Freehand figure painting techniques in Chinese painting
Freehand figure painting can be roughly divided into three categories: freehand line drawing, freehand coloring, and freehand freehand painting. Freehand line drawing is an important basic professional course for freehand figure painting, and it is also an expression form that can be used independently. Freehand line drawing focuses on the initial training of observation methods and expression methods of freehand figure drawing. It mainly studies the use of pens and also studies the use of ink. Freehand coloring is the most common and commonly used form of freehand figure painting. It is a further training in pen and ink methods based on the study of freehand line drawing, but the focus should be on the use of color (including the properties of paint, techniques and techniques for using color). Art, color and ink mixing and contrast, coordination, etc.) topics.
Freehand coloring can start from the part-time coloring and writing skills, and gradually let go of the pen and enter the general freehand coloring. In the coloring method, you can also learn how to color with light colors first and then study the performance of heavy colors. Freehand brushwork is a relatively difficult form that maximizes the characteristics of freehand figure painting techniques. Some traditional techniques such as simple brushwork, splashing ink, splashing color, and splashing water can be fully utilized in the large strokes of freehand brushwork. .
1. Basics of freehand line drawing
Line drawing is a commonly used technique for sketching and is also the simplest method. This is a technique that only uses lines of different thicknesses, hard and soft, curves and straights, relative density, and contrast between virtual and real to depict images. It is also the oldest technique in traditional Chinese painting. From Xi'an Banpo painted pottery, you can see the varied line-drawing fish patterns. Comparing these vivid artistic images with primitive fish fossils shows that these fish patterns are great creations with realism and romanticism.
From the perspective of natural science, lines are the boundaries of surfaces, and independent lines do not exist. Even lines as thin as spider silk are cylinders under a microscope. Since each object has a body, if there is a body, there will be a face, and if there is a face, there will be the feeling of lines. It was from this visual practice that the ancestors discovered lines and created the line drawing technique.
When we use this technique to sketch, we must also use this theory to find lines from the structure of objects. This line is an artistic line, which can be thick or thin, wide or narrow. It has both modeling and lyrical functions. It has rich expressive power and lays the foundation for traditional Chinese painting technology. For beginners of line drawing, it is best to start with a large flower head of a broken branch. It is better to sketch with a pencil for easy modification, and then use ink lines to re-draw the final draft. When re-drawing with a brush and ink line, you should pay attention to the changes in the brush, rising and falling with the edges of the flowers and leaves, turning and turning with them, arranging the start and end of the brush with its structure, and following its movement. Pay attention to the speed of the strokes, and follow its movements. Pay attention to the weight and pause of the pen for different textures. Generally speaking, thick lines are suitable for expressing thick things, while thin lines have a stiff and thin feeling. Straight lines are firm, round lines are soft, dry brushes are dry, and wet brushes are moist. The density of the lines can also express different spaces. Sense of color. A line drawing can be composed of uniform and uniform lines or a variety of changing lines. The same goes for the use of ink. A white painting can be completed with the same ink color, or both dark and light colors can be used to achieve unity. All these changes are freely made by the author with respect to his feelings. After becoming proficient, it is best to use ink to sketch directly. The form, spirit, movement, texture, etc. of the object often inspire us to use changes in pen and ink to create new techniques and create more vivid images, which is very important for the creation of freehand paintings. Particularly important.
Sketching is different from taking pictures. You can add branches and leaves, replace flowers and trees, and eliminate the unnecessary and retain the essence to make the image more perfect. It is best for beginners to use local materials and make selections or enhancements instead of post-processing to avoid weakening the vividness of the drawing.
2. Copying method
Banpo people created line drawing, and we must continue to create new techniques. Marx said: "People create their own history, but their creation is not done as they please, or under circumstances they have chosen. It is based on what already exists directly, what already exists, what has been inherited from the past. "In order to create new Chinese painting in the socialist era, we must critically inherit the existing creative achievements. Whether to inherit or not, there are indeed differences in literary style, thickness, speed, and level.
