This Japanese ink painting guide is presented by master painter, Chiura Obata, a well-known Japanese artist. Obata has traveled throughout Japan, recording with charm and insight the beauty of the country. Using the traditional brush-and-ink technique, he skillfully presents the varied aspects of Japan: a mountain landscape enveloped in mist, an intimate Japanese garden, the hustle of the busy city of Tokyo, the fleeting cherry blossoms, an ancient temple compound, a festive group of holiday sightseers. The artist captures with his deft sketches the special quality of Japan that attracts the visitor and resident alike. This is far more than a picture of Japan; it is rather a perceptive interpretation by one who knows and loves the country.

In this Japanese ink painting book renowned Japanese master Shozo Sato offers his own personal teaching on the beautiful art of sumi-e painting. Sumi-e: The Art of Japanese Ink Painting provides step-by-step, photo-by-photo instructions to guide learners in the correct form, motions and techniques of Japanese sumi-e painting. Featuring gorgeous images and practical advice, it includes guided instructions for 35 different paintings. From waterfalls to bamboo, learners paint their way to understanding sumi-e--a style of painting that is characteristically Asian and has been practiced for well over 1,000 years. Although it's sometimes confused with calligraphy, as the tools used are the same, sumi-e instead tries to capture the essence of an object or scene in the fewest possible strokes. This all-in-one resource also provides a timeline of brush painting history, a glossary of terms, a guide to sources and an index--making it a tool to use and treasure, for amateurs and professionals alike. This sumi-e introduction is ideal for anyone with a love of Japanese art or the desire to learn to paint in a classic Asian style.

Japanese Ink Painting: Lessons in Suiboku Technique teaches beginners the fundamental techniques of suiboku, a form of Japanese ink painting. Suiboku is considered to be a type of Japanese painting known as sumi-e. It adds water to emphasize the shading of black into gray in one brush-stroke. With origins in China and a spiritual basis in Zen Buddhism, this form of brush painting--expressing nature's colors through shades of black ink monochrome--has been enjoyed throughout the centuries in Japan as a hobby for the amateur. This Japanese painting book offers step-by-step lessons with easy-to-understand explanations through nearly 60 illustrations. The numerous photographs at the end of the book, in addition to the works of great masters in the art of suiboku, include several paintings by the author's pupils to prove what the amateur can achieve through careful observance of instructions and patient practice. As the author points out, this book is designed for the beginner, and "even the amateur can learn by himself and enjoy suiboku as a hobby."

In this beautiful and extraordinary zen calligraphy book, Shozo Sato, an internationally recognized master of traditional Zen arts, teaches the art of Japanese calligraphy through the power and wisdom of Zen poetry. Single-line Zen Buddhist koan aphorisms, or zengo, are one of the most common subjects for the traditional Japanese brush calligraphy known as shodo. Regarded as one of the key disciplines in fostering the focused, meditative state of mind so essential to Zen, shodo calligraphy is practiced regularly by all students of Zen Buddhism in Japan. After providing a brief history of Japanese calligraphy and its close relationship with the teachings of Zen Buddhism, Sato explains the basic supplies and fundamental brushstroke skills that you'll need. He goes on to present thirty zengo, each featuring: An example by a skilled Zen monk or master calligrapher An explanation of the individual characters and the Zen koan as a whole Step-by-step instructions on how to paint the phrase in a number of styles (Kaisho, Gyosho, Sosho) A stunning volume on the intersection of Japanese aesthetics and Zen Buddhist thought, Shodo: The Quiet Art of Japanese Zen Calligraphy guides beginning and advanced students alike to a deeper understanding of the unique brush painting art form of shodo calligraphy. Shodo calligraphy topics include: The Art of Kanji The Four Treasures of Shodo Ideogram Zengo Students of Shodo

A guide to Japanese ink painting provides information on techniques and materials needed, along with step-by-step exercises.