Chinese Watercolor Techniques - Painting Animals
Zhen notes in his introduction that Chinese artists refer not to painting but to writing as they pare down to the essentials and capture the essence and spirit of a creature rather than merely copy its nature. He traces the development of Chinese animal painting from the realism of the Tang Dynasty 1,300 years ago to the more spontaneous, abstract contemporary style, comparing and correlating that to the simplification of written Chinese over time. He then introduces materials and basic techniques, comparing Chinese and Western watercolor papers, brushes, and paints. His detailed descriptions and full-color examples of similarities and differences extend throughout, with discussions of styles, arrangements of materials, brush techniques, and more. Zhen emphasizes dynamic movement within compositions before progressing to details. Actual step-by-step instructions in the final section include exercises featuring squirrels, monkeys, and tigers and complete compositions involving elephants, turtles, and birds. This amply illustrated how-to gracefully bridges the gap between East and West and should draw fans of both approaches.Whitney ScottCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved