Subject Matter: The Three Friends of Winter-Pine, Bamboo, and Plum Blossom

The poetic inscription is: 岁寒三友 “Three Friends of Winter”. The reference painting is by Zhao Mengjian(趙孟堅  c. 1199–1264 ) who has made this grouping of the three friends a popular category in traditional Chinese brush painting. Zhao was a high ranking scholar-official and court painter in the Song dynasty, and became president of the Hanlin Academy.

In this workshop, we will study after this masterpiece in semi-Gongbi, or Gongbi style, in ink monochrome, or with colors depending on your personal preference.

Why Gongbi? 

Gongbi elaborate-style painting is a kind of art that, when you watch others doing it, it looks tedious and boring, but, when you do it yourself, it’s very meditating and relaxing. Although it is time consuming to finish a Gongbi painting, the success rate is much higher than free-hand painting. The techniques you gain from Gongbi practice will provide a solid foundation for other styles of brush painting.  

Why to study calligraphy and Gongbi painting together in a workshop?  

1.  They both emphasize on line quality, so it will benefit each other in terms of brush control.

2.  The coloring of Gongbi painting is very similar to western style watercolor painting, but they are quite different in composition and brush strokes. Chinese brush calligraphic and gongbi painting will make your watercolor painting more exquisite.  

Class Format

1) Calligraphy practice in four styles: Standard, walking, cursive, clerical. The calligraphy session will be inserted while we wait for the painting to dry between each layers.

2) Basic Gongbi Painting Skills

  (a)To learn how to hold two brushes in one hand (one brush with color; the other with clean water) for color shading. 

  (b)Learn the basic techniques of ink outlines;  

  (c)Study 3 basic ways of color washing: 1) Separated washing; 2) glazing, 3. Highlighting.

3) Work on the entire sample painting, starting from ink outline. 

4) Critic in class for each student no matter how much you have finished.

5) You may need some more time after class to refine the painting, and for calligraphy, you need to practice more before writing it on the painting. The Zoom class will be recorded and available for class registrants to review with no time limit and you may submit your finished work by email for critique. .

List of Supplies:

1) None-absorbent Sized Xuan Paper:  For each workshop I will use 2 pieces of 13.5’’x 9" sized Xuan paper. 

 Cicada-wing-sized-xuan is highly recommended for easy tracing and more sized in getting sharper lines: https://www.blueheronarts.com/cicada-wing-sized-xuan-paper-gongbi-painting-27x545-p-2497.html

2) Brushes:

BHA liner brush: Renbo Nian's Brush: https://www.blueheronarts.com/bonian-small-wolf-sheep-mixed-hair-brush-p-3835.html Or Seven-wolf-three-sheep brush: https://www.blueheronarts.com/seven-wolf-three-sheep-combination-brush-p-868.html

Rat Whisker liner brush: https://www.blueheronarts.com/whisker-liner-brush-original-p-9.html

In addition to the liner you need three Basic brushes: one soft hair for water, one stiff brush for color, and a small for details.  https://www.blueheronarts.com/basic-three3-chinese-painting-brushesall-p-22.html

3) Color and ink :

Marie’s 12 color tubes: 

https://www.blueheronarts.com/marie-color-chinese-painting-colours-small-p-107.html

Ink:  https://www.blueheronarts.com/chinese-calligraphy-sumi-painting-100g-p-4190.html

4) Light box :  9.5’’X12’’  (optional) 

Price :

$50.00

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