Chinese Brush Painting: A Complete Course in Traditional and Modern Techniques

By Jane Evans

Book Overview

This comprehensive guide shows the aspiring artist how to master Chinese brush painting techniques and philosophies. Intended as a "how-to" manual, the book takes students step by step through a creative process that helps achieve the flowing, spontaneous style of this unique art form. The heart of the book is devoted to detailed methods for painting such simple subjects as bamboo and plum blossoms, and then moves on to more ambitious motifs, such as birds, fish, and landscapes. The 150 superb illustrations-82 of which are in full color-complement a text that covers both traditional and modern techniques and shows how Eastern methods can be adapted to Western subjects. Thorough in its instructional approach and rich in creative possibilities, this inspirational and superbly illustrated book will be indispensable to artists at all skill levels in search of new and exciting methods of artistic expression. Book jacket.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0823006328
• ISBN13: 9780823006328
• Release Date: January 1987
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill Publications
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 1.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 8.2" x 11.1"

Customer Reviews

Definitive text

This is the classic text on Chinese brush painting written by a British woman who studied in the traditional manner with Asian painting masters. Her presentation is thorough (history, tools, technique, pedagogy) and she guides the student through the traditional first four "subjects" that are traditionally studied--the "Four Friends", i.e plum, bamboo, orchid, chrysanthemum--in that order. Mastery of these four subjects thoroughly schools the students in the brushwork required in this style. Even those who do not wish to paint in this style exclusively should study this work. Western style painting can only benefit from the exquisite sensitivity of brushstrokes disciplined in this tradition.