I was looking at some ideas recently whereby the world could be depicted by various combinations of simple forms, and as always I am amazed at how long similar ideas have been around, in this case the basic Chinese brush painting strokes, include: upright vertical, oblique, reverse, hidden, exposed, scatter, drag, rub and dot and out of various combinations of these strokes images of everything can be constructed.
Notice how important the elbow to wrist relationship is when maintaining fluid control of the brush
It is perhaps in the coordination between the body and these tools that a wonderful dance can be glimpsed. Fingers 're-find' themselves as they hold a brush in the most delicate manner. The elbow begins a new set of movements parallel to the horizontal surface of the drawing. Shoulders move up and down as pressure changes and breath control becomes essential to the rhythmic continuity of a brushstroke. The brush control in making certain marks that are 'like' forms found in nature is practiced over and over again, so that as the artist becomes more proficient these forms can be combined to make hybrids, which will enable even more 'likenesses' to forms seen in nature to be visualised.
Rat's foot marks; light to heavy brush tip touch, 5 different directions
Chrysanthemum marks; 7 to 8 radiating out in different directions from the same point, weight on the brush slightly varied
Jie marks; dropping from centre, even brush weight
Blob shapes; wet oval strokes with blurred contours
Even-headed marks; horizontal strokes applied lightly with a little
more pressure at the end of the stroke than at the
beginning. The brush is dragged at an angle. (Often used for depicting rock formations)
Pine leaf dots; quick, downward strokes directed toward the centre, done with the tip of an upright brush.
Wutong leaf marks; the upright brush is pressed down in units of four
strokes, with the tip forming the top and the upper
bristle the bottom of the stroke.
Prunus blossom marks; 5 short strokes form a unit.
Outline marks; the triangles are outlined in black using three strokes
Pepper marks; often used for cedar leaves. Done with an upright
brush quickly dabbed onto the paper using a brush tip.
Because landscape is seen as the main and most important subject matter for Chinese inkbrush painting, there are several types of brush strokes that are required learning if you are to become proficient. For myself the most interesting issue that is associated with this particular approach is the way that line and texture become synthesised within single marks. In western European drawing traditions we much more commonly use line and then add tone and texture, but here we can see that by careful controlling of brush angle, speed of movement plus ink mix and amount, one can achieve wonderful textural and tonal control using line alone. There are some basic approaches to working from landscape, the marks above are mainly for working with depictions of masses of plant life, the marks below are usually used for large landscape forms at a distance.
Small axe-cut marks; triangular strokes resembling cuts made by an axe;
done
with a slanted brush.
Long hemp-fibre marks; long, slightly wavy, relaxed strokes. Done with an
upright brush held in the centre of the handle.
Short hemp-fibre marks; shorter and more ragged than the long hemp-fibre strokes, done with the brush tip.
Ravelled-rope marks; each stroke retains a twist; done with the slanted
brush.
Cloud-head marks; curving strokes built up in the shapes like cumulus
clouds.
Mi dot marks; extremely wet, diffuse dots or marks creating a blurry, atmospheric effect, made by laying the brush sideways and parallel to the
picture horizon.
Bands dragged in mud marking; free and spontaneous, the general shape is applied in
wash. Before it dries, strokes are added to produce a
less clearly defined effect.
Nail-head marks; resembles the profile of a nail with a prominent
beginning and ending with a sharp tip. The brush is
pressed down at an angle and the stroke is finished
with the brush in an upright position.
Because of the integration of landscape with calligraphy, the flow of experience that was being captured also led to the development extremely long formats, which then had to be rolled. Rolled paper formats needed to be handled carefully and as a result handscrolls were developed. A hand scroll is viewed by one, two, or maybe three people at a time. It is unrolled with the left hand
and rolled with the right, thus being viewed two or three feet at a time, from left to right. (See post on Emakimono scrolls)
Wang Hui (1632 - 1717) Endless streams and mountains; handscroll, 21 x 480½ in
The rituals associated with this form of ink drawing ensure that these images are encrusted with entanglements, they pull together perceptual memories of landscapes, ritualised hand movements, symbolic equipment, and a language of marks; as well as giving material significance to ink, surfaces (papers or silks), the body and the landscape, all woven into a dance like performance.
The tradition continues and you will find several contemporary Chinese and Japanese artists exploring the possibilities inherent in both the media itself and the cultural myths that surround its use.
PU RU (1896-1963): Lotus & Dragonfly
Lao Dan, Chinese ink on rice paper
Several contemporary artists use ink and brush work in their performances or installations, such as Xu Bing and Yang Yongliang who both in their own ways link the contemporary world with Chinese tradition.
See also:
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