Knowledge comes from direct experience. Copying is an effective method to turn indirect experience into direct experience. Copying methods: One is to copy from opposite sides, the other is to copy from behind. Opposites are mainly used in gongbi paintings, which are highly craftsmanlike and can draw similarities between the strokes. It can also be used in the study of freehand painting. You only need to understand the general idea and do not need to seek resemblance in each stroke. Because freehand painting contains certain accidental effects, even if the original author redraws the original manuscript, it is impossible to make it exactly the same.
The copying process is as follows:
The first step is to select the copy. One is to choose a painter you admire based on your favorite painting style. The works you particularly like are conducive to the development of your own painting style. One is to choose a copy based on your own creative needs and rich expression techniques. One is to choose a copy to correct one's own writing habits. No matter which goal you choose when choosing a copy, it is better to have an original with clear handwriting, or at least a print of good quality.
The second is to read paintings. Read the copy carefully to appreciate the meaning of the painting. To do this, it is also necessary to read material about the author's life, especially reviews related to this painting. Pay attention to the inscriptions, inscriptions, and seals on the picture, which will help you understand the meaning of the painting.
The third is technical analysis. After appreciating the meaning of the painting, carefully examine the technical characteristics and consider how the effect of the painting is achieved, as well as the painting process, what to paint first, what to paint next, where to start the brush, etc. For example, Zheng Banqiao studied Xu Qingteng's "Snow Bamboo Picture" and analyzed it: "It is purely made of thin and broken brushes, dry and broken brushes, which is in no way similar to bamboo; then it is dyed with light ink, and there is no snow on the branches and leaves. The combination of bamboo and hidden leap is a good example. Based on the technical analysis, we should consider the equipment used in the original painting, mainly: whether the painting is made of paper or silk, raw paper or cooked paper; the type of brush used for painting, whether it is hard, soft, or both; and thirdly, the quality of the water, Natural water or water containing glue. Tools and materials are the material basis of techniques. If the tools and materials are not right, it will be difficult to achieve the effect of the original work and learn the techniques. After thinking about it, at least draw something of similar quality.
When creating freehand painting, you must have a complete picture in mind, and when copying freehand painting, you must have a complete picture in mind before you can write ink. According to your own needs, you can apply the entire painting or partial sections. After copying is completed, proofread it against the original, analyze success or failure, and summarize experience. The study time requirements are similar, but when using them, you have to learn from the strengths and discard the weaknesses, and integrate them into me. Yuan Mei, a native of the Qing Dynasty, said on poetry: "In ordinary life, there are ancients, and the academic ability is deep; when writing, there are no ancients, and the spirit is only beginning to emerge." Worth pondering.
3. Freehand painting coloring and freehand freehand painting
In addition to continuing the study of freehand line drawing and pens, the main research direction of freehand painting coloring has shifted to the topic of ink use, color use, and the combination of color and ink.
The brush and ink in Chinese painting are two aspects of an inseparable whole. The ink in the pen and the pen in the ink are the basic requirements for pen and ink in traditional painting. The change of ink color is inseparable from the various pens used. It is not easy to change and have charm. It improves with the improvement of practice and cultivation. If there is ink but no pen, there will be no bones in the ink, and boneless ink will easily rot and flatten, thus losing the expressive power and the special sense of pen power of Chinese painting. Therefore, the issue of using pens mentioned above is actually inseparable from the issue of using ink. Freehand coloring figure painting, although the theme shifts to the use of ink and color, is actually a process of further study of the use of brushes. Color and ink have many different requirements in art. When using ink, it is like using color. Ink can be divided into five colors. When using color, you need to see the pen, and the color should see the bones. This is the traditional requirement for using ink and color. An important formal feature of Chinese painting is the organic, harmonious and rhythmic combination of strokes of various inks and colors with lines as the main body. Of course, as the use of color, it also has many other requirements for artistic expression. In modern freehand figure paintings, the concept of ink and color is expanding and extending, such as the pursuit of texture effects, etc., which enriches and strengthens the concept of ink. Touch of color.
