Summary:
The purpose of this paper is to explore the important role of landscape painting, as the core link of oil painting practice, in promoting the development of Western oil painting tradition, promoting the localization process of Chinese oil painting, and the individualized expression of artists. By analyzing the selection of depicted objects, the skills of integrating objective and subjectivity, and the display of artistic personality, the role of oil landscape painting in the inheritance and innovation of techniques is revealed, and its value in cultivating painters' observation, expressiveness and creativity is emphasized.
I. Introduction
As a bridge connecting the natural landscape and the artist's soul, oil painting landscape sketching is not only the basic skill of oil painting skills, but also an important carrier for the expression of artistic concepts and personality. Since the rise of the Dutch school of painting in the 16th century, landscape painting has gradually become independent from the background of religious and historical painting, and has become a major branch of oil painting.
With the admiration of nature and the pursuit of emotional expression in romanticism in the Age of Enlightenment, landscape sketching has become an effective way for painters to face nature, capture the changes of light and shadow, and record instantaneous emotions.
The history of landscape painting can be traced back to the Renaissance, but it was only in the 17th century that the Dutch school of painting really became an independent genre. Impressionist painters such as John Constable and Claude Monet pioneered the capture of the transient changes of natural light and color through direct outdoor sketching, which greatly enriched the expressive power of oil painting, and made landscape painting shift from traditional idealized representation to more realistic and vivid expression of nature.
In the 20th century, landscape sketching became an important field of modern art experimentation and personalized exploration, such as expressionism, abstract expressionism and other genres, all of which sought new visual language and spiritual sustenance in landscape painting. Therefore, oil painting landscape sketching is not only a process of technical sharpening, but also a platform for the exchange and innovation of artistic ideas, and its position in the history of oil painting art is unshakable.
2. The interaction between landscape painting and the development of Western oil painting
Oil painting landscape sketching is not only a direct embodiment of the artist's personal emotions and the dialogue with nature, but also an important force to promote the continuous evolution of Western oil painting art. This chapter aims to explore the origins and evolution of landscape painting, the role of landscape sketching in promoting the innovation of oil painting techniques, and how important painters and works are analyzed to reveal how they promoted the development of the oil painting language through this art form.
A. The Origin and Evolution of Western Oil Painting and Landscape Painting
The germination of Western oil painting can be traced back to the Middle Ages, but it was in the 17th century that landscape painting began to emerge as an independent subject in the Dutch Golden Age. During this period, with the prosperity of the economy and the stability of society, people began to have a strong interest in natural scenes, and landscape paintings began to break away from the background of religion or mythological stories and become independent aesthetic objects.
Subsequently, the rise of the 18th-century English Landscape School, especially the work of John Constable, with its delicate capture of natural light and atmospheric effects, paved the way for later Impressionism. In the 19th century, the Impressionists, especially Claude Monet, completely changed the traditional way of landscape painting through direct sketching outdoors, emphasizing instantaneous changes in light and shadow and color perception, marking a new stage of development in oil landscape painting.
B. The role of landscape sketching in the innovation of oil painting techniques
Landscape sketching played a decisive role in the innovation of oil painting techniques. Outdoor sketching requires painters to capture natural scenes quickly, which prompts artists to explore more direct and free-flowing techniques, such as the use of wider brushstrokes, sharper color contrasts, and instant responses to light and shadow.
The Impressionists recorded the changes of natural light through fast, rough brushstrokes, which opened a precedent for the liberation of color, and this breakthrough in technique directly influenced the later schools of Fauvism, Expressionism, and even Abstract Expressionism. In addition, landscape sketching has also promoted the application of new materials and technologies, such as the improvement of portable paint tubes and canvases, which have greatly facilitated the artist's outdoor creation, further promoting the diversified development of the language of oil painting.
C. Analysis of important painters and works
John Constable: His work "Hayride" not only shows the serene beauty of the English countryside, but more importantly, he showed a new level of light and shadow expression in landscape painting through his delicate depiction of light and light on the sky and water, which provided inspiration for the Impressionists.
Claude Monet: Monet's Water Lilies series is an example of the perfect blend of landscape sketching and personal emotion. He repeatedly sketched by the pond in the Giverny Garden, and through the depiction of the same scene at different times and under different lights, he showed the infinite changes of color and light, which promoted the development of oil painting in a more subjective and perceptual direction.
