Chinese arts paper original work

Inscription reads work of Pan Yan

YAN Egret bird below pink lotus flowers traditional Chinese painting

Of elegant and peaceful poise the Egret stands under the beautiful pink lotus flowers in this peaceful and calming natural scene.

A classic animal of “bird and flower” Chinese traditional painting styles the Egret is a frequent comer to salt water and fresh water habitats, wading in shallow waters upon its lithe and long legs where it feeds upon fish and other small animals.

The density of mature lotus plants with seed pod suggest an area of verdant foliage while the open flowers and large leaves suggest a well lit perhaps summer day, in all this picture generates a great deal of warmth from this scene of natural beauty.

Drawn vertically upon a long length of traditional paper our artist has used the large free hand style with a mineral based black ink to draw out the larger features of lotus plants, while a smaller brush has rendered detail and natural lifelike poise to the egret.

This painting is upon a long sheet of traditional arts paper of white colour and carries a slightly yellow tint as evidenced in the photo which is common to this type of traditional paper.

The complete work is longer in length than this close up photo and includes the bottom portion of the bird not visible in the above photo.

The painting is unmounted though would be sold mounted upon a fabric canvas banner of good quality and suitable to be hung or transported safely.

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 – Lotus Flower

Background

Coloured petals of myriad types of colour and a special plant that has accompanied humanity for millennia with myriad uses – as lotus root food, herbal medicine and a beautiful flowering plant – the lotus with it’s verdantly bright lotus flower is recognised not just in China but across the world.

As centrepiece in the “bird and flower” genre the lotus flower is a well known and distinctive art focus that has been well loved in Chinese culture.

Tang dynasty poems sang by ladies of culture to regale courtesans in ancient Xian associated this flower closely with what many modern Chinese believe to the golden age of historical China, linking it’s bloom and fragrance to the fine palaces and glorious bustle of this silk road contemporary metropolis.

Chinese lotus paintings cover styles and designs wide ranging and differing in character, the lotus flower itself naturally demonstrates a range of colours which in turn are painted in many different though traditionally dictated ways, while the great leaves act as shade for plethora of painted animals which often are accompany to the scene.

The plant itself is a complex flower growing from an underwater tuber through to stem and blossoming with an evident flower with core of female receptacle and surrounding male pistil. Budding leaves, sepals, seed capsule and a defined life cycle for all components once diligently studied allow the artist to understand and better “write” the plant onto paper in a more detailed and complete way.

Drawing of the lotus flower is considered a basic prerequisite of approaching the “bird” part of “bird and flower” painting as it often is the “landscape” which forms the basis for bird to “live” in as well as fish, insect and other small animals which are often placed in scene.

Drawing of the Lotus Form

Often starting from the point of petals Chinese art comprises at least seven different techniques for drawing lotus petals.

Our designer has drawn from the – starting point – of the “draw bone” technique where different ink tones are lightly daubed in a careful single stroke to place the broad shape of each petal.

Three pigments are prepared which are a breaking or light tone colour, proper mid tone colour then the same colour toned with a blacker ink, in one stroke a tending toward light brush is dipped into the three colours respectively to daub it in the light to dark colour gradient after which the petal is drawn.

In a single stroke the shape of the petal is then defined by the movement with which the brush touches the paper, from the tip to the base the brush is splayed out forming the petal from tip to root.

The general petals depth and shape is defined by the manner in which the brush touches the paper, from the tip the brush is splayed out to the base with pressure varied over the stroke to produce gradient in colour – in this case the tip of the petal is darker than the base.

This play of pressure will create bands of colour in this particular style while the manner in which the angle of the brush is splayed out will define the shape of the petal conforming the perspective angle.

Continuing with the above picture after the basic impression of the petal is drawn the petal is continued with the “lay line colour” method, this is continued with a finer brush laying a typically deeper colour line impressing the outline and the veins of the petal over the previously drawn “draw bone” strokes.

In Chinese painting each stroke like the stroke in a character is made to represent an evident and precise part of the greater picture – as a complex character is represented by many strokes to produce a particular meaning so in painting the strokes are precisely “written” out to make a final form.

Though similar to other painting techniques in that a series of strokes create a final form the traditional Chinese technique is more stipulating in that each and every brush stroke must have a clearly defined and recognised form. It is the layering of the these carefully placed and impressed strokes that form the object with a stroke count that is very small in number in comparison to other painting methods.

This painting better represents a simpler “draw bone” technique of which the petal is impressed in a single stroke.

As before a selection of three pigments are prepared and applied to the brush while the gradient of pigment applied is controlled by the depth to which the brush is applied to the ink.

As the petal is drawn colour is gradiated out by the angle of which the brush touches the paper and the coating of the previously prepared pigment which now coats the brush while care is taken to control the flow of ink to paper corresponding to the depth of colour and shape required for the petal.

Large expansive leaves of the lotus plant are drawn in similar fashion to the petals, this unfinished work above as well as displaying a beautiful small blue bird resting on a stem of a lotus flower illustrates large shady leaves drawn in the traditional fashion.

In the draw out bone technique a dry vertical brush first strokes out the bare shape of the leaf bones, a wetter black daubed brush then draws out larger impressions of leaves where when the brush is wet the heaver elements of the leaf are applied and the lighter parts are drawn from the drier part of the brush.

In this second painting using a frequently used mineral based black ink lotus leaves are drawn in a different technique.

A large though fine haired goat or rabbit brush is used for this style of black pigment drawn leaf, where the large brush is carefully applied to draw the leaf in a single stroke care being taken to apply gradient of colour to better define the edge of the leaf.

In the second stroke to complete a dry brush finishes the structure or bones of the leaf including the central stem part this is in opposite order to the first technique talked about.

Summation

Of myriad techniques for painting lotus I have covered only a few basic points taken as highlights from some of the many Chinese texts available on the subject and recommended reading for any interested in painting in this way.

Perhaps the most important point of all dedicated books is that the characteristic of the plant should be recorded from nature and learnt by heart, continuous practising and careful reflection of the key traits of the flower will ensure the best results.

In this observation and recreation of the natural world modern Chinese traditional paintings is as much connected to the natural world as the first peoples who discovered tools to record the world which was then as is now so connected to us.

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.