Chinese Brush Painting- How-To Part 6- Qi and The Brush

Author: Janis Zroback
Word Count: 596
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As I write this, I’m listening to Leonard Cohen as I do almost everyday…his gritty but gentle voice is singing “The Master Song”...it’s the perfect music for doing creative work….

I just found out today that the Chinese character for “busy” means “losing one’s mind”....in that case am I a lost cause?....

But painting always restores calm…those of you who have already started to paint in the Chinese style may have found that it’s not possible to stay stressed for long as you grind ink…..you would be giving some thought to your composition, and by the time you were ready for the first brush strokes, serenity would have entered your whole being…..

A few words about Qi {chi}...the Chinese believe that Qi enters your body at birth…it is life giving and is concentrated in certain parts of the body…it is also considered to be related to our state of mind and physical well being….in other words it’s in us and all around us.
When you paint a mountain you are also communicating to the viewer this energy or Qi….the strength of the mountain must be conveyed, the power of the water that courses down it’s sides, even the clouds in the sky….man is always portrayed as much smaller than nature, regardless of where he is in the picture…Qi reaches outside of the picture frame…when you see only part of a tree, your eye continues naturally outside of the picture frame to the world that exists beyond, and then returns…this, when it works, is good painting….

Click on the picture below for pictures of brushes and paper, and samples of work on my website…..

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Even though you’ve already started to good effect, I want to talk briefly about the use of the brush….
There are many different brush strokes, all with different names like axe-cut, rain-drop etc. I don’t remember them all and you don’t need to know all the names, but you do need to practice until you become so skilled you paint instinctively….

When loading your brush, try not to twist it, and wipe excess ink on the edge of the bowl or tap the heel on some tissues. Since each mark is important, pause before you start the first stroke…..you should hold the brush slightly lower than midway down the handle….the thumb and middle finger do the actual holding, vertical for stronger strokes, slightly slanted for larger soft strokes….don’t squeeze hard and keep your arm clear of your table…you are using your whole arm with a relaxed shoulder…try standing up if that makes it easier, for the first few times.

Next time I will talk about the use of colour….I hope you’re having fun so far, and please post your samples and studies for feedback.

Before I go here is a painting [not mine] from the Ming Dynasty…it is called “The Garden of the Unsuccessful Politician”..

He sits sadly on his mat…I wonder why he was unsuccessful…..did he make promises he could not keep? Hmn…..

Janis