Chinese flower and bird painting is one of the three major painting disciplines in chinese tradition. The objects depicted in flower and bird paintings are actually not just flowers and birds, but also refer to various animals and plants, including flowers, vegetables and fruits, feathers, grass worms, animals and animals. The following flower and bird painting skills, collect well!
flower
Observation of flowers
In addition to viewing and copying ancient and modern famous paintings, it is also necessary to deeply observe and sketch the actual flowers, understand the drought of flowers and the mood in frost, rain and dew, and briefly describe their structure and ecology from various parts such as flowers and leaves and branches.
First, flowers
Flowers are often the theme of the picture, and the general flowers include petals, flower buds, flower holders, calyxes, stems and other parts.
The petals are divided into single and heavy petals (compound petals), and the flower shape is different from the detached and closed petals.
Peonies, rose flowers, etc. are heavy petals that are detached from the petals, pear blossoms, kapok flowers, etc. are single petals that are separated from the petals, and morning glory flowers and lilies are single petals with closed petals. Most flowers have different varieties of single and heavy petals, such as peach blossoms, hibiscus flowers, daffodils, hibiscus, plum blossoms, etc.
There is a difference in the length of the flower buds.
Hermaphroditic flowers, large and small buds are together, hermaphroditic only small buds, or only large buds, some flower buds are more obvious, some are more secretive, all need careful observation.
Calyx also varies according to the type of flower, such as five small petals such as plum apricot peach gathered together, five small petals such as plum pear weeping begonia grow on a long stem, calyx such as rose moon season, and camellia calyx like fish scales.
Second, leaves
When a monophyleaf grows leaves from a branch or stem, the leaf order has pairs of alternate rotational clusters.
Some of the compound leaf plants are pinnate palm-shaped bird's foot, and some are double-repeated leaves, and the form is more complex, and it is necessary to understand the law of its growth before it will not make mistakes in the complexity.
The leaves have petioles and veins, and the shape has different proportions of size such as the length of the pointed circle.
3. Stems and branches
Can be divided into woody, herbaceous, vine, vine, etc., woody branches are very hard, some are quite coarse, herbaceous stems are mostly tender, some become right-handed or left-handed spread, and some also have whisker-like climbing stems.
Sketches of flowers
Sketching is to collect materials for creation, and if it is for the needs of brush strokes, it must be described in detail.
Sometimes we need multiple flowers to gather together on the screen, and when we collect materials for sketching, there must be front, reverse, side, and slope; there are complete flowers, and there are flowers that are partially covered by branches and leaves, both small buds and large buds that will bloom.
The same is true for leaves, in addition to adult leaves, there should also be young leaves and shoots, and pay attention to the yin and yang to the back, the size is interspersed. The branches should also have the main trunk and the branch, as well as the posture and density on the picture.
These are the first questions we should pay attention to when collecting material for the purpose of sketching.
Although flower and bird paintings do not often have the expression method of moving viewpoints like landscape paintings, and usually the visual angle is relatively stable, we can use the method of moving viewpoints when observing, select the most beautiful angle for sketching, and pay attention to the proportion of flowers, branches and leaves.
Painting flowers can start from the petals of the flower buds, usually first draw the most complete, the front petal, and then expand the four outside, the petals are too complex to be summarized, pay attention to its shape beauty.
The same is true for painting leaves, in addition to paying attention to the leaf order and structure, we must also pay attention to the changes in the upward, vertical, back and dense, front and back leaves, and finally draw the branches, and the large stems must also draw skin patterns.
For example, the large stem of plum blossoms should be old, the skin lines should be oblique, the small stems should be straight and powerful, the dried peach skin should be transverse, the dried pine skin should be scaly, and the dried skin of the purple weed flower should be smoother and other different kinds of branches.
The sketching of flowers should start from the folded branches of flowers, fold a branch that is easy to enter the painting of flowers and leaves, insert them in a vase for detailed observation, and the flower buds that are covered can also be opened to study the detailed structure.
