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Cover Photo: Inkston Xuan Paper Workshop Craftsman, taken on 6th June, 2018. How to make your raw Xuan paper more creative? Different from machine made papers, professional handmade Xuan papers can be so much more...
Cover Photo: 秋海棠图页 Autumn Begonia, painted by (to be confirmed).
Different from our other posts on Mustard Seed Garden tutorial, this post helps to paint three completed paintings. From this post, we want to show you how to use various techniques we have learned so far to paint a complete painting. Still, we quote the nice video tutorial by Chinese artist Wu Peng 吴蓬. In this tutorial, he exemplifies how to paint peony, cat, rabbit, osmanthus blossoms, winter blossoms, camellia, and daffodils.
Painting Techniques to Review
brush sketch, or Gouxian 勾线 in Chinese: weasel hair regular script brush S, 0903ws, or a top quality Gouxian brush is Rabbit Hair brush ZiHao. Try not to rest your hand rest on table when you draw fine lines of the painting. This is difficult to start and needs a lot of practice. However, once you master this technique. Want to paint Chinese painting well? Then practice this skill every day because it is an essential and not-easy-to-master technique for Chinese paintings.
力透纸背 literally it means ‘strength goes through the paper’. When talking about painting or calligraphy, it actually means that you have to control the brush well enough to pass your strength via brush to the paper and this technique helps the line to be powerful and beautiful. For example, when painting animal claws, we are always asked to do a sketch with brush and black ink. The sketch is small but it could make people feel the claws are vivid and strong. Of course, good quality paper will also help reach such effects. This technique is very important for calligraphers.
墨分五彩 Five Colours of Black Ink, see how see how Chinese artist Wang ZiRang talks about ‘five colours of ink’ 墨分五彩. French artist Eric Marié also made some very good suggestion on how to learn this important Chinese painting technique: five grades of ink.
Although you might want to be creative on making colours for your painting, there are some basic information we would like to share with you on how we make colours for Chinese paintings.
Flower Petals: observing closely, you will easily notice that the root of petal has sort of greenish colour than other parts of the petal. To make this colour, a common practice is to use light black ink mixed with a little bit green. This green is normally got by mixing Malachite Green and Gamboge Yellow.
Stamen is usually painted with colours which are made by mixing Gamboge Yellow with Ochre Brown, or sometimes we can also add a little bit black ink to it.
Flower leaves are mostly painted with Indigo and red colour. A big brush such as 0200WsWl brush or 0901WsWl big size White Cloud brush is a very useful tool to paint flower leaves. When painting leaves, make sure the brush can hold a lot of water. If the brush is getting dry, do not worry. Just slow down and this will also help create a very unique nice effect.
When you learn to make brush sketches, you might find it extremely useful to keep some weasel hair brushes and small size combination hair brushes. So far, we have found that almost all the flower/ bird paintings have been using these brushes repeatedly and we think it is useful to keep a set of these brushes at hand: 0901WsWl, 0902WsWl, 0903WsWl, 0200WsWl, 0903Ws, or Inkston Pure Weasel Hair brush set is a very good option too.
Papers
The easiest way is to go for Inkston Extra Fine Flower/ Bird Xuan paper, or Inkston Expert Flower/ Bird Xuan Paper. Of course, for professionals, please you can also consider using Inkston Perfect Series Xuan Papers which are very similar to Red Star Professional Xuan Papers. For some very special effects you need, you can refer to our Inkston special handmade mulberry papers.
Video
Mustard Seed Garden Video tutorial by Chinese artist Wu Peng 吴蓬, who was born in 1941 and currently researcher of Shanghai Calligraphy and Painting Institute. He is especially famous for calligraphy (Oracle) and flower paintings.
【芥子园画谱技法讲座】 27(三)花卉翎毛(7 8)花卉组合
Pictures
Related pictures from the Mustard Seed Garden book volume 3.
