Chinese Fisherman Painting

Fisherman Under a Willow
Traditionally, trees are shown in groups, often of varied species. The landscape showing a fisherman under a willow, with a mountain backdrop, suggests a shady spot on breezy summer’s day.

1 Begin with the tree group, using shades of ink, and paying attention to the differences in foliage and shapes of the branches and trunks. Concentrate on achieving dense and sparse areas, large and small groups of foliage, and thick or thin branches.

2 Add the ground under the trees, allowing variation in the strokes and the spaces. Paint the boat, complete with the man fishing. Ensure that his activity is obvious, but do not make the strokes too thick or clumsy.

3 Paint the next layer of ground on the other side of the lake, also in ink, but using less detail to emphasize the idea of distance. Finally, add the mountains, using fewer lines and lighter ink. You may even leave one of the distant peaks to be painted in color only.

4 Using light colors, complete the painting. Traditional colors are burned sienna and sky blue, with maybe some indigo right in the distance, with little or no inkwork. The greens could be yellow-greens, with small leaves for spring, or blue-greens and luxuriant foliage for summer. Bright, warm colors would be required for fall.