Customer Reviews

A Sumi-e Dream Journey [VHS]

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This excellent video by artist yolanda Mayhall covers the "four gentlemen" of oriental painting. The "four gentlemen" are the bamboo, wild orchid, chrysanthemum, and plum branch. The strokes used to paint the "four gentlemen" encompass all of the strokes needed to create beautiful paintings. She demonstrates each of the "four gentlemen" by painting a beautiful composition and then shows how the individual strokes are done.
She begins by demonstrating a lovely painting of a bamboo branch with birds as part of the composition. She explains that one stroke leads to another and teaches the "four gentlemen" in a certain order. The bamboo strokes are the most disciplined. The next step is the wild orchid where the strokes are still disciplined but with a little more freedom. The chrysanthemum shows more action and freedom. Finally, the plum branch is extremely free.
During her demonstration of each of the "four gentlemen" she shows another use of the strokes just demonstrated, i.e. a bird made with the bamboo strokes, a butterfly using the wild orchid strokes, a fish made with the chrysanthemum strokes, and a mountain and rocks made with the plum branch strokes.
She shows a "dream journey" using the strokes and demonstrates a beautiful landscape. She also shows other ways to use brush painting techniques to paint on ceramics, fabrics, and cards. The same brush strokes can be used for local scenery, too.
This is a great video that anyone interested in brush painting would enjoy.

I was recently thrilled to know that I had the possibility of seeing at work the Artist, who one day taught me through her excelent Sumi-e book, to start my painting career in Brush Painting. To look at this art teaching video is just sheer pleasure. Generously the Artist shares her great painting knowledge, unfolding step by step all her many years of painting experience. To be able to create a marvellous Japanese Sumi-e painting, with the sole use of ordinary watercolour paint and paper, just shows her outstanding mastership in this Ancient Art. Indeed it is a journey, a journey that will take you to where a poem can turn to image, and where a beautiful dream can come true.

This tape of approximately one hour shows the five basic strokes of Sumi-E, sometimes called the flexible art. Yolanda does a good job of guiding you step-by-step from examples to details. An excellent tape showing how to turn brush strokes into "dimension on a flat piece of paper."

save your money. The picture quality is poor. Looks like a home
movie camera. She shows you a paint stroke and than spends all
her time showing off her stuff which is just average. Not enough
information here to really help the first timer. buyer beware.

The perfect clarity and precise painting techniques shown and explained by this experienced teacher make this video a "must own" for a sumi-e brush painting beginner or advanced student. You will also want her newest book, "Sumi-e Dream Journey" which was just released. I have both of her instructional books and video and they're all wonderful. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful work by Yolanda Mayhall!

I bought Yolanda's two books and now the DVD and I am very pleased with them. She explains very clearly and shows step by step how to manage the brush, ink and how to apply them onto the rice paper. She chooses simple subjects and makes it look very easy. Yolanda's expertise stems from years of study and practice, but her enthusiasm and the way she encourages the reader to try this ancient form is commendable. I use this book for inspiration and to encourage my own students. A very good teaching aid.

The Dancing Brush

This is a "must see" video for anyone who enjoys brushpainting. It is a wonderful journey into the art of Sumi-E painting beautifully demonstrated by Yolanda Mayhall.

Magical Japanese music draws you into the journey and sets the tempo for the marvelous brush strokes that create the Four Gentlemen of Sumi-E. You are guided through Bamboo, Crysanthemums, Plum Blossoms and Wild Orchids as Yolanda shows you how to load and control the brush so that you can create your own works of art.

"BRAVO" FOR THE BEST BRUSH PAINTING VIDEO I HAVE WATCHED.

I wanted to say thank you Mrs. Mayhall. My mom bought me this video because I was interested in learning about Sumi-e art after my art teacher showed me another video on japanese art. I liked your video alot better because your video was like magic the way you put the ink on the paper and made the colors and design flow together so well. My mom liked the video too and shes not really even into art! :D Your video taught me alot and I am getting your book soon too. I never even thought about getting into art until I saw the video in my art class and after seeing yours I know this is what I want to do. Thanks again.

-Tana