Sometimes I wonder what is wrong with me. When will I be satisfied? I seem to want to try everything! My latest “trip” is to learn Japanese/Chinese ink painting. I guess it came about as an outgrowth of my “Black & White” phase. I really want to explore all the possibilities of black and white, and black ink on white paper certainly fits the bill! I started this new journey by watching a good number of videos on YouTube, which has been my go-to for most of the techniques that I have learned in the last 15 years. I bought an oriental brush over a year ago so there was already some interest there. Several years ago, I had also bought some ‘magic’ paper that allows you to practice brushstrokes with just water. The paper changes color temporarily but returns to the original light grey once it dries, and can be reused almost indefinitely. I used it to practice watercolor brush strokes, especially when I purchased a new type of brush. It is great for practicing the ink brush strokes, because unlike watercolor, you can’t remove any of the ink once it hits the paper, so brush control is critical, and this lets you practice as much as you need without using up any paper! Before investing in any other equipment, and also to get some pointers on what I actually would need, the next logical step for me was to buy a book, because videos can only go so far in explaining the finer points. I chose “Japanese Ink Painting: The Art of Sumi-e” by Naomi Okamoto after reading the reviews. I bought it used, both to keep down costs and to do my part to reuse whenever possible! I received it early this week, and after reading through the first section, liked very much what I was seeing and decided it was worth my while to invest in a beginner set consisting of an ink stick and ink stone, brushes, rice paper and assorted paraphernalia. I should be getting those later this week. What I especially like about the book is the way the author contrasts the Sumi-e approach to western art. What attracts me about this style of painting is how different it is from what I usually do. My painting style could be called realistic, even hyper-realistic, although some artists are much more realistic than me. It is a tight style that suits my personality, but at the same time I would like to paint “looser”. I have tried with watercolor but I just can’t do it. I might start with the best intentions but soon I find myself fussing with tiny brushes adding details on top of details. The brushes used in ink painting are all quite large, and although you can get them to do small details, that is not the point. Oriental painting is as much about what is not there as what is there. It is also a very mindful experience, which requires a lot of concentration and planning, so I should feel very comfortable with those. I think that even if I don’t ever produce any acceptable work in this style, it will be beneficial for me and will influence my “regular” work, particularly in helping me simplify and let go of unnecessary details, concentrating on the essence of an image. At least I hope so! So this week I will start experimenting with grinding ink (a very Zen experience they say!) and practicing brush strokes with actual ink, which I am sure will be very different from painting with water on a ‘magic’ paper! If it goes well, I will try to document some of it on my Facebook page. If you don't see anything about it, you’ll know things didn’t go exactly to plan! So tell me, have you ever tried Sumi-e? If so, please get in touch, I would love to discuss it with you!
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AuthorMy name is Claire Bureau. Archives
March 2023
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