Tools and Techniques of Along the River During QIngming Festival

## Along the River During the Qingming Festival

painter-Zhang Zeduan

***Along the River During the Qingming Festival*** (清明上河图, *Qīngmíng Shànghé Tú*), was
painted by Zhang Zeduan and is 528.7
cm (208.15 inch) long and 25.2cm (9.92 inch) wide. This article will encompass
how the painting was created and how the tools were used. (Zhang Zeduan)

## Era Comparison

In Northern Song (北宋, běi
sòng ) era, this style of
painting was common. The painters of Northern Song like to draw pictures about
history and realistic stories. Thus, the comparison between Zhang and painters
who were in the same era is not obvious. However, compared to Zhang’s other
paintings, “*Along the River*” was
longer and more detailed, though they were from same school. Zhang only used
one year to finish this painting. (Beisong Zhang Zeduan)

## Tools

**The four treasures in a Chinese study**

Painting the picture needs many tools. Because of special tools,
this picture is different from Western paintings. The most famous four tools
are called “the four treasures in a Chinese study” (文房四宝, wén fáng sì bǎo).

**Chinese brushes**

*Along the River* was painted with Chinese brushes. Compared to oil painting brushes, Chinese brushes
are softer and longer. They have different structures. Chinese brushes are like
a long spinous water drop while oil painting brushes are short and flat.
Chinese brushes are mostly divided into wolf-hair brushes and wool brushes. The
primary functions of wolf-hair brushes are drawing the outline of objects.
Compared to wool brushes, they were more elastic and easier to turn around. The wool brushes are softer and could
absorb more ink. In the process of drawing *Along the River*, Zhang used these two kinds of brushes. Besides, the difference of brushes’ function, the sizes of the brushes have distinctions. Roughly, there are small, medium, and big sizes of the brushes. Small size brushes can
be used to draw little details and middle size brushes is used to draw things like plants and houses, and big size brushes are painting big objects
like mountain. Not every painter needs to use all the three sizes brushes, it depends on the ability of the painter. Because even though the big size brushes
can absorb more water, painters can control their strength and paint the way
they want. In *Along the River* During the Qingming
Festival, Zhang would use small and middle size brushes the most, since he was
drawing the normal life of people.

**Xuan paper**

Another important tool is xuan paper,
which is particularly used to draw Chinese painting---Guohua. It also has a lot
of types. For example, Shengxuan, Shexuan, Banshuxuan are the biggest three
catalogue. Since Shengxuan and Banshuxuan is easier for water to go into the
paper, these two kinds of xuan papers are normally used to paint scenery like
mountain and waterfall. Thus, Zhang was using Shuxuan to draw this picture. His
picture concentrated detailed things, like people’s activities and the form of
the bridge.

**Ink and ink stone**

Besides, ink and ink stone are also important tools. “*Along*
the River *During the*
Qingming Festival” was using black outlines the most. For example, there was a
small forest in the painting. Zhang used brushes to draw the outline of trees.
Sometimes, he used soft strength to make the tree looked like flew by winds.
Sometimes, he used strong strength to make the tree looked like living for a
lot of years. Time that the color can be kept is depended on the quality of the
ink in a way. In ancient Chinese, ink needs to be grinded by ink stone. Great
ink stone can help ink to show as thick and uniform.

**Other materials**

There are a lot of other
materials, which are also taking a big role in drawing the picture, like
Chinese pigment, penholder, felt and more. Taking advantages of these tools can
help painters draw pictures in a better way.

## Techniques

Generally,
the painting were painted by outlining lines firstly. For example, Zhang was
drawing a story about a grandson and a Grandpa. In a poor forest with clear river, a grandpa and his grandson drove 5
donkeys in a small street. The grandson led the head of donkeys and the
grandfather went in the back of the group. They made sounds like yo-heave-ho to
urge donkeys passing. Zhang would draw outline of the grandson and grandpa first
by using one small brush. Absorbing some ink in the brush, mixing some water in
the brush and then use a mop to clear some water from the brush, now, the color
of ink was more like gray rather than black. For the reason that, the outline
cannot be too thick in the first time. Then, using the same brush to draw that
poor forest. Leaving enough space for the river, since river cannot be draw in
shapes by outlining. Then, using a middle brush and absorbing a little ink and
a lot of water to make the color looked like thin gray. Using the side of the
brush, and lightly used the brush to draw an irregular flat as the shaper of
the river. Then using that small brush with ink to paint some lines on the
river, which could make the river look like moving. The outline cannot be
finished at once. It must be repeated and repeated until the foundation was
basically settled. The last sequence was coloring the picture. Trees were green
in the painting. Zhang used blue pigment, which was called “Huaqng” and yellow
pigment, which was called “Tenghuang”. Mixing these two color little with
little, Zhang used the cusp of the brushes to mix these two color, until mixed
color---green was absorbed by root of the brushes. Then using the same way to
color trees as drawing the shape of river. These were rough strategies that
part of the painting painted out.

## Composition

Zhang used a special
picture composition mode, which was cavalier perspective. This composition can
give audience a sense of space. Specifically, it is things look small in the
distance and big on the contrary. By using this composition, painters are
easier to give the picture a great momentum. Compared to western composition---
focus perspective which is generally used in western painting and concentrated
on realistic style, scattered perspective is focusing on creating a sense. The
composition of the picture Zhang drew this picture to describe the urban
appearance and livelihood status from different stratums in Beijing of Beisong
dynasty. The picture is in form of long page in order to show people’s detailed
life.

## Background and Meaning

The
background of the picture is a rich but worse dynasty. Although *Along the River During the Qingming Festival* is showing a busy and flourishing scene, Zhang
was trying to show his concern since officers were indolent and tax was too
heavy for common people. The purpose of this picture is to warn the government.
Song was rich at that time. However, most
officials and even the government only enjoyed the rich environment, but did nothing
to keep that rich. There was no doubt, the strength of Song is going down,
though what it showed out now was still prosperous. Thus, Zhang was worried
about this and concerned a lot. He hoped he can warn people form the painting.

## References

“Beisong Zhang Zeduan Qingming Shanghetu
Jiemi” (北宋张择端清明上河图揭秘), *Gugongbowuyuanbanquansuoyou*, http://www.dpm.org.cn/shtml/400/@/120007.html. Accessed 29 April 2017.

“Zhang Zeduan” (张择端), *Boyarenwuwang*, [[http://ren.bytravel.cn/history/zhangzeduan.html%7Chttp://ren.bytravel.cn/history/
zhangzeduan.html]]. Accessed