After familiarizing yourself with the simple folded branches, you can choose a corner of the whole flower to try or sketch the whole flower, due to the complexity of the branches and leaves, you must choose the appropriate angle and make a large deletion or adjustment.
In short, the sketching of flowers is not an illustration or illustration of a plant, but a subjective trade-off and beautification, and an emphasis on the expression of interest.
Birds
Observation of birds
Birds are also called "feathers" in Chinese paintings, which can be divided into two categories: waterfowl and mountain birds, and according to their living habits, they can be divided into wading birds, game birds, birds of prey, climbing birds, songbirds, pheasants, etc. The characteristics and habits of various types are as follows:
1. Wading birds
It inhabits shallow water to prey on fish and shrimp, and its mouth, neck and feet are very long. For example, cranes, storks, herons and so on.
2. Pygmies
He prefers to swim in the water, with a flat mouth, short feet, webbing between the toes, and more predators of fish, shrimp and small insects. For example, seagulls, wild ducks, mandarin ducks, geese, albatrosses, etc.
3. Birds of prey
The wings are strong and powerful, the mouth is hook-like, the feet are sharp, the temperament is fierce, and it specializes in preying on small animals. For example, eagles, vultures, ospreys, falcons, etc.
Fourth, climb birds
Most of the upper mouth is hook-shaped, the lower mouth is shorter, and the toes are two in front of and two backs, and can be grabbed on the trunk with Yi climbing. For example, parrots, woodpeckers, etc.
5. Songbirds
Likes to chirp, and birds in general are mostly of this category. For example, Wei, Warbler, Thrush, Berlau, Yellow Oriole, Myna, etc.
6. Pheasant
It belongs to the habitat bird, the body is large and beautiful, the tail is long, the mouth shape is similar to that of the chicken, and it grows in the low woods of the mountain forest. For example, pheasant, pheasant, pheasant, peacock and so on.
Birds are oviparous, so their bodies (excluding the head, neck, feet, tail, etc.) are egg-shaped. Due to the different living environment and habits, its mouth, wings and tail also have different proportions and special characteristics. In general, waterfowl (wading birds, game birds) mostly have long beaks and short tails, mountain birds (songbirds, climbing birds, pheasants) mostly have short mouths and long tails, mouth hookers eat meat, fine-pointed people eat insects, old-mouthed people eat shrimp, shell-eating people have thick and thick mouths, and are rounded. Birds that can fly long distances are mostly long and developed, and many of the waterfowl have long necks, so that they can quickly attack and peck at fish.
In addition, the shape of the head, the color of the eye essence and the height of the position are different, and it is also necessary to grasp its subtlety.
Birds have feathers all over the body, and the fine cotton feathers have the effect of insulation, in addition to the semi-cotton feathers, and many unclear shapes, layers and overlapping into a large piece. The other is that the shape of the feathers is clearer, such as the feathers of the wings and tails, all have detailed names, and the shape of the feathers in different parts and the relationship between their stacks should be carefully observed in order to be familiar with the organization and order of bird feathers.
In addition, it must be understood that the male and female birds, birds and beasts are mostly more beautiful males, a few male and female feathers are the same, but the female birds are always slightly smaller than the male birds, the wings and tails of the birds, facing left or right are the opposite of the male and female; the right wing and right wing of the female bird are on the top, and the left wing and left tail feathers of the male bird are on the top. Birds' joy, anger, mourning, and surprise are also different in their wings, tails, and postures.
Sketches of birds
In addition to the complex structure of birds, they are also lively and active, and it is a big challenge for beginners to directly sketch with real birds.
It's a good idea to sketch bird specimens at first. The advantage of the specimen is that the details can be observed in detail from all angles, and even the number of important feathers can be slowly counted. In particular, the painter's brush is feathered, and the observation of specimens is very helpful. However, the disadvantage of painting specimens is that it is easy to draw works that are dynamic and rigid, and even the shape proportions are distorted.
Although the specimen is made from the real bird, it is easily deformed by artificially stuffing cotton in the body, and the bird's eyeballs do not change according to different categories, and are usually equipped with uniform artificial substitutes. The open wings and feet are all supported by iron wire to support the weight and maintain the shape, often because the producer is neglectful of observation and lack of skill, resulting in distorted joint changes, stiff and straight, or unstable center of gravity, messy feathers and other shortcomings.