Books
Materials
Inkston 0200WsWl 精品兼毫 Extra-large Fine Jian Hao Combination Brush
Brush Hair Size: 1.4 * 6.2 cm. Brush Size: 32 * 1.8 * 1.8 cm. It is made Chinese brush craftsmen who have had over 40 years brush making experiences. It is perfect for cursive script and abstract, flower/ birds paintings.£26.38£11.35 (GBP) Brand: inkston Maker: Xu Shi Chun Materials: JianHao hair Packaging: silk sleeve Suitable for: 写意画 Freehand Painting, 花鸟画 Flower and Bird painting, 草书 CaoShu "grass" Cursive Script calligraphy Brush Hair Size: 1.4 * 6.2 cm
Brush Hair Size: 1.15 * 4.9 cm. Brush Size: 30.5 * 1.4 * 1.4 cm. It is made by the best Chinese brush craftsmen who have had over 40 years brush making experiences. It is perfect for cursive and semi-cursive script. It also has very great performance for abstract and flower & animal paintings.£9.39 (GBP) Brand: inkston Maker: Xu Shi Chun Materials: JianHao hair Packaging: silk sleeve Suitable for: 写意画 Freehand Painting, 花鸟画 Flower and Bird painting, 草书 CaoShu "grass" Cursive Script calligraphy, 行书 xíngshū semi-cursive script Shipping size: 30.5 x 1.4 x 1.4 cm Shipping weight: 50 g
Inkston 0403Ws 北尾狼毫联笔 Beiwei LangHao Wolf brush
Brush Hair Size: 1 * 4.4 cm. Brush Size: 30.5 * 1.3 * 1.3 cm. It is made by the best Chinese brush craftsmen who have had over 40 years brush making experiences. It is perfect for cursive, semi-cursive, and regular script. It also has very great performance for abstract and flower & animal paintings.£15.65 (GBP) Brand: inkston Maker: Xu Shi Chun Materials: Weasel Hair, Wood Packaging: silk sleeve Suitable for: 写意画 Freehand Painting, 山水画 ShanShui Landscape Painting, 楷书 KaiShu Regular Script calligraphy, 花鸟画 Flower and Bird painting, 草书 CaoShu "grass" Cursive Script calligraphy, 行书 xíngshū semi-cursive script Brush Hair Size: 1 * 4.4 cm Shipping size: 30.5 x 1.3 x 1.3 cm Shipping weight: 31.5 g
Inkston 0601Ws 经典狼毫大 Large Classic Lang Hao Wolf Brush
Handmade Xuan brush from traditional workshop in Anhui – see our Xuan brush article and our brush buyers guide. It is perfect for regular script calligraphy style. Ideally use with Xuan Papers and Old Hu Kai Wen inksticks.£14.01 (GBP) Brand: inkston Maker: Xu Shi Chun Materials: Weasel Hair, Wood Packaging: silk sleeve Suitable for: 中楷 3-7 cm calligraphy, 大楷 3-9 cm calligraphy, 楷书 KaiShu Regular Script calligraphy, 花鸟画 Flower and Bird painting Brush Hair Size: 2.8 * 0.7 cm Product Size: 25 x 0.9 x 0.9 cm
Inkston 0602Ws 经典狼毫中 Medium Classic Lang Hao Wolf Brush
Craftsman: Xu Shi Chun £13.32 (GBP) Brand: inkston Maker: Xu Shi Chun Materials: Weasel Hair, Wood Packaging: silk sleeve Recommend to: Advanced Level, Beginners, Medium Level, Professionals Suitable for: 中楷 3-7 cm calligraphy, 山水画 ShanShui Landscape Painting, 工笔画 Gongbi Painting, 楷书 KaiShu Regular Script calligraphy, 花鸟画 Flower and Bird painting, 行书 xíngshū semi-cursive script Brush Hair Size: 2.5 * 0.6 cm Product Size: 24.5 x 0.8 x 0.8 cm
Inkston 0603Ws 经典狼毫小 Small Classic Lang Hao Wolf Brush
£12.28 (GBP) Brand: inkston Maker: Xu Shi Chun Materials: Weasel Hair, Wood Packaging: silk sleeve Recommend to: Advanced Level, Beginners, Medium Level, Professionals Suitable for: 小楷 3 – 5 cm calligraphy, 工笔画 Gongbi Painting, 楷书 KaiShu Regular Script calligraphy, 花鸟画 Flower and Bird painting, 行书 xíngshū semi-cursive script Brush Hair Size: 2.1 * 0.5 cm Product Size: 24 x 0.65 x 0.65 cm