Vincent van Gogh: Van Gogh's "Starry Night" is not a direct sketch of the landscape, but it is a profound reflection of the inspiration that the landscape gave him. His exaggerated colors and distorted lines show the fusion of the turbulence of the inner world and the natural landscape, broadening the range of emotional expression of landscape painting, and exerting a profound influence on the personalized exploration of the artistic language of later generations.
3. The localization process of landscape sketching in Chinese oil painting
The process of landscape sketching in Chinese oil painting is a vivid chapter of the integration and innovation of Chinese and Western cultures, which witnesses the process of oil painting, a foreign art form, taking root and sprouting on Chinese soil to thrive. This chapter will delve into his early introduction and attempts, the exploration and practice of integrating East and West, and the Chinese characteristics and achievements of contemporary oil painting landscape sketching.
A. Early introduction and initial attempts
Oil painting, as a Western art form, was introduced to China in the late 19th and early 20th centuries through Chinese artists studying abroad. Li Tiefu, Li Shutong and others were the pioneers who first came into contact with and tried to sketch oil landscapes, and while learning Western oil painting techniques, they tried to integrate the artistic conception of traditional Chinese landscape painting into their works, and began the initial exploration of the localization of oil painting. Although the works of this period are still immature in terms of technique, they mark the indiscriminate use of landscape sketching in Chinese oil painting, and lay the foundation for the subsequent integration of China and the West.
B. Exploration and practice of the integration of Chinese and Western cultures
In the middle of the 20th century, with the efforts of artists such as Xu Beihong and Lin Fengmian, Chinese oil painting landscape sketching entered a new stage. Xu Beihong's advocacy of "improving Chinese painting with Western realism" not only in the field of figure painting, but also profoundly influenced the creation of landscape painting. He emphasized the concept of "learning from nature" and encouraged students to go out of the studio and sketch directly in front of nature, which coincided with the tradition of "traveling and sketching" by ancient Chinese painters, and promoted the in-depth development of oil painting landscape sketching in China.
Lin Fengmian goes one step further, on the basis of integrating Eastern and Western aesthetics, creating a unique style that has both the texture of oil painting and the charm of the East, and his landscape works often use the composition and artistic conception of traditional Chinese landscapes, combined with the colors and forms of Western modern paintings, showing the aesthetic pursuit of combining East and West.
C. Characteristics and achievements of landscape sketching in contemporary Chinese oil painting
In the 21st century, Chinese oil painting landscape sketching has shown the characteristics of diversification and internationalization. On the one hand, artists pay more attention to the expression of personality and emotion, and are no longer limited to the objective representation of scenes, but tend to convey inner emotions and philosophical reflections through landscapes. For example, Ai Xuan's Tibetan landscape series not only shows the magnificence of the snowy plateau, but also contains the philosophy of loneliness and tranquility. On the other hand, in the context of globalization, Chinese oil painting landscape sketches have frequently appeared on the international stage, which not only shows the natural beauty of China, but also conveys the unique charm and spirit of Chinese culture.
At the same time, some artists are committed to exploring more local and ecological expressions, such as a group of painters represented by Wu Guanzhong, whose works not only have the abstract language of Western modern art, but are also deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture and natural landscapes, creating oil painting landscapes with both international vision and oriental connotations. These works have not only won wide acclaim from the art circles at home and abroad, but also contributed valuable Chinese perspectives and cultural values to world art.
To sum up, the localization process of Chinese oil painting landscape sketching is a development process from imitation to innovation, from integration to transcendence. It not only witnesses the deep roots of oil painting as an art form in China, but also demonstrates the inclusiveness and creativity of Chinese culture in the face of foreign art. Contemporary Chinese oil painting landscape sketching is writing a new chapter in the history of cultural exchanges between China and the West with its unique aesthetic characteristics and artistic achievements.
Fourth, the selection and processing of depicted objects
In the artistic practice of landscape painting, the selection and treatment of the depicted object is a crucial step, which is not only related to the visual effect of the picture, but also reflects the artist's emotional attitude, cultural identity and aesthetic pursuit at a deeper level. In this section, we will discuss the selection criteria of natural landscapes, the importance of field visits, and the abstraction and imagery of depicted objects.