Compare the pictures of bird reference books, or go to the bird shop, zoo or even the field to observe, and use the camera's function to freeze the momentary movements as an auxiliary reference for sketching.
After observing bird specimens, you can try sketching birds in cages. It is best to go to the bird shop to buy a familiar and docile bird as an object of sketching.
First of all, we must observe its various dynamics, such as stepping on branches, pecking, searching for plumes, wanting to rise, wanting to descend, crying, shrinking neck, flying and other different movements, and memorize their characteristics.
Before sketching, you may wish to observe carefully, and find that it is the most frequently repeated action, or the longest lasting pattern as a sketching choice, with a pencil or brush to do sketching, the bird's posture may wish to be repaired according to memory, or wait for the same dynamic to appear, and then quickly grasp. If it is time-consuming to do detailed depiction, it is necessary to patiently paint and stop, and it is best to observe it frequently when creating, so that it is easy to capture the appearance of birds.
The behavior of caged birds is slightly different from that of birds in nature, in order to understand the living environment and habitat of each bird, it is best to go to the mountain forest to do field observations, and it is better to enjoy birds with telescopes.
Each bird has different habits and postures. For example, swallows and pigeons do not stand on the branches, cranes and herons sleep with one fist and one foot, and the dynamics of crows and magpies are not the same If you do not observe carefully, Zhang Guan Li Dai is not in line with the state of matter, physics and material conditions.
In addition, when birds are perched or not flying, their heads must face the wind, if they are carried by the wind, and their feathers must be lifted, which should also be noted.
When sketching, you can first draw the main shape of the bird (egg type), and then add the head (the head is roughly egg-shaped), and then add the wings, tail and feet according to the dynamics of the head (such as head extension, neck reduction, twisting, etc.). The claws need to be steady when they are flat on the ground, and they need to be tight on the branches. If the neck is not informative, the foot is extended, and the foot is extended, and the two cannot be stretched at the same time. The most important thing is that the body must have a center of gravity, and the form should strive to be vivid and lively, in order to show vitality.
The basic drawing method of flower and bird painting
White drawing method
White drawing refers to the method of drawing objects with ink lines and not color.
There are also white painting methods in the painting of figures and animals, such as the two earliest paintings excavated from the Tomb of Chu in the Warring States, that is, expressed in white painting, which was called "white painting" in ancient China. Li Gonglin of the Northern Song Dynasty is a representative figure of this painting method. The picture below is Shou Ping's "Narcissus Diagram", that is, the white drawing method, full of simple and meticulous ink charm.
The characteristics of the form, the twists and turns of the brushwork, and the thickness and thickness of the lines must all be based on the texture or characteristics of the object being represented. For example, painting petals with thinner and lighter lines is easy to show their delicate and soft; drawing leaves and branches with slightly thicker lines is easier to express their hard and thick texture; drawing bird feathers with slightly dry and thin lines that are empty, which is easier to express the fluffy and soft feeling of feathers.
Chinese painting is the eloquence of lines, especially in white painting, the merits of lines are the main key to the success or failure of a painting.
The white stroke brush should be mainly centered, the pressure and speed of the pen should be uniform, the hooked pen line should have the effect of "external softness and inner rigidity", and the strength should be contained inside, and it should not be exposed to the outside; the lack of implicit pen and ink is not durable. Too much sharpness and exposed strength are easy to show a domineering atmosphere, sometimes destroying the beauty of some flowers, birds and birds.
In addition, the speed of the pen should not be too fast, nor should it be sluggish, and it must have the meaning of "no going back" and "no return."" Wrist strength must be sent to the head, and when the pen is lifted upwards, it should not be sloppy. As for the floral white depiction, there are three main lines:
One is to stop writing (one word stroke), suitable for painting leaf stems, bamboo stems, etc.
The second is a nail-headed rattail drawing, which is suitable for drawing leaf tendons, leaves, etc.
