certain stage.
I am in the very beginning of my online instruction and I use this site Learning Chinese painting step by step (lesson 4) that offers examples and line drawing excercises.
I also make my sketches from Chinese tea tin boxes, book illustrations of small pandas or bamboo ; I have these rice bowls with blue bamboo painting on them which I draw then try to paint.Remember all practice should be done with stylized exmples of nature or animals, simple lines, starting from contour brush strokes.
If you look in the lessons online you will find examples and can print them as I did but for respect of copyright i cannot reproduce here.
Try a panda you are comfortable with it, copy it in your sketchbook then practice.

If my scanner works I will post my pandas.

Click to view attachmentClick to view attachmentSo these are sketches from various sources. The one from imagination is the bottom left panda holding the bamboo.I marked it by an M (memory drawing).
I used a sketch and wash graphite pencil Generals.



This one is from a photo. Notice that compared to the above pandas which are stylized this is more realistic.

Click to view attachment

Now I have to draw them in black pen or marker until i know them by heart. Then proceed to practice in ink and brush.

So for this stage brush work is secondary. Main thing is to draw them from memory/imagination.

Check out this page :pandas

One more page of pandas from memory in charcoal and my memory exercises on newspapers in ink.

So those are not done with the chinesse bruches yet?

Gretchen, from left to right I have one charcoal and the rest of three paintings on newspaper are in ink with brush.

nice work Elena, but may I ask why you did them on newspaper?, just for practise or on purpose? Its curious that the head line of your first one is "you can create miracles with hope"

Clara, the newspapers are excellent for practice and cheap recycled paper which is absorbent. The paintings is actually done on rice paper or silk.It can be done on drawing paper too but for practice is good to do it on papers. I know the title of the article is inspiring.It's just a coincidence!

Does the newsprint allow the ink to spread like rice paper does, I have found a good cheap source at the local Chinese market it is only about 4 dollars for a big roll of it. Thanks for the great links to this work it is very inspiring.

Gretchen, it's good to have the ease and ability before you paint on good paper.
If you look at the videos you will see a Chinese teacher's demos on newspapers.
But if you found cheap rice paper buy several rolls. Then you can practice directly on rice paper and see your art the way it must look in a finished form.
Remember, to mount your art you need to go to an art shop that will do the mounting for you.And the framing.

This is my attempt at the bees, I have problems with how wet the brush is , I am practicing and hope to get more tec.[

very good, Gretchen.

Here is some very nice paintings in Chinese brush

Happy Chinese New Year to all who celebrate it!
This holiday season I plan to paint on rice paper. Here is my first attempt today.



I used china ink and guache. It's far from being elegant and delicate as it is supposed to be but i am learning still.

That is very nicely done I like the look, How did yo like the rice paper?

Gretchen, I like it but you need to get used to it before getting results. I am bothered by the wrinkles right now. The scan got more of those than they are in real life. Maybe a photo would be more appropiate.I really need to practice more.

Here are two more works in watercolor on rice pad 9.5x13 in.I have problems too with wet paper or wet brush.



The iris is done as a stylization of a picture.

The forget-me-not is from imagination.

THis is an ink and brush attempt at bamboo and bird. I was able to control the water in the brush better.Still need to practice to paint bamboo.

Beautiful! And I love that little bird!

Thank you, Mindy.

Here are a couple of books I checked out from the library at University of California at Irvine.

Check out these wonderful videos from Chinatown in San Francisco, the largest chinese community outside China.

Chinatown, San Francisco

These were shot during the Chinese New year 2008.

This is from a Chinese book of animal brush painting

the original artwork by a Chinese master

Click to view attachment


and my attempt on regular paper

Click to view attachment

I also tried this on rice paper and even if it was the second attempt it came out awful.

exercise on plain paper



Click to view attachment

and rice paper.

Click to view attachmentClick to view attachment


I still don't seem to get used to rice paper.

wow..Elena..to draw on that rice paper you must need like the slightest dampness..cause i smoke with rice paper and just a the wetness of a lick can destroy it..it is sooo delicate..i do like the ones that have come out well though..keep on trying

i have just ordered a drip pen set and cant wait to give it a try..i bought the pen and several nibs and a bottle of india ink along.

I know this has nothing to do with your chinese brush painting but i just wanted to share..i shall have it within a week or two to give it a try and share my results.

more practice on rice paper

Here is my latest work, red peony for love and valentine's day, a gift to my hubby.

this is on watercolor pad


and this is on rice pad




and the original
Click to view attachment

Here I have the original painting by a Chinese master

Click to view attachmentClick to view attachment
Click to view attachmentClick to view attachment


and my attempts

Click to view attachmentClick to view attachment
Click to view attachmentClick to view attachment

Elena - you have mastered another medium! I am just awestruck by your paintings, they are delicate to the sight, but have a good strong balance in color and subject. You have really demonstrated the Chinese aesthetic in your work, the feeling of harmony, of yin and yang.

Thank you, Sandra. I have problems with brush work. My hands tend to tremble and this reflects best in my calligraphy so I rather challenging to do chinese painting yet I am very very young at this. Hope to improve and really capture the flow of my subjects.You are very kind to me but i know i have a long way to master my Chinese brushes.But I admit, It's not a bad start.

All works very nice, I want to try if I find some free time
Thank you information

You are welcome,dear Songul. Tesekkurler.

I worked about 2 hours with my Chinese brushes today and I feel more comfortable with every new painting.

Here is a magnolia branch on Canson mi teintes



and here is the same on rice pad



this lotus was colored by me is ink and watercolor on rice pad



and two versions of peony ink



and watercolor both on rice pad


All paintings were done in one session, I had a sixth one which I didn't like so each of them took me 20 minutes.

Wow those are very nice, you have been practiceing, I need to get back to that place.
Cheers
Gretchen

Thanks so much, Gretchen.