Inkston 0801SW 豹狼毫 Bao Lang Hao Large Leopard Wolf Brush (Squirrel/Weasel)
Shaft: wood Hair: 50% Squirrel Hair, 50% Weasel Size of the Brush: 340 * 20 * 20 mm at widest part Suitable for: calligraphy 行草 (Xing Cao), especially Xing Cao of Dang Dynasty and Song Dynasty Recommend to: intermediate to advanced level students, semi-professional calligrapher£21.35 (GBP) Brand: inkston Maker: Xu Shi Chun Materials: Weasel Hair, Wood Packaging: silk sleeve Recommend to: Advanced Level, Medium Level, Professionals Suitable for: Calligraphy, Shi Lu 石鲁 Landscape Painting Style, 山水画 ShanShui Landscape Painting, 楷书 KaiShu Regular Script calligraphy, 花鸟画 Flower and Bird painting, 草书 CaoShu "grass" Cursive Script calligraphy, 行书 xíngshū semi-cursive script Brush Hair Size: 6 * 1.5 cm Product Size: 34 x 2 x 2 cm
Inkston 0901WsWl 古法大白云 GuFa Da BaiYun “Traditional White Cloud Large” 兼毫 Jian Hao Combination Brush
Special Feature: 60 – 65% weasel hair, 35 – 40% wool. The inside part is weasel hair; the outside part is wool.£13.75 (GBP) Brand: inkston Maker: Xu Shi Chun Materials: JianHao hair Packaging: silk sleeve Recommend to: Advanced Level, Beginners, Medium Level, Professionals Suitable for: Calligraphy, 写意画 Freehand Painting, 楷书 KaiShu Regular Script calligraphy, 花鸟画 Flower and Bird painting, 草书 CaoShu "grass" Cursive Script calligraphy Brush Hair Size: 4 * 0.9 cm Product Size: 28 x 1.1 x 1.1 cm Product Weight: 22.3 Shipping size: 35 x 3 x 3 cm
Inkston 0902WsWl 古法中白云 GuFa Zhong BaiYun “Traditional Small White Cloud Medium” 兼毫 Jian Hao Combination Brush
Special Feature: 60 – 65% weasel hair, 35 – 40% wool. The inside part is weasel hair; the outside part is wool.£12.42 (GBP) Brand: inkston Maker: Xu Shi Chun Materials: Bamboo, JianHao hair Packaging: silk sleeve Recommend to: Advanced Level, Beginners, Medium Level, Professionals Suitable for: Calligraphy, 写意画 Freehand Painting, 楷书 KaiShu Regular Script calligraphy, 花鸟画 Flower and Bird painting, 草书 CaoShu "grass" Cursive Script calligraphy Brush Hair Size: 3.6 * 0.8 cm Product Size: 28 x 1 x 1 cm Product Weight: 13 Shipping size: 35 x 2 x 2 cm
Inkston 0903Ws 花枝俏 “Flower Brush” Extra Fine Detail LangHao Wolf brush
Shaft: bamboo Hair: 100% weasel Suitable for: Chinese Gongbihua Painting (to draw narrow lines), or very small calligraphy. Recommend to: students, semi-professional, professional It is handmade with pure weasel hair. The size is very suitable for drawing narrow lines, and Gong Bi paintings. It is made with a very expereinced brush workshop in China. ASIN: B01N7EVPK6 ASIN: B071KSQDM6 £4.95 (GBP) Brand: inkston Maker: Xu Shi Chun Materials: Bamboo, Weasel Hair Packaging: silk sleeve Recommend to: Advanced Level, Medium Level, Professionals Suitable for: 1 – 1.5 cm diameter calligraphy, 工笔画 Gongbi Painting, 花鸟画 Flower and Bird painting Brush Hair Size: 0.35 * 1.9 cm Product Size: 24.5 x 0.7 x 0.7 cm Product Weight: 5.2 Shipping size: 27.5 x 5 x 0.7 cm
Special Feature: 60 – 65% weasel hair, 35 – 40% wool. The inside part is weasel hair; the outside part is wool. £10.97 (GBP) Brand: inkston Maker: Xu Shi Chun Materials: Bamboo, JianHao hair Packaging: silk sleeve Recommend to: Advanced Level, Beginners, Medium Level, Professionals Suitable for: Calligraphy, Chinese Painting, 写意画 Freehand Painting, 楷书 KaiShu Regular Script calligraphy, 花鸟画 Flower and Bird painting, 草书 CaoShu "grass" Cursive Script calligraphy Brush Hair Size: 3.3 * 0.7 cm Product Size: 26.2 x 0.9 x 0.9 cm Product Weight: 16 Shipping size: 26.5 x 3 x 2 cm
