Chinese arts paper mounted on card original work

Inscription reads Joy of Spring

YAN Three Gold Fish water scene Chinese painting

The dark bamboo leaves overhang a playful yet peaceful scene of goldfish frolicking in the clear waters, similar to “Flower and Bird” paintings the Chinese paintings of fish display a small window into beautiful nature of animal and plant.

The large tails and delicate fins of these small animals propel them through the water in lazy peaceful fashion perhaps idling in the shade of the bamboo leaves offers a little respite from the warmth of this sunny day.

Fairly typical of YAN paintings this piece displays a colourful colour palette which is very beautiful and brings a great deal of colour, though YAN paintings use traditional typically mineral inks which tend towards darker colours – as evidenced in the overhanging bamboo, which is typical of this style of work – her work that shows animals often bring much colour and life.

The drawing of fish is described in this post here and this work – as is fairly typical in Chinese traditional arts painting – have fish that are drawn with a great life and movement, though in this piece subdued due to the nature of the setting.

This painting is of a Chinese traditional painting paper of yellow tint and obvious fabric like material effect, the paper is not smooth and not canvas yet displays the small fibres of a thicker paper or card.

The paper is mounted upon a slightly off white tending towards yellow card whose colour is captured adequately in the above picture when compared to the white background of the website, this is not a framed painting yet has a rigidity suitable for direct hanging or better still mounting in a frame or other display medium.

This work and others displayed in our art gallery are available for purchase directly from the artist through negotiated price, contact address is provided in the top most art gallery post.

Traditional Chinese Painting – Fish

Background

Perhaps proceeding the better known “Flower and Bird” scenes in Chinese traditional painting practices, drawings of fish acting as a precursor to this better known cultural art have been found in various historical finds in China dating back to the neolithic periods.

From paintings and carvings to jade pots and porcelains in the long history of Chinese culture have been found with various types of fish artwork.

In human history fish and fishing have an intimate connection as an important food source that connected ancient peoples to the land and sea and helped us flourish, in some historical texts fishing and proximity to bodies of water and shorelines have been identified with the migration of people from the great continent of Africa to the far reaches we have stretched to now.

Reflecting the world that they were so closely connected through the medium of art ancient peoples of Chinese culture better connected to perhaps what could be called “Sea and Fish” rather than “Flower and Bird” as more intimately connecting them to the natural world.

Though traditional Chinese Arts came much later than these neolithic times, the carving of character and the reflection of the natural world upon paper continues this traditional expression of natural reflection.

Types of Fish in Art

It’s very nature of continue movement floating, swimming, moving in some form continually expressed through movement of tail, fin and body this is an animal that is drawn moving and of a character of movement in order to draw it upon paper.

In Chinese Art the gold fish, black ink fish, red carp and cat fish are some of the more common types of fresh water fish portrayed in painting, these fish are often used as actual reference in drawing, studying their movements in a pond of tranquil place to help guide the principal direction of stroke to better place their movement when drawing.

Of the more commonly encountered salt water fish including the popular blade fish, puffer fish their nature tends towards being more active, though saltwater and brackish water types such as perch also have more energetic character.

Drawing Fish in Chinese Painting

The typical manner of fish drawing flows through three parts; from beak to gill as the head, from the area of the gill to the apex of the body as the body and from this apex to the tail or tails as the tail.

Through this process perhaps most critical is the movement, as the flow of the body carries the movement of the fish just as much as the tail, fins and other barbels and feelers.

Depending on the fish the colour mottling and patterning will be different as will the general flow and proportions of the body of the fish.

As “Flower and Bird” in equal importance is the capture of the scene through it’s foliage and bloom of flower and spacing of wood and bark though the water scenes of the habitat of fish these are sometimes replaced with the sub aqua environment of weed, pebble, lotus flower and other leaf and natural matter.

YAN Examples of Fish painting

Vibrant lovely colour and peaceful warming nature perhaps better defines our own resident artist’s collection of fish paintings. Of gold fish variety most abundant she has chosen warm colour tones and a peaceful feel to represent her work showcased here with this selection of drafts and the circular finished piece above.

The aqueous environment is one of freedom unrestrained in dimension and in our own artists and many Chinese work the forms of fish are oft portrayed liberated from a single plane of movement instead floating and poised in all manners of movement and position.

Movement in our own paintings is perhaps best seen from the large tail, it’s shape best defining the feel of movement, in many Chinese paintings the combination of a large tail best guides the viewer to appreciate the movement of the piece – aided by various fin and barbel which extend that movement across the body which itself is drawn to capture the movement of the fish.

Typically added last in painting is the eye and the spattering of marbled dots and skin textures which add final life to the fish.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this short piece see our Arts gallery and further Arts blog for other examples and reading.

Chinese arts paper mounted on card original work

Inscription reads Of the deep crystal waters a scattering of pearls, Pan Yan.

YAN Orange gold fish water scene traditional Chinese painting

A scene of gold fish drawn in the traditional Chinese method showing playful and life full character in the crystal waters of this deep aqua scene. The fish frolic around the seaweeds and under water plants their fins and tails showing movement and tranquil playful character.

The lifelike movement and image of the fish is impressed by their peaceful and innocent expressions of character while the idyllic nature is further enhanced by the lush green weed rich in life.

The sub aqua scene is very typical of the so called “flower and bird” scenes in Chinese traditional paintings, showing small micro scenes resplendent in movement and life.

The nature of Chinese traditional arts painting is such that few can match the exacting requirements of minimal yet precise brush strokes used to almost “write” the subject out. The demanding nature of Chinese arts are exacted by strict adherence to template books and recognised stroke order for the contents which have been accumulated through millennia of contemporary artist peer review and acknowledgement of what “defines” correct stroke.

This is a circular original painting drawn upon traditional Chinese arts paper, the inks used are traditional inks of a mineral nature demonstrating great colour typical of YAN work.

The piece is mounted upon square almost white card carrying a slight yellow tint just visible in the photograph.

This work and others displayed in our art gallery are available for purchase directly from the artist through negotiated price, contact address is provided in the top most art gallery post.