Basic painting techniques of flowers and birds in traditional Chinese painting

To learn to paint flowers, in addition to viewing and copying ancient and modern famous paintings, you must also appreciate and sketch actual flowers in depth, and understand the withering and blooming of flowers. As well as the moods in frost, sunshine, rain and dew, here is a brief description of its structure and ecology from the flowers, leaves, branches and other parts. Below are the basic techniques for painting flowers and birds in traditional Chinese painting that I bring to you. Welcome to read.

Observation of Flowers

(1) Flowers: Flowers are often the theme of the picture. Generally, flowers include petals, stamens, receptacles, calyx and other parts.

The petals are divided into single petals and double petals (complex petals), and the flower shapes are divided into separate petals and closed petals.

Peonies, roses, etc. have double petals; pear blossoms, kapok, etc. have single petals; morning glories, lilies, etc. have single, closed petals. Most flowers have single petals. There are different varieties of petals and double petals, such as peach blossoms, hibiscus flowers, narcissus, hibiscus, plum blossoms, etc.

The stamens vary in length.

Monoecious flowers have large and small stamens together. Dioecious flowers have only small stamens or only large stamens. Some flowers have more obvious stamens and some have more secretive stamens. They all need to be separated. Observe carefully.

The calyx also varies depending on the type of flower. For example, the five petals of plum, apricot, and peach are gathered together, the five petals of plum, pear, and begonia grow on a long stalk, and the calyx tip of rose, etc. Long, camellia calyx resembles fish scales, etc.

(2) Leaves: When single-leaf plants grow leaves from branches or stems, the phyllotaxis is opposite, alternate, whorled, and clustered.

Some plants with compound leaves are pinnate, palm-shaped, or bird-foot-shaped, and some have double leaves. The forms are more complex. You must first understand the rules of their growth to avoid making mistakes in the complexity.

Leaves have petioles and veins, and their shapes have different size ratios such as pointed, rounded, and length.

(3) Stems and branches: They can be divided into woody herbs, vines, vines, etc. Woody branches are stiff and some are quite thick. Herbaceous stems are mostly tender, and some become right-handed or right-handed. They spread left-handedly, and some even have whisker-like climbing stems.

Flower sketching

All kinds of flowers are relatively fresh and vibrant in the morning or morning, which is a good time for sketching. Sketching is to collect materials for creation. If it is for the needs of meticulous painting , it must be described in detail.

Sometimes we need multiple flowers to gather together in the painting. When collecting materials for sketching, we need to have front, back, side, and oblique ones; there are complete flowers, and there are also flowers hidden by branches and leaves. The flowers that live in some parts of the plant include both small buds and large buds that are about to bloom.

The same is true for leaves. In addition to adult leaves, there should also be young leaves and buds. Pay attention to the fact that the yin and yang are facing away, and the large and small are interspersed. The branches should also be divided into trunks and branches, as well as their posture and density on the picture.

These are the first issues we should pay attention to when collecting materials for purpose sketching.

Although flower-and-bird paintings do not often use moving viewpoints in landscape paintings, and the viewpoints are usually relatively stable, we can use the moving viewpoint method when observing, select the most beautiful angle for sketching, and pay attention to the flowers, branches, and leaves. Size ratio.

When drawing flowers, you can start from the stamens and petals. Usually, draw the most complete and front petal first, and then expand it outwards. If the petals are too complicated, you can summarize them, and pay attention to the beauty of their shape.

The same is true for painting leaves. In addition to paying attention to leaf order and structure, you should also pay attention to the upward, downward, dorsal and density changes of the front and rear leaves. Finally, draw the branches and the skin of the large trunk. For example, the large trunk of a plum blossom should be old, the skin pattern should be diagonally chapped, the small trunk should be straight and strong, the peach trunk skin should be horizontally cracked, the pine trunk skin should be scaled, the crape myrtle trunk skin should be smooth, and other characteristics of different types of branches.

When sketching flowers, you should start by breaking off branches of flowers. Take a branch with flowers and leaves that are easy to draw, place it in a vase and observe it in detail. You can also open the covered stamens to study the detailed structure.

After you are familiar with simple broken branches, you can choose a corner of the whole flower to try or sketch the whole flower. Due to the complexity of the branches and leaves, you must choose an appropriate angle and make significant deletions or adjustments. .

In short, sketching flowers is not just illustrations or illustrations of plants. It requires subjective selection and beautification, and emphasizes the expression of interest.

Observation of Birds

Birds are also called "feathers" in Chinese paintings. They can be divided into two categories: waterfowl and mountain birds. According to their living habits, they can also be divided into Wading birds, swimming birds, raptors, climbing birds, songbirds, pheasants, etc. The characteristics and habits of each type are as follows:

(1) Wading birds: They live in shallow water and prey on fish and shrimps. Its mouth , neck, and feet are very long. For example, cranes, storks, herons, etc.

