If you have even a slight inclination towards art, you would be well versed with the panorama of Chinese paintings. Chinese paintings enjoy immense popularity all across the world for the unique techniques they put to use. The kind of materials used in Chinese paintings is another factor that makes them so novel in the world of art.
Chinese paintings are not something that have come into being in the recent times. These paintings date thousand of years back. In fact, many historians use ancient Chinese paintings to understand the way Chinese people lead their life in the early days. Besides, it also helps the historians know the taste and painting styles practiced by early artists.
Apart from use of different materials, seals and colophons are another peculiar feature of Chinese paintings. The use of brush is another thing that is notable about these paintings. A brush with an extremely fine tip is used to draw such paintings. The fine tip enables the artists to draw in varied styles.
There are several type of brushes that may be used in these paintings. Amidst various other brushes used for Chinese painting, it is "hsieh chao pi" that is the most popular. This is essentially a brush in the form of a crab claw, that is used to paint abstract paintings. The brush is available in both- small as well as big sizes.
The "hua jan pi" brush is equally popular in Chinese paintings and is used specifically to draw flowers. Another brush known as "lan yu chu pi" brush is also used for painting orchids in Chinese paintings. It is the use of these different kind of brushes that adds diversity to Chinese paintings.
It is not just the brush type that is distinct in Chinese paintings. The use of brush is peculiar too. Line drawing, cunfa and dianfa are some of the popular brush techniques seen in these paintings. While cunfa refers to texture and shade, dianfa refers to dotting methods.
Apart from the brush type, the material used for painting also varies immensely. Ideally, thick silk or paper is used for Chinese paintings. There are several kinds of Chinese papers that may be used for painting. The type of paper is selected depending upon the desired finish as different Chinese papers have a different texture and offer a different finish.
A seal in bright red color is another peculiar feature of Chinese paintings. While most artists use their signatures to mark their paintings, Chinese artists make use of this red seal. This red seal bears the name of the person who owns the painting or the artist. The placement of the seal is not fixed.
It is these unique features of Chinese paintings that fetch it a prominent place in the world of art.
|