Aloof Monkshood Gongbi Workshop
Instructor: Victoria
Tuesday, June 16, 2026 · 9:00 AM–12:30 PM (PT)
Live on Zoom · HD replay with unlimited access · Beginner–Advanced
Four-character title for your calligraphic inscription: 高冷僧鞋花 — "Aloof Monk's Shoe Flower."
Why Monkshood?
Monkshood (Aconitum) is not a flower that seeks affection. Its hooded, deep blue blossoms rise like solitary monks in a mountain monastery — distant, elegant, and quiet. Known in Chinese as 僧鞋花 ("monk's shoe flower"), its distinctive hooded petals — botanically called a galea — resemble both the cap of a monk and the curved toe of a worn sandal. Unlike showy ornamental flowers, Monkshood exudes a cool, introverted elegance entirely its own, making it a deeply meaningful and visually refined subject for gongbi painting, where careful line work and layered color reveal both restraint and quiet power.
What You'll Learn
Ink outline (勾線): how to paint the hooded galea with firm, unhurried strokes — defining the flower's cool authority without losing the softness at its edges.
Color layering (渲染): building cool depth with repeated washes of indigo (花青) and azurite (石青), keeping lighter washes at the hood's rim to suggest cold air and reflected light.
White reserve (留白): leaving crisp white voids along petal edges and at the throat of each bloom — this negative space is the cold air around the flower.
Leaves and stems: a two-tone green approach — lighter yellow-green at the veins, deeper ink-green at the lobes — with deliberate, lobed strokes that echo the flower's architectural character.
Stamens and finishing details: tiny white gouache dots inside the throat that add the final spark of life against deep indigo.
Composition: arranging the main stem with supporting blossoms and buds, while preserving open space for inscription and seal placement.Supplies (use what you have — or order from us)
Paper: fully sized (non-absorbent) rice/Xuan paper — two sheets, 13.5" × 9".
Cicada-wing Xuan (recommended) for sharper outlines and finer gradations.
Brushes: one or two sharp, firm liner brushes for outlines; two medium soft brushes for shading.
Seven-Wolf-Three-Sheep Brush · BHA Gongbi Liner Brush · Essential Three Brushes
Ink & Colors:
Marie's 12 Color Tubes or 12 Color Cakes;
Liquid Sumi Ink
Extras: palette, paper towels/cloth, A4 LED lightbox (optional)
Before Class
The detailed class handout will be emailed the weekend before the session.
Print out the outline template included in the handout for tracing.
After Class
You'll receive the HD recording, demo images, and a quick recap.
Students may email a photo of their work for personalized post-class feedback (composition, inscription/seal placement).