The color of ink can be roughly divided into burnt, heavy, thick, light and clear. There are dry and moist changes, and there are methods of breaking ink, accumulating ink, splashing ink, settling ink and glued ink. The charm and rhythm of ink produce various artistic tastes such as elegance, depth, richness, dripping, and moistness, and are used to express certain shapes and textures, artistic conceptions, and tastes of objects. The trick of using ink is to seek unity in change. This change can be the contrast between various ink colors, or it can be the rhythm, richness and texture of the ink itself. Therefore, there are generally two tendencies in using ink. One is contrast. The other is to seek unity within the unity, and the other is to seek change within the unity. The former pursues richness and distinctiveness, while the latter should be harmonious but not monotonous.
The most commonly used ink method is the broken ink method. Due to the permeability and repellency of raw rice paper, the water content and the order of writing, the blending or overlapping of dark and light inks can produce complex artistic interest. Specifically speaking, it can be divided into different shades, dry and moist, ink and ink, etc. In this process, the water content, speed, time between pen strokes, paper quality and ink quality, pen type and pen type all play a role in varying degrees. For example, if the water content of the ink is the same, due to different writing speeds, the length of the moment when the rice paper and the pen are in contact will be different. In this way, the shade and degree of penetration reflected on the rice paper will be different depending on the amount of ink and water absorbed.
If the time between the two strokes is different, different effects will be produced in the blending of the first stroke with the later stroke due to the different dryness, humidity and penetration range of the first stroke. The amount of water absorbed and released by sheep hair and wolf hair is different, so the effect of breaking ink is also different. Fresh ink, permanent ink, glue ink, and the broken ink method will all produce very different effects.
Fresh ink is sober and colorful, Suzhou ink is simple and thick, and glue ink is dignified and astringent. Depending on the quality of the paper or its permeability, the effects of using the same moisture and ink color will be very different. Oil fume ink, calligraphy and painting ink, pine smoke ink, ink glue and advertising ink colors will all produce different interests on rice paper, and these different properties of ink will produce very different effects depending on the paper texture. Therefore, the mastery of Mohism requires the continuous accumulation of practice and personal experience.
The accumulation of ink method is often used in landscape painting. The so-called accumulation of ink refers to the special artistic effect produced by the continuous interlacing and overlapping of various ink colors and different strokes, giving people a simple, rich and thick feeling. When accumulating, the overlapping of brushstrokes at each level is usually done when the brushstrokes at the previous level are dry. The overlapping of brushstrokes must have both a sense of form and the ability to express objects. When accumulating ink, a wet brush is more difficult than a thirsty brush, because the accumulation of wet brushes can easily make it bloated and dull, making it difficult to achieve a lush and vivid effect; while a thirsty brush is not only prone to being loose and graceful, but also easy to repair if there are any failures. The accumulation of thirsty pens should prevent looseness and delicacy. Mixing wetness and thirst is the most commonly used technique. If done well, it can produce both muddy and beautiful effects. The accumulated ink method is generally used in figure paintings to draw hair, coarse-textured objects and clothing, the skin of the elderly, and to express certain contrasts and special effects in the atmosphere.
The method of Sumo. Sumo is produced by fermentation and separation of the freshly ground ink gum and ink due to the hot room temperature. This deteriorated ink may be accidentally discovered by painters to produce special artistic effects. Due to the partial or complete fermentation of the glue and the free ink particles, the accumulated ink will precipitate. In this way, it will solidify and melt on the rice paper, and the pen marks will be clear and difficult to bleed or cover. Suzhou ink is not as shiny as fresh ink, but it is dark and rich. When painting, it is often difficult for various brush marks to blend and overlap, as well as the occasional bleeding of some unfermented ink, resulting in a unique and strange appearance. Interesting, thus making Sumo method unique and favored by painters of all ages.
