Yay! I'm glad to be back with another entry after my hiatus. And I'm about to start a new challenge--I've started taking Chinese Painting Saturday sessions. The professor, Ceasar Cheng, is my mom's older brother's friend and he's one of the pioneers of Chinese painting here in the PH. He's been going around, teaching classes and holding seminars and workshops for Chinese painting in places like Fully Booked and Art Bar.
He's also had an exhibit which I attended before, showcasing some of his best works to date, and he's been able to sell the works. The first time I've ever heard of Chinese painting was during his exhibit at Chef Jessie's in Rockwell. Click here to see some of his works online. I'm probably on my 4th or 5th session since I started taking the classes, and here are some of the important things I've realized: [1] Technique. I can't emphasize how important this is, and how important it is to master the proper skill and technique here in Chinese painting. And given my background as an aspiring artist studying digital art and doing some traditional painting on the side, I thought that I would at least have an edge over this since I do love art. This wasn't the case though. In order to learn the technique, I've had a lot of opportunities to observe firsthand the style of painting. And truly, Laoshi (term for teacher in Chinese) Ceasar is a master with the brush and the paint. He just has this natural instinct and years of perfecting the technique that no matter what artwork you put in his hands, it comes out amazing. Also, the style of Chinese painting is fairly consistent. I love how you can trace its roots to the brushstrokes being done in Chinese calligraphy or mao bi. [2] Practice. This age-old adage that we adhere to, well, it does apply to Chinese painting. Every week, Laoshi teaches me and other beginners a new subject coupled with a live demonstration. The past few weeks, I've been learning how to paint certain subjects like the plum, peony, orchid, and lately, chrysanthemum. And every week I bring home some plates that I can study and practice painting the subject. And honestly, it's been a challenging task so far, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. I feel like I'm re-learning traditional painting and watercolor as well. [3] Medium and the Strokes you make--understanding them can make (or in beginner's perspective, break) your painting. This is one of the hardest lessons I've had to learn. At first I found it such a waste to keep using valuable cuts of rice paper just to create a painting that I didn't really like (this is always the hard part of painting, realizing that you have to keep yourself open and patient to the fact that part and parcel of the process is failing). Though by my 4th and 5th session, I've realized that it's so important to do so anyway. The reason behind this is that the style of Chinese painting really comes out best on rice paper. The challenge is to be able to control the watercolor and brush towards the consistency you want while being able to use the quick absorbency of the rice paper to your advantage. Don't get me wrong though--during my first session, I had a hard time with the rice paper since I was so used to watercolor paper, which is a lot thicker and more absorbent, thus you needed to apply a lot more water if you intend to create a wash effect. While using rice paper as a medium, you get to understand that most of it is also about familiarizing with dry brush technique, and knowing how to get your strokes right. Another challenge of Chinese Painting is the fact that, like Chinese calligraphy, there are some strokes you can't just go back and change. In fact, it has to have that "effortless" look. And the approach is rather effortless as well, when you're used to the process. Some paintings in this style are actually quick studies, and can be done in about 20 minutes to a half hour if you're able to master the stroke well. In my case, I was so used to the approach that painting is all about layering--being able to put on tons and tons of layers of paint just to achieve a certain effect. Well, here in Chinese Painting, it's all about being able to paint at the bare minimum--showing off the beauty of your stroke. And it comes back in full cycle to the importance of technique. Overall, my experience has been nothing short of interesting and a breakthrough towards openness, especially the fact that I'm combating that fear of failure. There were times I've held a brush, wondering how on earth I would be able to get through with the painting without messing it up, only to tell my inner self to conquer the battle and just paint. It's been such a challenge though, and at the same time it's been a real de-stressor for me. I look forward to my weekend sessions since it takes my mind off of everything else but me and the opportunity to paint at a fixed time every Saturday. It's something I've always wanted--to discipline myself enough to keep towards a fixed schedule for painting. It's doing wonders for me, as I slowly overcome my fear of making mistakes and messing up a painting. And this past session, my confidence level with Chinese Painting is starting to improve. Somehow, my technique is greatly improving and I'm slowly making my way to getting the hang of it, and the process just wows me all the time. I'm really enjoying the part wherein Chinese Painting is so refreshing and a break from what I've been taught in art classes before. Through observation, I'm also able to get a good grasp on how certain techniques are done. I swear, Chinese Painting is such an underrated art and I'm mostly blogging about it because it amazes me how much I still don't know about painting. Yep, it's that "You know nothing, Jon Snow" scenario in Game of Thrones. Here's a gallery showing my paintings so far. I look forward to updating my blog with more!
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Nonsensical whimHi, I'm Ashley. This is my blog on journey towards discovering art and documenting my learning experiences. (Particularly Photoshop, Digital Painting, Sketchup/V-ray, Interior Design, fun tutorials I've discovered and the like). wordpress:TUMBLR:Archives
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