Traditional and Contemporary Chinese Brush Painting: Using Ink and Water-Soluble Media [Paperback]

Cheng Yan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2005

With enthusiasm and energy, he guides the artist through all the traditional techniques, illustrating how to create atmosphere and light in landscapes, focusing on trees, water, mountains, sky and clouds. He shows how to capture liveliness and movement in animals, birds, fish and insects, and he transforms flowers and plants into beautiful works of art skilfully showing how to master composition, inks, paints and traditional brushstrokes. Detail is as important as a spontaneous style; leaves, stems bamboo, feathers, scales and blossom are clearly depicted and Yan also explores texture, blending colours to define shapes and outlines. This invaluable guide captures the essence of Chinese painting, bringing together the fun of learning, the joy of creativity and the delight of discovery.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Cheng Yan lives and works in Cardiff, and he has been painting since childhood. He sells his work widely and demonstrates nationwide in exhibitions, fairs and to art societies. Bringing Eastern philosophy and traditional methods into his paintings, he has attracted much publicity and continues to work to commission, producing work that has been reproduced as cards and limited edition prints.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Search Press (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1903975190
• ISBN-13: 978-1903975190
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #329,753 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is just wonderful!, October 27, 2006

By 

J. R. Keller "jrobink" (Cary, NC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Traditional and Contemporary Chinese Brush Painting: Using Ink and Water-Soluble Media (Paperback)

I have half a dozen books on Sumi painting and this is my favorite. Mr. Yan is an extremely talented artist and the examples he uses to teach his techniques are just beautiful. He is very thorough in his explaning how to achieve various effects. I found his explanation of the role and significance of the traditional implements and supplies used in Chinese brush painting facinating. In summary, I learned many new things from this book even though I've been taking lessons for a year and read many other books.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really Informative, May 12, 2007

By 

Kitten chan "Alison" (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Traditional and Contemporary Chinese Brush Painting: Using Ink and Water-Soluble Media (Paperback)

This book is probably one of the best for beginners who want to get a full grasp of how to load brushes with multiple colors, do sequential washes (both wet and dry), as well as lists a full set of materials required for the lesson. Some would argue that it doesn't show the full range of Chinese calligraphy styles available, but I'm saying this book was just what I was looking for. It has several very nice projects to choose from, and all of them are beautiful when finished. It focuses mostly on animals and plants, but is thorough none the less. I did have the privlidge of looking at this book in a bookstore first, before buying it online.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Chinese Brush Painting Resource, August 8, 2009

By 

R. Adams "taoist, artist, person" (New Mexico) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Traditional and Contemporary Chinese Brush Painting: Using Ink and Water-Soluble Media (Paperback)

Cheng Yan is a talented Chinese brush painter, offering a text which presents a cross-section of traditional Chinese brush painting techniques.

Please note that traditional Chinese brush painting, the ancestor of Japanese Sumi-e/Sumi painting, is different from Sumi painting, and may present imagery and technique which practitioners of strictly Zen painting may not find as useful as books relating strictly to Japanese styles.

Cheng Yan is a brilliant painter, but I find that his text is more suited to artists who are already very familiar with Chinese painting techniques. This book walks you through several styles of composition, but there is much that is assumed by the author. He expects you to already know many techniques and styles of brush work.

He does show several types of brush strokes in one of the introductory chapters, but if you're looking for a book that will teach you to do Chinese brush painting from the ground up, I would recommend Jane Evans or one of many published in China.

I do use this book frequently as a personal reference book while painting. I am also inspired by his beautiful, xieyi style (freestyle) painting.

I would not recommend this book to absolute beginners, but if you've already mastered the Four Gentlemen, or if you've been doing Chinese brush painting for a while, this is a great book to keep on your shelf. I am giving this book three stars because I feel it has been marketed as a beginner's book, when I would really recommend it as an intermediate book.