INTRODUCTION

Chinese painting, calligraphy and poetry are closely linked, and are considered high forms of Chinese Art History.

The art of Chinese brush painting is not easy to accomplish. Brushstroke movement, whether quick or slow, plus the amount of pressure applied and whether the brush is held upright or slanted, can be compared to a chord played on a musical instrument or a poem’s neatly-turned phrase. Learning the art of Chinese brush painting is like learning to play the piano or to becoming a poet — it takes lots of practice and years to excel. Think of brushstrokes as the musical notes or the individual words. Once you are familiar with them, you can begin to play beautiful music or write inspiring poetry, and to be able to create your own compositions.

When mastered, strokes of the brush freely express the object desired with little attention to detail. The brushstroke — whether using black ink alone or adding colour — incorporates light and shade, employs smooth or rough and soft or hard strokes to determine sad and happy moods. For example, to “write” out the tree branches, imagine moving your arm like an orchestra conductor would … up to the right, then down a bit, now to the left, and so on. Applied to paper, the artist’s movement is very free — a spontaneous flow of energy.

The Chinese brushstroke method allows for a good storage of paint. Often, one dip with the brush into the pot will load enough paint to complete a flower. This provides a natural way to “fade” the colour from a flower’s very rich centre to the lighter outer petals. The use of rice paper facilitates total absorption of colour pigments, rendering them permanent and colourfast. The wet-mounting technique is simple and can be redone many times to effect a smooth finish of the painting.

My book starts by teaching the traditional Chinese brush painting techniques through the subjects collectively named the Four Gentlemen — Bamboo, Plum Blossom, Orchid and Chrysanthemum. Their significance is noted by the representation of a variety of brushstrokes, the four seasons as well as good human traits. Then it introduces several flowers commonly grown in Canada. Of course, we cannot do without subjects such as fish, butterflies, bees and birds. By learning and practicing the different brushstrokes, you will acquire the skills needed to paint other subjects.

Having lived in Canada for over thirty years, a Canadian influence can be seen in my artwork. With this book, I wish to share my techniques in rendering Chinese brush painting in a contemporary style. I hope that this instructional book will contribute to your study of this magnificent art.

Enjoy!

Eileen Fong, Author and Artist

Burnaby, British Columbia