Chinese Building and People Painting

Buildings and People
Buildings and people are used to show the insignificant presence of humankind against the grandeur of nature. Houses or temples are painted nestling into a hillside or half-hidden in trees. The roof design can be ornate and interesting, often leaving no doubt which country is portrayed. Other roofs may be very rural, perhaps thatched, hinting at poverty or simplicity. Gateways and fences imply that there is a shrine or garden just out of sight.

Bridges, viewing points, and shelters may fulfill the same purpose. They suggest the movement of people through a landscape, even if there is no one in sight. They often provide a spot of bright color within the scene. Boats and cars show the activities of the people, adding movement or inactivity as the pose suggests. Boats can be shown at different scales to increase the feeling of distance, and to confirm that the space in the painting is water. They can be shown singly or in a fleet. Pleasure boats suggest leisurely activity. In some paintings the boats will suggest travel between villages where the terrain is inhospitable, and goods going to market.

When painting people in a landscape, consider the amount of detail required. Usually clothes are shown with just a few lines, so as not to detract from the landscape itself. There is a choice to be made between painting the figures with a landscape background or populating a landscape with the people living in it. The scholar and his servants show in a conventional way the difference between the two, with the smaller figure carrying a package to demonstrate the difference in their stations. The musician playing in long, flowing robe suggests leisure time, the mat he is sitting on the presence of servants to fetch and carry for him. For tranquility, the other small sitting figure could be meditating. Notice the slight, but different head angles suggested for this one-they hint at other activities without any surroundings being shown.

The pine-tree landscape on page 74 is based on an idea by Jenny Scott, and shows waterfalls and twisted pines on mountains receding into the distance. The foreground was painted first and the background gradually added. Ink painting was carried out before adding color. Notice how the pine-tree-foliage canopy curves down to each side, whereas the waterfall painting shows a more horizontal version.

When adding color to pine trees, keep it inside the needle area to increase the spiky feeling. Otherwise, let the color overflow to suggest that the areas of foliage extend farther, but without showing The detail of the needles. The number of needles used is optional, but the centre one is usually painted first, followed by those on either side. Pine trees need both large and small needles, large and small groups of foliage, and different spaces between them.

The fisherman in his boat is by Joseph Lo. This painting is halfway between a landscape and a figure painting. Notice how the fisherman is looking into the painting and at the bamboo along the edge of the water, yet the fishing rod is facing the outer edge of the scene-maybe he has heard a fish jumping. It sets up a drama which makes this very satisfactory painting.

Contemporary landscape styles are not always what the Western viewer expects. They are often brooding or very colorful. The folk-art influence of many rural communities is bound to have had an effect on the local fine-art styles over the years. Hu Fang comes originally from Sichuan, China. Her memories of the countryside, and travels to Tibet, have had a strong influence on her work. Her landscapes are cheerful and lively, with some being evocative of the life around that area. Her work has been exhibited in major Chinese galleries, as well as in the West. Two of her paintings are illustrated here in slightly different styles. The moonlight scene is in a more traditional, peaceful style, with the dwellings sheltered by the trees. The fences on either side of the rushing river make you wonder how the inhabitants would travel from one side to the other. In the second picture, the houses and lake roasting in the sunshine glow with a wonderful, likely spirit. These are traditional buildings represented in an enchanting way. Many of the bright hues used are mineral colors, and the calligraphy mentions “the lake in the distance” but this can be both in space and in time. Finding appropriate sayings to a painting is difficult for the Western artist. Hu Fang has painted both the sky and the lake (rather than leaving the paper blank), adding to the dramatic painting.

Another Chinese artist using mineral colors to contrast with the ink is Fu Kaili, who now teaches Chinese brush painting in England. This beautiful landscape, featuring the English Lake District in fall, is very much in Chinese style (Kaili spent about a week in the Watermill area, sketching and painting). This scene shows the fall colors, while suggesting a tranquility in the smooth surface of the water. A slight breeze is hinted at by the graceful passage of a yacht moving across the water to link the two halves of the scene, The mist in the distance shows how the scenery of that particular part of England is appropriate to this evocative painting style. Note how the buildings have a Chinese feel to them, however.

In order to make mineral colors really stand out, paint with dark ink first (lighter in the distance), and, when it is dry, add the bright, mineral colors. Powder pigments would obviously be best here, but they are complex to use and require a glue binder, pestle, and mortar for mixing. Tube paints can be used instead and are more readily available, but do not give the same strength of pigment or as many shades. Some traditional Sung Dynasty landscapes (characterized by great blue/green landscapes ) used mineral colors on both sides of the painting.

A detail from another of Joseph Lo’s landscapes shows how he has used the bright, opaque, mineral colors as a foil for the dark ink strokes.