(2) Swimming birds: They like to swim in the water. They have flat mouths, short feet, and webbed toes. They prey on fish, shrimps and small insects. For example, seagulls, wild ducks, mandarin ducks, geese, albatrosses, etc.

(3) Birds of prey: They have powerful wings, hook-shaped mouths, sharp feet, fierce temperament, and specialize in preying on small animals. For example, eagle, vulture, osprey, falcon, etc.

(4) Climbing birds: Most of them have hook-shaped upper beaks and shorter lower beaks. They have two toes in front and two in back. They can use barbarian climbing to grasp on tree trunks.

For example, parrots, woodpeckers, etc.

(5) Songbirds: They like to sing, and most small birds generally fall into this category. For example, weevil, warbler, thrush, shrike, oriole, starling, etc.

(6) Pheasant: It is a terrestrial bird with a large body, beautiful coat, long tail, and a beak similar to that of a chicken. It mostly grows in the bushes of mountains and forests. For example, pheasant, golden pheasant, long-tailed pheasant, peacock, etc.

Birds lay eggs, so their bodies (excluding heads, necks, feet, tails, etc.) are egg-shaped. Due to different living environments and habits, their beaks, foot wings and tails also have different proportions and characteristics. Generally speaking, most waterfowl (wading birds, swimming birds) have long beaks and short tails, while mountain birds (songbirds, climbing birds, Pheasants) mostly have short beaks and very long tails. Those with hooked beaks eat meat, those with thin pointed beaks eat insects, those with long beaks eat bears and shrimps, and those that eat shells have thick, conical beaks. Most birds that can fly long distances have long and well-developed wings. Most waterfowl have long necks, so that they can attack quickly and peck at fish.

In addition, the shape of the head, the color of the eyes, and the height of the position are all different, and their characteristics must be grasped.

Birds have feathers all over their bodies. The fine cotton feathers have the function of keeping warm. In addition, there are also semi-cotton feathers, as well as many unclear shapes and many layers that overlap into one large piece. The other type has clearer pinnae shapes, such as wing and tail feathers, which all have detailed names. You should carefully observe the shapes of feathers in different parts and their overlay relationship in order to become familiar with the organization and order of bird feathers.

In addition, it is necessary to understand the male and female of birds. In most birds and beasts, the male is more beautiful. A few male and female birds have the same feathers, but the female bird is always slightly smaller than the male bird. The wings of the bird are as small as The tail, super left or super right, is the opposite of male and female; the female bird's right wing and right tail feathers are on top, and the male bird's left wing and left tail feathers are on top. The joy, anger, sadness, and fright of birds are also expressed differently in their wings, tails, and postures.

Sketching of Birds

Birds are not only complex in structure, but also lively and active. It is a big challenge for beginners to directly sketch with real birds.

At the beginning, you might as well sketch bird specimens. The advantage of drawing specimens is that you can observe details in detail from all angles, and even the number of important feathers can be counted slowly. Especially painting fine-brush feathers is very helpful for observing specimens. However, the disadvantage of drawing specimens is that it is easy to draw works with stiff dynamics and even distorted shape and proportions.

Although the specimens are taxidermied from real birds, they are artificially stuffed with cotton in the body and are easily deformed. The eyes of the birds do not change according to different types, and are usually equipped with uniform artificial substitutes. The open wings and legs are made of iron wire to support the weight and maintain the shape. Often due to the maker's neglect of observation and lack of skills, the joints become distorted, stiff and straight, the center of gravity is unstable, and the feathers are messy.

After beginners understand these likely symptoms, they may wish to compare pictures of birds in reference books, or go to bird shops, zoos or even wild observations, and use the function of the camera to freeze the movements of the moment as a Auxiliary reference materials for sketching.

After observing bird specimens, you can try sketching birds in cages. It is best to go to a bird shop to buy a bird that you are familiar with and docile. It is best if the price is not too high and it is easy to keep as an object for sketching. First of all, we need to observe its various movements, such as stepping on branches, pecking and drinking, searching for feathers, wanting to rise, wanting to fall, crying, necking, flying, etc., and memorize their characteristics.

Before sketching, you may wish to observe carefully and discover the most repeated movements or the longest-lasting patterns. As a sketching option, use pencil or brush to sketch. When the posture of the bird changes, you may wish to follow the sketch. Repair the memory, or wait for the same dynamic to appear, and then quickly grasp it. If it is more time-consuming to draw in detail, you need to patiently stop drawing and complete the drawing in several times. It is best to observe frequently when creating, so that it is easy to capture. The look of a bird.

The behavior of a bird in a cage is slightly different from that of a bird in nature, just like the expressions and movements of a person in prison are different from those of a free person outside. In order to show that "a good bird is also a friend on a branch" ’ of nature, and to understand the living environment and habitat of each bird. It is best to go to the mountains and forests for on-the-spot observation, and it is better to use a telescope to watch birds.