The splash-ink method refers to a painting method in which a large amount of uneven ink is splashed onto rice paper. This kind of splashy pen marks and water marks have a natural feeling and strength, but they are also very accidental and random. They are the product of the author's intention and unintentional, and they are easy to appear both reasonable and unexpected. effect. The splash-ink method is often associated with freehand brushwork, and is suitable for subjects and objects that pursue interest, feeling, and do not need to be strict in shape. For example, painting figures with loose and irregular clothes, painting simple figures in activities or dancing, or painting figures in wind, rain, fog or night are all conducive to the use of splash-ink method.
The finger-ink method is a special expression technique that uses fingers as pens for painting. As early as the Tang Dynasty, there are records of "touching plain silk with hands" for painting, but it was Gao Qipei of the Qing Dynasty who truly formed the finger-ink technique. He developed and perfected the finger-ink technique on the basis of his predecessors. Finger painting actually uses the fingers, the fingers themselves, and even the palms to paint. Generally speaking, the bumps and skin of the hands are water reservoirs. The ink attached to the hands continues to flow along the fingers to the fingertips, using the fingernails and fingertips to paint. Point the meat for painting. The nails do not need to be too long, about half a centimeter is enough. If they are too long, the traces drawn will easily be thin, and the nails and flesh will contact the paper at the same time, which will easily produce a thicker effect. The five fingers can be used separately or continuously, or two or three fingers can be used together. Even the joints of the fingers and the palm can sometimes be used together. For the convenience of dipping in water, you can also use a small dish to hold the ink, keep it close at hand, and move your fingers while dipping. The paper used for finger painting should not be too soft. Use soybean milk paper, boiled rice paper or cooked Xuan paper or a paper with a similar softness.
The glue ink method refers to the technique of painting with ginseng glue ink. The ginseng glue can be mixed into the ink first, so that the ink becomes a heavy gel, or the ink and glue can be mixed at any time while painting. Glue ink on rice paper is more difficult to bleed between glue and ink than between water and ink, and is prone to unevenness. We use this special property to express certain new feelings. The glue ink painting method has been used by many people since ancient times. Ren Bonian, Wu Changshuo and Pu Hua are all experts in using glue ink. The traces of glue ink still feel fresh and moist after drying, and the edges formed by water seepage surround the transparent ink rhyme and the ink block effect is often used by painters.
The above-mentioned ink methods are not the only ones. New ink methods are also constantly being discovered and tested, but they need to be further improved and summarized.
Color can be divided into color and use of color. In ancient freehand figure paintings, the use of color occupies a subordinate position, with ink and wash taking precedence and ink as the main component. Works using color, especially heavy colors, are rare. . In modern and contemporary freehand figure paintings, the use of colors has begun to increase.
Chinese painting pigments were originally obtained directly from minerals and plants. Cinnabar, vermilion, ocher, azurite, azurite, azurite, etc. are all processed from mineral sands. Cyanine, garcinia, and rouge are all processed from mineral sand. It is processed from the juice of plants. The pigments used in modern times have broken through the original framework. Many watercolors such as ultramarine, purple, magenta, eosin, chrome yellow, sky blue, scarlet, lemon yellow, etc. have become frequently borrowed colors, and even some watercolors are sometimes mixed with watercolors. and use it. Among the colors, mineral colors and powdery colors are not easy to bleed, but are easy to precipitate. Generally speaking, plant substances and non-mineral and non-powder colors have a high bleed rate and are not easy to settle. However, true mineral colors have the advantage of not being easy to fade. , and other colors will fade in the picture after a certain period of time, making it difficult to preserve it for a long time.
There are three types of colors used in freehand figure paintings: primary colors, blended colors and colored inks. Ancient paintings mainly used primary colors, as did freehand figure paintings, and most of them were light colors. Modern freehand figure paintings use a variety of colors, and the techniques have also increased. There is a natural connection between primary colors and ink colors. The primary colors of a picture dominated by ink will appear simple, eye-catching, and harmonious. For images dominated by primary colors, ink will also have a clear and bright effect. In modern freehand figure paintings, the use of primary colors is still an important topic for people to study, especially the study and absorption of primary colors used in folk art and folk arts and crafts. As a result, the primary color tones of modern freehand figure paintings are much richer than in ancient times.