A. Selection Criteria for Natural Landscapes: Aesthetic, Cultural and Emotional Considerations
In oil landscape painting, the choice of natural landscape is not arbitrary, but based on a comprehensive consideration of aesthetics, cultural significance and emotional resonance. First of all, aesthetic standards are the foundation, and artists are often attracted by those scenes that can touch the visual beauty, such as gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, magnificent mountains and rivers, and quiet forest paths, these natural scenes become ideal objects for depiction because of their beauty of color, light and shadow, and form.
Secondly, cultural considerations make the works rich in deep connotation, and artists tend to choose those places that carry regional cultural memories or historical stories, such as ancient villages and natural scenery around historical sites, as a medium to convey a specific cultural atmosphere and historical mood. Finally, the emotional factor is indispensable, and the artist often chooses landscapes that are closely related to personal experiences and memories, and expresses his inner emotions through the brush, so that the works are full of personalized temperature and depth.
B. The Importance of Field Trips: Intuitive Perception and Field Sketching
Field trips are essential for landscape painting, as they not only provide artists with first-hand intuition, but are also a key part of inspiration and creativity. Immersed in nature, the artist can directly experience the effects of the changing light and the changing seasons on the landscape, a first-hand experience that goes far beyond what any form of second-hand material can provide.
On-site sketching has become an effective means of recording these immediate feelings, and the artist captures the fleeting beauty by quickly capturing light and shadow, composing and arranging, which is not only a technical exercise, but also a process of dialogue between emotion and nature. Each stroke of the sketch contains the artist's intuitive response and emotional investment, accumulating valuable materials and inspiration for subsequent creations.
C. Abstraction and imagery of depicted objects
In oil landscape painting, abstracting and imagining the depicted object is an important way for the artist to express his personality and deepen the theme. Abstraction means that the artist is no longer confined to the reproduction of objective reality, but creates a visual effect that transcends reality through the subjective deconstruction and reorganization of colors, shapes, and textures. This approach emphasizes the conveyance of emotions and inner spirit, rather than the accurate representation of external images.
Imagery, on the other hand, is to give symbolic meaning to the natural landscape, and convey deeper cultural meanings and personal emotions through symbols, metaphors and other techniques. For example, a lonely forest may symbolize inner contemplation, and the flowing stream symbolizes the passage of time, and these imagery elements make the work have the possibility of multiple interpretations, enhancing the expressiveness and appeal of art.
In short, the selection and processing of the depicted objects in oil landscape painting is a complex and delicate process, which integrates the artist's aesthetic judgment, cultural understanding, emotional experience and creative thinking. Through precise selection of natural landscapes, in-depth field investigations, and abstraction and imagery of depicted objects, the artist not only records the beauty of nature, but also expresses a unique understanding of the world and a deep insight into the inner world.
5. The harmonious symbiosis of objective landscape and subjective picture
In the vast world of oil painting and landscape sketching, artists continue to explore how to integrate personal emotions and creativity on the basis of respecting the truth of nature, so as to achieve the harmonious coexistence of objective scenery and subjective pictures. This chapter will provide an in-depth analysis of the balance between nature and subjectivity, the penetration and expression of subjective emotions, the subjective and objective fusion techniques of technique and composition, and how they deal with this complex relationship through the cases of masters.
A. Respect for the balance between nature and subjective creation
Oil painting landscape sketching is first and foremost an observation and recording of nature, but the real artistic creation is far more than that. While faithfully reproducing natural landscapes, artists need to find a balance between natural beauty and personal creativity. This means not only accurately capturing the natural light and shadow, color and structure, but also injecting personal emotional colors and aesthetic concepts into the picture, so that the work is not distorted and full of vitality. Achieving this balance requires a high degree of observation, a strong technical foundation, and a keen sense of self-expression.
B. The penetration and expression of subjective emotions in landscape sketching
Emotions are the bridge between the audience and the work, and the emotions conveyed by artists through landscape sketching are often more touching than the scenery itself. In the process of creation, the artist will project his own emotional state into the natural scenery, whether it is the joy of tranquility, the faint sorrow, or the awe of the natural forces, all of which can be reflected in the intensity of the color, the rigidity and softness of the lines, and the tightness of the composition. This kind of emotional penetration is not simply added, but deeply integrated with the characteristics of the landscape, forming an inner unity, so that the audience can feel the artist's mood and thinking while enjoying the beautiful scenery.