INKSTON Expert Flower/ Bird Xuan Paper
INKSTON Expert Flower/ Bird 45 Xuan paper contains 33-38% Pteroceltis Tatarinowii tree bark, it is untreated/unsized (raw/uncooked in Chinese) and has a tiny portion of added calcium, which makes the paper very sensitive to express different kinds of inks. Therefore, the paper is specially suitable for paintings of flowers and birds. To make the Expert grade Xuan paper the fibres are steamed/boiled…£9.87 – £72.11 Brand: inkston Maker: Inkston Materials: 棉料 Mian Liao Recommend to: Advanced Level, Beginners, Medium Level, Professionals Suitable for: 花鸟画 Flower and Bird painting
In this article we have listed some popular formulas to create new colours. The colour on the right end of each colour row is the result by mixing the colours on the left hand.
Emerald Green/ Malachite Green 石绿+ Gamboge Saffron/ Mustard Yellow 藤黄 + Deep Indigo Blue 酞菁蓝 (tiny portion)
These are special pastes used with seals, read more about the types and their usage here. The range includes both…">
印泥 Seal Paste (18)
These are special pastes used with seals, read more about the types and their usage here. The range includes both pastes presented in ceramic containers and refill packets, and one designer ceramic piece especially designed for seal paste.
日出江花红胜火,春来江水绿如蓝。 – 白居易 " sunrise red flowers on the river spring time blue-green water bai juyi tang dynasty inktober promotion:>
Chinese colour inksticks (12)
日出江花红胜火,春来江水绿如蓝。 – 白居易 "Sunrise red flowers on the river, spring time blue-green water" - Bai Juyi, Tang Dynasty inktober promotion: 15% off all inksticks until end October with coupon 'inktober'. Sets of natural mineral colours and individual sticks of precious colours such as Cinnabar. See Chinese Colours for details of traditional colour ink recipes. Inkston supplies fine Li Ting Gui…
Jiang SiXu Tang 姜思序堂 (Jiang SiXu Workshop) is the most prestigious natural colour workshop in China. This category includes a…">
Jiang Si Xu Tang 姜思序堂 Natural Colour Chips (17)
Jiang SiXu Tang 姜思序堂 (Jiang SiXu Workshop) is the most prestigious natural colour workshop in China. This category includes a big selection of professional mineral colours, plant colours, and high grade industrial colours. These professional colours are profound and durable. A demonstration of how to use the colour chips by adding a small amount of water and mixing with a…
Tubes and pots of Chinese colours which are premixed and ready to use, suitable for various levels of painting practice.…">
Ready mixed paints (27)
Tubes and pots of Chinese colours which are premixed and ready to use, suitable for various levels of painting practice. Marie's Chinese paints are classic and economic. Sakura's paints are more profound and are also more expensive than Marie's. Both Marie's and Sakura are good option. JiangSiXuTang the famous natural colour provider also has a range of 30ml pots listed…
(INKSTON está ayudando a distribuir algunas obras de estos jóvenes artistas de cerámica, estos productos ya están disponibles tanto en inkston.com como en Handmade Project de Amazon US, UK, ES y estarán disponibles en Amazon IT y FR. Estos jóvenes artistas son capaces de comunicarse con más gente de diferentes culturas.)
