Chinese painting has very high and strict requirements on the use of brushes. These strict requirements are the so-called "brushwork". It is necessary to master the five most important brushwork techniques, namely "flat, left, round, heavy and changed".

The first is "flat": it means that the brush strokes are gentle, the strength is even, the strokes are steady, the charm is consistent, and there is no jumping or floating. Huang Binhong believes that the brush should be used like a cone to draw sand, with clear beginning and end, and no weak points allowed.

The second is "circle": it means that the lines are round, thick and elastic, the trees are not straight, and the stones are mostly drawn with round strokes. Bin Weng believes that it refers to the application of the rounding method of calligraphy to painting. The outline of the brush is like a horizontal and straight character, using a sharp edge when starting the brush, turning the brush when closing, and the seal script method starts and ends, connecting the beginning and the end.

It should be like "Zhechaigu" and "Water shield strips", continuously circling, purely natural, the brushwork lines should be strong but graceful, round and smooth but not too feminine. He further pointed out that Dong and Ju Phi Ma Chong used their pens to round the center of the pen, which was smooth and unobstructed, and went to Guijiao.

The third is "retention": that is, the pen must be controlled and retracted, like a "house leakage mark", where dots accumulate to form a line, neither fast nor slow, the pen has a review, and reflects the tape up and down. There is no trace from beginning to end, the lines are calm and thick, and the strength can carry the tripod. He also pointed out that the "Jin Cuo Dao Technique" of Emperor Li of the Southern Tang Dynasty and Yu Shuwu's brushwork of Yuan Xian in the mud of chariots were both explained by the "liu" method.

The fourth is "heavy": the pen should be powerful enough to penetrate the power and heaviness of the back of the paper, like "stones falling from a high mountain". Specifically speaking, the pen should make a rustling sound when running on the paper, and it should be penetrating into the wood.

The fifth is "change": it is a comprehensive change and mutual mixing on the basis of flatness, roundness, retention and weight, which achieves the ancient method and surpasses the ancient method, such as lightness and weight, lifting and pressing, pause and setback, square and circle, Prioritize, etc., and express your emotions in the changes.