CHINESE PAINTING TECHNIQUES FOR EXQUISITE WATERCOLOURS

Chinese brushwork and painting techniques have long been renowned and respected as a classic style in water-based media. Celebrated for its simplicity and fluid lines, it has the ability to render natural objects with a minimum of effort and marks. Many western artists, however, were daunted by the special inks required and the low-key palette of colours. In this book the author, Chinese-born Lian Zhen, introduces his fresh new approach to Chinese painting that combines the best elements of its mark-making and sympathy for natural subjects with the freshness and vitality of modern watercolours in a range of attractive colours. The book starts with some basic advice about Chinese painting, with the author showing how to hold a brush and make basic strokes. In the second chapter he goes on to show, in short step-by-step demonstrations, how to work in either a detailed style or a loose style, and how to combine the two approaches to give focus to compositions. The second half of the book concentrates on the two main subjects of traditional Chinese paintings - the 'bird and flower' genre and swimming fish.These subjects allow artists free reign to explore compositions and colours, and are illustrated with a series of detailed step-by-step demonstrations of complete pictures.