Modern freehand figure painting pays attention to the color tone of the picture, which promotes the research on the use of mixed colors. For example, the color methods used in Western paintings, especially watercolor and gouache paintings, the tonal processing of modern arts and crafts, the color feeling of polished lacquer paintings, and the pursuit of new aesthetic perspectives in nature, etc., are all color blends that influence Chinese freehand figure paintings. important factors to use. However, the basic focus of the research on tonal colors in Chinese freehand figure paintings should be on the changes in inherent colors, and the research and utilization of light source colors cannot be the focus. When blending colors, we should put more effort into expressing the changes in rich and colorful inherent colors, and obtain large unity, small contrast, rich and coordinated effects from the juxtaposition of color blocks.
In ancient works, the use of color generally does not break the boundaries between the different inherent colors of the object. In modern works, some still use this technique, but they have begun to be based on the needs of the picture and the author's wishes. Use subjective feelings to summarize and process the colors of the picture, or break the boundaries between inherent colors, or merge similar colors or even change the original hue according to the needs of atmosphere and expression, etc. Although these techniques go beyond the hue and boundaries of inherent colors, they still need to rely on the represented objects and respect the overall feeling and impression of the specific objects. Otherwise, it is easy to lose the concentration of life and develop the habit of using colors in a stylized and conceptual way. .
Colored ink is a very distinctive expression technique in Chinese freehand painting. Due to the infiltration characteristics of raw rice paper, the mutual infiltration process of color, ink and water will form endless and extremely rich color and ink depth levels. If the ink dipping skills are high, the water, color and ink will be mixed before putting down the pen. The tip of the brush first forms rich layers. If the changes in the tip of the brush and the permeability of the rice paper are properly utilized when using the brush, a magical effect that only Chinese freehand painting can have will be produced.
When mixing colors and inks, you should pay attention to several points. First, the inks and colors should not be mixed excessively in the palette. If the mixture is too uniform, a dull effect will easily be formed on the picture. If the mixture is too even, you can dip it in water again before writing to cause uneven color and ink at the end of the pen. Second, after dipping the water-containing pen into ink and color, you do not need to mix it on the plate again. That is, you can directly put the pen on the paper, blend it while moving the pen, and express it at the same time, allowing the color, ink and water to blend naturally on the paper. , so that color and ink can retain their original brightness. The third is to improve the ability to grasp the color and ink content at the end of the pen and the effect after the pen is put down through continuous practice, especially the repeated application from thick to light after the pen is put down, so that the contrast, level and proportion of the color and ink will change from strong to weak during the strokes. Rich and natural color and ink gradient. Fourth, the mixed use of white and ink will form a special color that is different from the light silver gray. If used juxtaposed with fresh pure light ink, it will produce a subtle sense of rhythm. Mixing colors and inks will enhance the plainness of colors, add layers of ink, and easily make the picture less firey and vulgar. However, it is not advisable to use colored ink extensively in a picture, as this will easily cause it to become blurred and broken. Mixed color inks and unmixed color inks can be used together to make the picture more durable.
In modern history, there are many masters in the use of color and ink, such as Wu Changshuo, Ren Yi, and Qi Baishi, who have provided us with many examples in this field, which need to be further inherited and developed.
