Chinese Brush Painting (7 page)

5.
Continue making curved strokes that start at the bottom left, as shown in the example.

6.
After you have completed strokes starting from the bottom left, make strokes from the bottom right to the upper left and downward, as shown in the example. Remember, TAB at the beginning and LOB as you taper off the stroke.

Strokes That Need More
Ch’i
Energy
Take A Breath (
TAB
) and Let Out the Breath (
LOB
) to project more
ch’i
energy into these kinds of strokes:
Long strokes (bamboo section)
Curved strokes (orchid leaves)
Tapering strokes (orchid leaves, bamboo leaves)
Press-and-lift strokes (bent orchid leaves, pine trunks and small branches)
Pushing strokes (pine trunks)

Making Thick and Thin Strokes
Making small strokes requires the same arm movements as curves and lines except the strokes are shorter and quicker. It is very important to learn to swing your arm only slightly to make short strokes. Learning to make the following thick and thin strokes is helpful for painting flowers.

1.
Load a small brush with dark mix and hold your hand in position #1.

2.
Starting out thick:
Let the tip of the brush touch the paper, press and quickly lift a little, then press again and lift off. Notice the thick and thin stroke, which should be very short.

3.
Starting out thin:
Touch the paper with the brush tip and this time drag slightly, then press and lift a little quickly, then press again and taper off. This should make a different thin and thick stroke.

Making the Bone Stroke

Another stroke that is often used is the bone stroke. This too requires short arm swings. Why do you think it’s called “bone”?

1.
Load the small brush with the darkest paint mix and hold the brush in position #1.

2.
Touch the tip of the brush to the paper, move your arm slightly to the left and down, then longer to the right, lifting the brush slightly, and then press and move your arm down to the left. Your movement is like a sideways figure eight. The tip of the brush covers its ends by coming back over the strokes. This is a very important way of painting with the tip of the brush. It hides both ends of the stroke.

Learning
Calligraphy

P
eople in the West hardly ever paint a word, frame it, and hang it on the wall in their house. It is very different in China, where calligraphy is considered the highest form of art. Some characters, each of which is a word, are very beautiful designs. Brush-painted characters are often framed or made into hanging scrolls and hung on the wall. Some art galleries have nothing but paintings of calligraphy. You too can make these beautiful works of art if you learn the basic strokes that are combined to make a character.

Painting Basic Strokes

The basic strokes are very important. They are used not only to make words but also for flower petals, animal legs, and mountain peaks. All brushwork uses some form of these basic strokes.

The next page describes eight of the basic strokes and how to paint them. The Chinese like giving names to things, so each brushstroke has a name. The arrows show the direction the tip of the brush moves to make the stroke.

Tips for Learning the Basic Strokes

Use the small brush and the dark mix.

When loading the brush, roll the brush back and forth with your thumb to align the hairs.