Each bird has different habits and postures. For example, swallows and pigeons do not stand on branches, cranes and egrets sleep with one fist and one foot, and crows and magpies have completely different dynamics.

In addition, when birds are perching or not flying, their heads must face the wind. If the wind is at their backs, their feathers must be lifted up. This phenomenon should also be noted.

When sketching, you can first draw the main shape of the bird (egg-shaped) and then add the head (the head is also roughly egg-shaped) according to the head's dynamics (such as extending the head, constricting, twisting, etc.) , then add wings, tail and feet. The claws need to be firm when on flat ground and tight when on branches. If you are not careful, if you shrink your neck, you will stretch your legs, and if you shrink your legs, you will stretch your neck. You cannot stretch both at the same time. The most important thing is that the body must have a center of gravity and the shape must be lively and lively in order to express vitality.

White drawing method

White drawing method refers to a method of drawing objects with ink lines without color.

There is also a line drawing method in the paintings of figures, animals and animals. For example, the two earliest silk paintings unearthed from Chu tombs in the Warring States Period were expressed using the line drawing method. In ancient my country, they were called "white paintings". The picture below is Shouping's "Narcissus Picture" is painted in white, full of simple and meticulous ink charm.

The white drawing method is mainly lines, and can also be rendered with light ink. When drawing lines, the brush and ink should be combined with the characteristics of the form. The twists and turns of the brushwork and the thickness of the lines should all be based on the texture or characteristics of the object being expressed. For example, using thinner and lighter lines to draw petals can easily show their delicateness. Soft; it is easier to draw leaves and branches with thicker and thicker lines to express their hard and thick texture; it is easier to express the fluffy feathers of birds with thin lines that are slightly dry and empty at the beginning and end of the stroke. And soft feeling.

Chinese painting is the eloquence of lines, especially in line drawing, the quality of lines is the main key to the success or failure of a painting.

When painting in white, you should focus on the center. The pressure and speed of the pen should be even. The drawn line should have the effect of "soft on the outside and hard on the inside", and the power should be contained. It is not suitable to Exposed to the outside; words that lack subtlety cannot be read for a long time. Excessive sharpness and exposed strength can easily show a domineering appearance. Sometimes fashion can reduce the beauty of certain flowers and birds, so the lines drawn by Bai should "embrace the gracefulness of the new building."

In addition, the speed of writing should not be too fast, nor should it be sluggish. It must have the meaning of "going all the way without going back". The strength of the wrist must be brought to the end. When the pen is stopped and lifted up, it must not be scribbled hastily. As for the line drawing of flowers, according to the demonstration provided by Professor Wu Xuerang, there are three main lines:

One is starting and stopping (one-character drawing), which is suitable for drawing leaf stems, bamboo trunks, etc.

The second one is nail head and rat tail drawing, suitable for drawing leaf ribs, leaves, etc.

The third one is a continuous arc drawing, suitable for painting petals.

The order of drawing a bird is to first draw a long stroke in the middle of the beak, then draw a stroke in the upper and lower jaws, and then draw the eye circles, eye dots, forehead, back, wings, chest, abdomen, legs, Claws, tail patch. When drawing fine hair, the starting and closing of the strokes should be light, and the middle section should be slightly thicker. If the strokes are too heavy, it will not be easy to express the texture of the feathers.

The double-hook color-filling painting method is a painting method that uses lines to outline the object and then fills it with color. It is also called the hook-leaf color-filling method or the double-hook coloring method. It is dyed based on the white drawing.

Its origins are very early. This painting method has been seen in the silk paintings unearthed from the Western Han Dynasty tomb in Mawangdui. Huang Quan, a painter of the Five Dynasties, is a representative painter of the double hook filling method. His lines are slender and the colors are bright. , is the mainstream of flower-and-bird painting in the Northern Song Dynasty. Xu Xi from the south of the Yangtze River also used the double-hook filling method, but his style was wild and unrestrained, paying more attention to the interest of lines and the charm of ink. Later flower-and-bird painters mostly adopted Xu Xi's brushwork method. , using color to take the method of Huang Quan, and taking the similar charm of the two families. The "Bamboo Bird Picture" by Wu Bing in the Southern Song Dynasty is an example of the double-hook filling method.

For the double-hook painting method, you should choose cooked paper (paper) or silk. After tracing the double-hook with ink line, prepare two brushes for rendering. One should be dipped in color and the other in water. Practice first. Hold two pens in one hand and exchange them flexibly.

When painting, the color should be light and should be dyed several times. Use a clear water pen to push the color of the inside (or center) of the flowers and leaves to the edges. The water content in the clear water pen should be appropriate. If it is too dry, it will leave traces. If it is too dry, it will not be able to be rendered.