Water use. Freehand figure painting is inseparable from water. Water is a very important factor in bringing out the characteristics of pen, ink and color. "Ink is not water and does not wake up, but wakes up and it is clear and spiritual." To have a charming picture, you must first master the use of water. Skill. The use of water involves the amount of water in the tip of the pen, the type of paper and pen, the speed of using the pen and the length of time it is in contact with the paper, the strength and method of using the pen, and the different properties of the water itself, etc. For example, the amount of water content at the end of the pen directly affects the result of the penetration of the picture, and the same water content will produce different wet feelings under different pen speed and strength. Soft and hard pens containing the same moisture will produce different pen marks because soft pens release water slowly and hard pens release water quickly, and paper with different properties will directly affect the degree of moisture penetration. The same water content will produce different effects due to different ways of using the pen in the middle, side, lying, and reverse. For example, the water in the center of the brush flows smoothly, while the water in the side and horizontal brushes does not flow. The back of the brush will reduce the contact area between the brush bristles and the paper due to the tightness and looseness of the brush bristles, making it impossible for the rice paper to concentrate on absorbing the water contained in the tip of the brush, etc. The different properties of water itself will affect its blending effect with color and ink. For example, clear water, mixed water, alum water, glue, and wine can be used for blending, or used alone, which will produce different artistic interests. Clear water is the most commonly used. The effects of pen, ink, and color mentioned earlier refer to the effects of clear water. Mixed water can make the color stable, alum water can make the pen marks of the colored ink clear, glue can slow down the penetration speed, make some of the colored ink seem to be decomposed, and maintain a moist feeling. Wine can speed up the penetration range and also make the color more stable. Some colors and ink deposits, etc. If different kinds of water enter the paper surface first, they will form water halo and pen marks on the raw rice paper, and these water marks will create exclusiveness, making it impossible for the color and ink applied later to cover them all. Thereby retaining traces of varying degrees to express certain special effects. A large amount of clean water can partially wash away the traces of wet color and ink, or directly penetrate into the color ink to create new water marks.
Outlining is the main form of Chinese painting, and it is also the most difficult to express. The single line outline is clear and exposed, so it requires more careful design and deeper skills than other forms of pen use, so that the strokes of the picture can be exquisite, powerful, and experienced. There must be echoes and rhythms between the brushes to form sparse. It's dense, with the right amount of lightness and dryness. Change the traditional way of using lines, pursue new forms of interest, and pursue the overall rhythm of the line and the overall sense of shape. The writing is simple but the meaning is complex. The outline should be as concise as possible. If necessary, the outline can be recombined according to needs, make careful selections, and even change the original form of the object. Pay attention to the expression of the skill of each stroke, the contrast between the hardness and softness, the straightness and the lightness of the strokes, the echo and rhythm of each other, and the strokes used to form the main body should be carefully considered as much as possible. Mainly using techniques such as outlining, rubbing, and bleeding, the painting can combine solidity with virtual looseness, and pay attention to the effect of solidity but not rigidity, looseness and unexpectedness.
Life sketches. Although it is an impromptu sketch, it is necessary to accumulate a large amount of interesting life sketch materials in daily life. Both brush sketches and other sketches can be used. On the basis of this sketch, sketches can be conceived to promote the use of imagination. Dragging and smearing, painting at the same time, in one go, in order to achieve a free, vivid and integrated artistic effect
Make full use of the ability of Su Mo to see the brush when wet and seem to bleed but not bleed. Generally speaking, Su Mo is easier to achieve with a wet brush, while dry brush has less obvious characteristics. Therefore, when painting with Su Mo, you can use wet brushes and saturated brushes. . The expression mainly based on loose and dry brush can give people a sense of vitality. Dry and concise is the key to mastering the dry brush. Use the flying white produced by the dry brush for appropriate rendering, and through careful tidying up, the painting will be loose and integrated. effect. Breaking the conventional combination of lines, forming an organic combination of points and lines, and changing the texture effect of the lines, but maintaining the basic characteristics of traditional lines that emphasize skill, in order to enrich the artistic interest of the lines and improve the expressiveness of the lines. The combined use of various techniques, the organic combination of dry, wet, chafing, rubbing, dotting, smearing, bleeding and dyeing can more fully express the object image. Before starting to write, you can have a general idea of ??the arrangement of lines, points and surfaces. In order to make the overall picture natural and rich.