Over thousands of years, the art of Chinese paintings has been refined into an exquisitely developed system of visual representation. But until the publication of this volume, there was no single source that bridged the gap between the philosophical and imitative methods of instruction. Alison Stilwell Cameron, daughter of famed World War II General Joseph Stilwell, spent her early childhood and teenage years in China where she studied under two renowned Chinese artists — Yu Fei-am and Prince P'u Ju of the imperial family. Having achieved wide recognition for her mastery of Chinese painting, she distilled her knowledge in this book, providing step-by-step instruction for those with no art training at all. Starting with an explanation of the physical tools of the art, she describes the basic strokes and the creation of Chinese characters before moving on to demonstrate the use of these strokes to represent trees, flowers, rocks, boats, insects, birds, and other subjects. These elements are then combined to produce finished Chinese paintings, "the kind of pleasing and satisfying pictures that thousands of amateurs have been producing in China for centuries." Enhanced with hundreds of illustrations, including 36 in full color, this handsome volume also contains a chapter on the mounting process, a valuable bibliography, and an index. It is an invaluable guide to an art, which — once mastered — will not only delight viewing audiences but will bring satisfaction throughout the artist's lifetime.

Try your hands at these historically and culturally important methods, and create some beautiful paintings of your own. Chinese painting is an ancient art that has evolved and become refined over many centuries. Artists brush ink and color pigments onto silk or paper using a variety of techniques, with two main approaches: gongbi a traditional and realistic style based on line drawing, and xieyi style, a freehand method that uses fewer strokes to suggest objects in a less literal way. Painting themes generally fall into three categories: figure, landscaping, and bird-and-flower. Chinese brush painting is mainly presented in lines, shades and white space to express the feelings about nature, social phenomena, and the very essence of the universe. The framework for this expression is often traditional: certain subjects carry cultural connotations that are well-known and imbue the painting with a layer of meaning beyond face value of objects shown. The traditional subjects such as mandarin ducks, butterflies, and the 'Four Gentlemen' (plum blossoms, orchids, bamboos, and chrysanthemum) are examples that contain this rich cultural meaning. Readers will learn first about the tools and materials, then painting techniques. Early pages explore the very basic painting methods and subjects—perfect for beginning painters—but continue to build skills for painting plants and animals of increasing complexity. Chinese Brush Painting illustrates several Chinese brush painting techniques with the use of different tools, brushwork and color mixing. With the step-by-step projects, you can first follow the introductory lessons to learn the necessary skills of brushwork, usage of paper, and characteristics of water, ink and colors; then follow the advanced lessons to learn the compositions and more complicated color applications.

A second addition, also known as Ning Yeh's "Gold Edition" updates his original guide of step-by-step instructions for Chinese Brush Painting.

Explains te principles of Chinese painting, demonstrates brush strokes, and shows how to paint flowers, plants, birds, and insects

Capture the essence of animals like never before! Using Chinese and watercolor techniques and materials, you can create animals with elegance and grace. Let award-winning artist Lian Quan Zhan show you how with his clear and basic step-by-step instructions. Artists at all levels will benefit from Lian's deep understanding of both art forms. He guides you through the process by beginning with the basic properties of Chinese materials such as rice paper and ink, and leading to more advanced techniques such as loading a brush with multiple colors. He also teaches watercolor pouring techniques so you can create vibrant animals and beautiful backgrounds. So much of Chinese painting stems from observation and interpretation of nature. Apply these principles by painting cats, birds, tigers, and many other animals in seventeen step-by-step demonstrations. Find your inspiration within the animals of this book, and breathe the spirit of the East and West into your own art.

Written by a team of eminent international scholars, this book is the first to recount the history of Chinese painting over a span of some 3000 years.

A guide to Chinese brush painting that provides information about materials and offers seventeen step-by-step lessons on techniques and rendering a variety of subjects.