After rendering, if the original ink lines have been blurred, you can use a heavy color to hook it once and hook it once, which is called "Le". At the same time, you can also use the background of the drawing paper to add color to the picture. The colors of the flowers and leaves are thicker and more uniform. There are three ways to render flowers:

(1) Dyeing in sequence: first base the flowers with the lightest color (i.e., flat paint the base) and then dye them with other colors, usually white, pink, light For yellow flowers, use white foundation first, and then dye them with light green, magenta, garcinia and other colors. The leaves can be dyed first with grass green and then with cyan.

(2) Dye first: For purple-red or dark red flowers, you can first use cyan (or light ink) to dye them from the inside to the outside, then red. You can also dye the leaves first with flowers. After dyeing with green (or light ink), the grass becomes green again.

(3) Tip-dye painting method: For example, pink lotus petals have red tips and slightly light green roots. You can first use white foundation and then magenta to dye from the tip to the inside, and use it immediately. The light green color is dyed from the inside out and joined before the water dries. The broken leaves that are partially eaten by insects can also be infected by the transfection method.

The method of coloring is slightly different from that of birds. First, it is drawn in white and then dyed with light ink. Then it is dyed with color for the second time. After drying, it is colored for the third time, and then the hair is combed for the fourth time. The fifth color combing hair (silk hair) is commonly used to transform feathers (or livestock).

In order to emphasize the soft and fine feeling of feathers, the principle of combing feathers is to use dark-colored combs for light-colored feathers, and light-colored combs for dark-colored feathers.

Boneless painting method

Boneless painting method is a method of painting objects directly with color without using ink lines.

It is said that the boneless painting method was created by Xu Chongsi in the Northern Song Dynasty. There were very few painters after that. Yun Shouping in the early Qing Dynasty was the master who revived this painting method and had a great influence on modern times.

The boneless painting method is also more appropriate to use cooked paper. Since there is no need for ink lines, the blank "water line" is used to divide the front and rear leaves or the relationship between petals. Dark taste.

The boneless painting method can also be subdivided into several expression methods:

The first is more detailed, such as the double hook and color filling method, which just omits the ink line of the double hook and relies on adding layers of color.

The second painting method is a slightly sparse and freehand brushwork, which is directly dyed with color and completed in one go. The third painting method is to finish the color first, and then dot the area with other similar colors before drying. Similar to broken ink, because cooked paper is used, it produces a semi-fusion effect or a slightly mottled color change.

Generally speaking, line drawing, double hook filling and painting, and boneless painting all belong to the category of meticulous painting, and attention should be paid to the completeness of the form and the clarity of the structure.

Beginners can hook up a sketch of the same size before painting and place it under the drawing paper. Then they will have a basis for composition and shape, and can focus on the interest of color and brushstrokes, no matter what kind of painting they are. The hair method is to draw flowers and leaves, and the colors should have changes in shades. Use a pen dipped in water to facilitate color separation. You can also use the "successive dyeing" method to pursue richer color changes, but the colors should not be too strong or bright, and elegance is always preferred.

After dyeing, wait for it to dry before hooking the leaf tendons, silk flowers or adding stamens to add details.

Freehand painting

Freehand painting refers to using simple and general pen and ink to express the spiritual state of the object. It is a painting method that does not seek resemblance in form but in spirit.

According to records in the history of painting, the landscapes of the Jialing River painted by Wu Daozi in the Tang Dynasty or the splash-ink paintings by Wang Qia may have taken the form of freehand brushwork. Among the handed down paintings, the ink bamboo paintings of Su Shi and Wen Tong of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhongren's plum blossoms can already be classified as freehand painting. In the late Ming Dynasty, Xu Wei used bold brushwork to draw joyful freehand brushwork on rice paper. The picture below is the "Peony, Banana and Stone Picture" painted by Xu Wei. The Bada Shanren, the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou and the Epigraphy School of Painting all expanded many areas of freehand flower-and-bird painting.

Freehand flower and bird painting mostly uses the technique of "dot stacking" or "dot clustering", which can be subdivided into hook flower dot leaf method, lower freehand freehand method, upper freehand freehand method, etc.

It is suitable to use raw paper for freehand painting. You can use ink alone to draw, or you can use several colors to draw. The pen contains a light color first, and then the darker color is added to the tip of the pen. You can also add the darker color first and then dip it in clean water to draw. Each stroke must have a change of shades. Use raw paper to melt easily, so as to produce dry and smooth strokes. Different effects of wet, thick and light.

In short, although there is a saying in freehand painting that "the idea is not reflected in the brush", there is no need to worry about the simple form or inaccurate image. However, if you want to paint well in freehand painting, you still need to first practice the fine brushwork. Only by putting more effort into painting and observing and sketching can the characteristics of simple yet satisfying writing be brought into play.

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