Easily recognized by composition, subject matter, and coloring, brush stroke painting is a technique that dates back thousands of years. Originating in China, this technique was adopted from Chinese calligraphic ideographs, both in technique and materials. The calligraphic brush stroke was the dominant means of expression in Chinese painting, and was a discipline in controlling the brush to express emotion. While a disciplined practice, it is also a practice in mindfulness and balance through art.
Unlike other forms of art, like Realism, where the intention is to realistically capture the subject, brush stroke painting is about capturing the Qi, or inner spirit, of the subject. The brush strokes themselves have an independent quality of character that conveys the emotion and vitality of the artist. To achieve this, scholar artists rejected the use of color, believing it to be a distraction from the subject’s true essence, choosing instead to use black ink, mo, on white rice paper. Other rejected techniques include using light and shadow as modeling and opaque pigments to hide mistakes, relying instead on the shape of the lines to create contrast, and using ink of varying translucence. There is a distinct essence to each stroke, and strokes are defined by straight lines, dots, curves, hooks, or blots. Lines are characterized by the alternation of thick and thin in each stroke, giving the calligraphy or painting a personality. Common subjects include mountains, landscapes, humans, flowers, birds, rocks, and trees. Trees and bamboo are common subjects because they can be drawn with the same disciplined brush skills necessary for calligraphy.
Advanced use of texture and ink wash, like in the painting Summer Mountain, shown above, can date the painting to the Song dynasty. Using these techniques furthered the art form, moving away from the colorful painting preferred by court artists and professionals. This new form focused more on using calligraphic strokes as the main means of expression, and strayed from the more illusionistic, or representative, style that was popular at the time. Brush stroke painting became far more personal for both the artist and the subject, since painters in this style believed that each painting was a reflection of the artist’s mind, personality, and deeply held values.
With an emphasis on balancing yin and yang, the brush stroke approach to painting is similar to the TCM approach of transitioning from winter to spring. Winter is the season of kidney support and yin, jing, or vitality, and transforming jing into Qi. Bestowed upon us at conception, our lifelong vitality is shared directly from our parents, and conserving that energy is a lifelong balancing act. Spring is the season of the liver and yang, and as the seasons begin to transition from winter to spring, the liver and gallbladder become responsible for the movement of Qi throughout the body. If there is a deficiency in the liver, or any organ, they turn to the kidneys for support. This can cause an imbalance in yin and yang energy in the body, but there are many dietary, physical, and emotional choices you can adopt to best support your body through the changing seasons. Striving for physical, emotional, and spiritual harmony in one’s self is reminiscent of the artist’s desire to capture harmony within themselves and their subject. Much like art, it is not just about the outcome, but the process to achieve harmony.
References
https://education.asianart.org/resources/an-introduction-to-chinese-brushpainting-techniques/
Understanding Chinese Painting by T.C. Lai
Hokusai- First Manga Master by Jocelyn Bouquillard and Christophe Marquet
https://www.gathered.how/arts-crafts/art/beginners-guide-to-chinese-brush-painting
https://www.euyansang.com/en_US/understanding-the-role-of-the-kidney/eystcmorgans2.html
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/39915- link to photo used for blog post