Many Chinese brush-painting instruction books only focus on painting a few species of flowers, such as lotus, peony, and plum blossom, because these flowers symbolise various ideals in the Chinese culture. This book introduces painters to a variety of brushwork and floral painting techniques, and shows how to apply them to a diverse collection of flowers.

This richly illustrated book is for artists and people with no prior painting experience who want to learn the art classical Chinese brush painting using traditional materials. It follows the free form or "boneless" painting style of brush painting rather than the meticulous style. Each chapter begins with clear, step-by-step instructions to master the elements. Special sections--Practice Tips, Artistic Touch, Setup Guides, and Color Guides--provide essential information at a glance. Over 250 color illustrations show closeup details, errors to avoid, and full paintings. Photographs show brush handling techniques and examples of each flower subject as it grows in nature. Chinese symbolism and philosophy are integrated into the text. The Troubleshooting Guide at the end addresses problems encountered by painters new to this medium.

Explains te principles of Chinese painting, demonstrates brush strokes, and shows how to paint flowers, plants, birds, and insects

Try your hands at these historically and culturally important methods, and create some beautiful paintings of your own. Chinese painting is an ancient art that has evolved and become refined over many centuries. Artists brush ink and color pigments onto silk or paper using a variety of techniques, with two main approaches: gongbi a traditional and realistic style based on line drawing, and xieyi style, a freehand method that uses fewer strokes to suggest objects in a less literal way. Painting themes generally fall into three categories: figure, landscaping, and bird-and-flower. Chinese brush painting is mainly presented in lines, shades and white space to express the feelings about nature, social phenomena, and the very essence of the universe. The framework for this expression is often traditional: certain subjects carry cultural connotations that are well-known and imbue the painting with a layer of meaning beyond face value of objects shown. The traditional subjects such as mandarin ducks, butterflies, and the 'Four Gentlemen' (plum blossoms, orchids, bamboos, and chrysanthemum) are examples that contain this rich cultural meaning. Readers will learn first about the tools and materials, then painting techniques. Early pages explore the very basic painting methods and subjects—perfect for beginning painters—but continue to build skills for painting plants and animals of increasing complexity. Chinese Brush Painting illustrates several Chinese brush painting techniques with the use of different tools, brushwork and color mixing. With the step-by-step projects, you can first follow the introductory lessons to learn the necessary skills of brushwork, usage of paper, and characteristics of water, ink and colors; then follow the advanced lessons to learn the compositions and more complicated color applications.

Paint beautiful works of art using the special brush-and-ink techniques cultivated for centuries by Chinese artists--techniques that allowed them to represent the structure and spirit of any subject. Every image here provides inspiration, while background information enlightens you on how the style developed, and practical guidance helps beginners select brushes, paper, ink, and other supplies. Master the skills of both the Literati (freehand) and Meticulous (more formal) styles, and see how to create each of the classic and meaningful Four Gentlemen--the blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum--as well as a range of elegant birds. More than 15 exquisite projects include a flower-and-bird parchment fan, bamboo greeting cards, and lantern with a nightingale in peach blossom.

The aesthetic and symbolic properties of plants and gardens are enjoyed the world over, but this book focuses on 200 of the plants which enjoy particularly high esteem in The Orient. Oriental Plants presents these specimens by means of beautifully hand-drawn plates. It may come as a surprise to many peoplethat the majority of the cultivated plants and trees we are so fond of here in the western world originally hailed from China and the Orient. The Chinese revere the plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum as the four gentlemen, believing that they possess incomparably noble qualities; and for the Japanese, cherry blossoms symbolize love and hope. This has led to a longstanding tradition of painting plants that developed into a significant style of painting. The book is firmly rooted in this tradition, and of particular importance is the way in which it has been produced; printed on paper scroll which is as thin as silk, it is bound using traditional methods.

“You’ll want to keep this book close to your painting table....Guides you from the beginning with information on the materials you need and the basic steps involved.”—Decorative Artist’s Workbook. “With the right instructions and a little time you can get very good results, and that’s what this book provides—step-by-step, manageable little steps to the goal.”—The Crafter’s Bookshelf.

Chinese brush painting is an ancient art, steeped in history, symbolism and ritual, and closely linked to Chinese calligraphy. This beautifully illustrated book takes you on a journey through the history, techniques and materials that will enable you to produce stunning paintings of flowers, birds, animals and landscapes.

Begin your voyage into this ancient style of watercolor painting with this georgeous introduction. Learn everything you need to know, from the essential materials and techniques to mounting a completed painting. A selection of classic motifs, freom enchanting flowers to captivating creatures, is accompanied by informative and inspirational textt that guides you through the creative process. With this unique and accesible approach, anyone can experience The Ch'i of the Brush.

On these pages, two distinct painting traditions converge, each bringing its unique charm and perspective to create fascinating new effects. The realistic depiction common to Western watercolors is integrated with the Chinese aesthetic of resemblance of spirit, harmonizing the lifelike images of Western art with the poetic charm of Chinese painting. The paintings presented in Watercolor Flowers: Chinese Style walk us through the year, season by season. Whether delicate or beautiful, bold or gentle, each blossom has been meticulously presented by the brush of renowned Chinese watercolor painter Lu He. In these pages, you will find: The basic tools of watercolor painting, Basic watercolor techniques, Carefully presented tutorials with systematic steps, Ways to blend Chinese ink painting and Western watercolor aesthetics to present a harmonious painting, An exploration of the 24 solar terms in traditional Chinese thought, Insight into traditional Chinese flower culture, Sketches prepared for beginners, The skills gained as you follow this step-by-step guide will give you the confidence to begin your own journey of exploration, allowing you to find new ways of bringing beauty to the canvas. Book jacket.