Chinese the Four Gentlement Painting

The “Four Gentlemen”
1 Painting the “Four Gentlemen” featured in the Introduction requires practice. For the plum blossom, paint the bronze Ku breaker fist. Then add the branches with a dry brush to obtain some “flying white,” followed by the flowers. The flowers are shown here in mineral green, which is sometimes substituted for white flowers. The calligraphy is written in ancient style.

2 The bamboo is the most difficult and this example shows a powerful red bamboo(although bamboo is traditionally painted in black ink, it is sometimes red, the color of happiness and celebration). The stems were painted first in this instance, followed by the leaves and details. It is the leaves that most painters have problems with. They must have substance and must not “dangle” from the stems.

3 The orchid example is shown in a flat-fan format by Joseph Lo, together with some calligraphy. Notice how it is made into a “whole” painting, and how interesting the ink tones are.

4 Chrysanthemums are often linked with utensils, especially those to do with tea-making. This flower is used to symbolize scholarly retirement. The flowers were painted first, then the leaves and the stems. The veins were added last. Here, the delicate, thin petals of the flower contrast with the roundness of the teapot. The “flying white” on the pot adds essential dimension to it.