C. Technique and Composition: Technique Analysis of Subjective and Objective Integration
In oil landscape painting, technique and composition are the key to achieving the integration of subjectivity and objectivity. The artist uses different brushstrokes (e.g., delicate and smooth and bold and powerful), color combinations (e.g., warm and cold contrasts and harmonious unity), and light and shadow treatment (e.g., chiaroscuro and layering) to enhance the expressiveness and emotional depth of the picture. In terms of composition, the artist selects, exaggerates or deforms natural scenes to construct a space that is both in line with natural logic and full of personal emotions. Through these techniques, the artist is able to give the work a unique style and deep connotation while preserving the beauty of nature.
D. Case Study: How does a master deal with subjective and objective relationships
Historically, many oil painting masters have shown superb subjective and objective processing skills in landscape sketching. For example, in Van Gogh's "Starry Night", he does not completely depict the natural scene, but uses the rotating starry sky, exaggerated cypress trees, and strong colors to express his strong emotions and inner world for the night, realizing the perfect combination of objective scenery and subjective emotions.
Another example is Monet's "Water Lilies" series, through his sensitive capture of light and shadow and the unique color treatment of Impressionism, the natural scenery on the picture transcends reality and becomes a reflection of his inner perception, showing a model of harmonious coexistence between subjectivity and objectivity.
6. Subjective expression methods and artistic personality in oil painting landscape sketching
In the field of landscape painting, artists integrate personal emotions, aesthetic concepts and artistic pursuits into their works through a variety of means, thus forming a unique artistic personality. This section will discuss the personalized use of color language, the construction of personal style of brushstrokes and textures, the innovative attempts of composition and spatial processing, and how to achieve visual and psychological resonance through the communication of emotions and artistic conceptions, so as to show the richness and depth of subjective expression.
A. Personalized use of color language
Color is not only a direct reflection of the beauty of nature, but also the externalization of the artist's inner world. Each artist has a distinct personality in the choice and matching of colors. For example, some artists prefer bright and warm tones to convey an upbeat mood; Others prefer cool tones to create a calming and deep atmosphere. Through the contrast, complementarity, and layering of colors, the artist has constructed a unique color language system, and the use of personalized colors can directly touch the viewer's emotions and form a strong visual impact and psychological induction.
B. Personal style of brushstrokes and textures
Brushstrokes are traces of the artist's dialogue with the canvas, and brushstrokes with different strengths, speeds, and directions can create different visual effects and textures. Some painters prefer delicate and soft brushstrokes, pursuing smoothness and harmony in the picture; while others use bold, rugged brushstrokes that emphasize a sense of power and movement. The shaping of texture also reflects the artist's personality, through impasto, thin wiping, scratching and other techniques, simulating the feeling of various materials in nature, such as rough bark, smooth water, fluffy clouds, etc., this unique grasp of texture, is an important source of the artist's style recognition.
C. Innovative attempts in composition and spatial processing
Composition is the key to organizing the elements of the picture and guiding the viewer's gaze. In oil landscape painting, artists often break the traditional rules and carry out bold compositional experiments. They may use asymmetrical layouts, extreme perspectives, or intentional white space to create a new sense of space.
Innovations in spatial processing, such as the flexible use of perspective, the blurring of the boundaries between foreground and background, and the distortion of surreal space, are all important ways for artists to explore their personal visual language, so that the picture not only reflects the natural scene, but also becomes a stage for expressing the inner world and philosophical thinking.
D. Emotional and artistic conception communication: from visual to psychological resonance
The core of oil painting landscape sketching lies in the transmission of emotions and artistic conceptions. What the artist shows through the picture is not only the natural scenery, but also the expression of personal emotions and the creation of artistic conception. They use color, brushstrokes, composition, and other means to guide the viewer into a spiritual realm that transcends reality, triggering deep psychological resonance. This kind of resonance transcends the visual level and touches the viewer's heart, allowing people to experience the artist's emotional fluctuations in the process of viewing, and even produce a connection between personal memories and imagination, so as to achieve the communication between art and the heart.
Author: Lu Xilin
Bibliography:
History of Western Art
Color & Light: A Guide to Realistic Painting
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