Hace casi un año, conocí a una chica llamada Jiajia en una exposición de arte japonés de vidrio en Shanghai. Llevaba un simple vestido de algodón rosa claro, de pelo corto, con un par de pulseras de plata que obviamente eran artesanales con habilidades muy delicadas. Sin saber por qué, empecé a hablar con ella de inmediato. Me dijo que renunció a su trabajo como diseñadora en una empresa informatica china y pasó medio año estudiando artes de cerámica en Jingdezhen.
Desde entonces, nos convertimos en buenos amigos incluso si sólo nos encontramos unas cuantas veces durante el último año. Jiajia hablaba muchas veces sobre su búsqueda de arte y su vida en Jingdezheng. Supongo que es la pasión por las artes que brilló en sus ojos lo que ha intrigado mi curiosidad por saber más acerca de Jingdezheng. Así que cuando Jiajia me envió un mensaje diciéndome que ella está en Jingdezheng para la organización de su propio estudio, decidí visitar esta ciudad.
Jingdezhen ha sido muy famoso por la producción de cerámica durante cientos de años. Desde la dinastía Qing, Jingdezhen casi se convirtió en el símbolo de la mejor artesanía de cerámica en el mundo. Una vez visitó los grandes museos de Europa, sorprendentemente, siempre se siente muy fuerte toque chino en las artes europeas. Por ejemplo, el Versalles tiene una habitación china, lo mismo ocurre con los palacios reales españoles e ingleses, fue muy de moda tener una habitación china y/o de porcelana. Por lo tanto, también se ven elementos chinos en Austria, Bélgica, y luego los bosques de Baviera.
Al final pasé tres días en Jingdezheng, pero tengo un sentimiento muy fuerte de que volveré muchas veces y pasaré más días aquí. Esto es simplemente porque vi sueños de jóvenes artistas, sentí la pasión por las artes y la gran artesanía de cerámica en el lugar.
Si tenía de realizar una comparación entre Jingdezhen y cualquier otra ciudad del mundo, elegiría Berlín sin ningún duda. Un alcalde de Berlín tuvo un comentario muy famoso que fue algo como “Berlín es pobre, pero es Berlín y me encanta!” Es un comentario sencillo, pero que lleva tanta emoción y amor. Una vez viví en Berlín y me enamoré del espíritu de esta ciudad. En Berlín, como siempre he estado diciendo a mis amigos, se puede encontrar la mayor concentración de artistas. Hay tantas comunidades de artistas y todos ellos están abiertos el uno al otro. Gran tolerancia y mente abierta sería la palabra clave que más quiero marcar la ciudad de Berlín con. Ahora, encontré otro Berlín en el este. Eso es Jingdezhen.
Hay dos mercados cerámicos importantes en Jingdezhen. Uno está en el antiguo sitio estatal de la fábrica de cerámica y el otro está en otra fábrica estatal. El primer mercado se llama Le Tian, significa día feliz. El otro se llama Tao Xi Chuan. Suena como montaña y río de la cerámica. Estos dos mercados son para jóvenes artistas a vender su trabajo. La mayoría de las cosas son piezas únicas hechas a mano. En promedio, una pieza tarda una semana en completarse. Si el tiempo esta bueno, sino sería dos o tres semanas.
En estos mercados, es muy común ver parejas jóvenes como Ankl y su novia. Vivir pobre pero felizmente. Lo bueno es que el costo de vida es muy bajo en Jingdezheng y un artista tan joven puede ganarse la vida con relativa facilidad. Sin embargo, todavía muchos jóvenes artistas necesitan apoyo financiero de sus padres. Para los jóvenes cuyos padres no son capaces de apoyarlos, su vida puede ser difícil. Ser artista es un lujo de muchas maneras. Tienes que tener mucho tiempo, energía y recursos para crear arte.