The third is a continuous arc drawing, suitable for drawing petals.
The order of painting birds is to draw a long stroke in the mouth, then draw a stroke on the upper jaw and a stroke on the lower jaw, and then draw the eye circles, the point of the eyes, the head, the back, the wings, the chest, the abdomen, the legs, the claws, and the tail. The lines of the fine hairs are lighter and the middle section is slightly thicker, and if the brush is too heavy, it is not easy to show the texture of the feathers.
Double hook-and-fill painting method
It is a painting method that uses line hooks to draw objects and then fill in the color, also known as the hook and color method or the double hook color method, which is made of dyeing colors on the basis of white drawing.
Its origin is very early, and the paintings excavated from the Western Han Tomb of Mawangdui have been seen in this kind of painting method. The five generations of painter Huang Xiao is a representative painter of the double hook color filling method, whose lines are slender and colorful, which is the mainstream of the northern Song Dynasty painting method of flowers and birds. In addition, Xu Xi in Jiangnan also uses the double hook color filling method, but the style is wild and easy, paying more attention to the fun of the line and the ink rhyme, and the flower and bird painters of later generations use the pen to take more methods Xu Xi, use color to take the yellow basket, and take the divine charm of the two families. The Southern Song Dynasty Wu Shan's "Bamboo Bird Diagram" is an example of a double hook filling method.
For paintings with double hook and color filling, you should choose cooked paper or silk. After first drawing with ink lines and double hooks, prepare two sheep pens for rendering, one dipped in color, one dipped in water, to practice holding two pens in one hand, and to be able to exchange flexibly.
When setting the color, the color should be light, it should be dyed several times, the color of the flower and leaf inner (or central) is pushed to the edge by a clear water pen, the water content in the water pen should be appropriate, too much water will leave traces, too dry will not be rendered.
After rendering, if the original ink line has been blurred, you can use heavy color to re-hook once, hook once, called "Le", but also from the back of the paper to dye, so that the color of the flowers and leaves of the picture is more thick and uniform.
There are three ways to render flowers:
(1) Dyeing successively: First base the lightest color of the flower (both flat paint and base) and then use other colors to dye. Usually white, pink, light yellow flowers are first based on white powder, and then dyed with light green, magenta, garcinia and other colors. The leaves can be pried with grass green and then dyed with flower green.
(2) Dye first and then lay: Purple or dark red flowers can be dyed red from the inside to the outside with flower blue (or light ink) first, and then dyed red. Dyeing leaves can also be divided with flower blue (or light ink) first, and then dyed grass green.
(3) Dyeing method: for example, pink lotus petals, sharp red, the roots are slightly pale green. You can first use white foundation and then use magenta to dye from the tip to the inside, and immediately use light green to dye from the inside to the outside, before the water is dry. Local insect erosion of broken leaves can also be used to dye.
Slightly different from the harvesting method of birds, first white painting is followed by light ink dyeing, then color is second color, third color after drying, then fourth combing, and fifth color combing (silk hair) is commonly used to transform feathers (or livestock).
In order to emphasize the feeling of soft and fine feathers, the principle of combing feathers is to comb the light feathers with a dark comb and the dark feathers with a light comb.
Boneless painting
The boneless painting method is a painting method that does not use ink line hooks and directly paints objects with color.
The boneless painting method is said to have been created by Xu Chongsi in the Northern Song Dynasty, and since then there have been very few painters, and Yun Shouping in the early Qing Dynasty was a master who revived this painting method and had a great influence on modern times. The picture below is Yun Shouping's boneless painting "Autumn Flower Diagram".
The boneless painting method is also more appropriate to use cooked paper, because the ink line is not used, so the white water line is used to curve the relationship between the front and back leaves or the petals and the petals, and there is a taste of white as black. The boneless painting method can also be subdivided into several forms of expression:
The first is more delicate, such as the double hook color filling method, but the ink line of the double hook is omitted and dyed by layers of color.
The second method of painting is slightly loose with a slightly freehand brush stroke, directly dyed with color, and completed at once.
The third method of painting is to straighten the color first, and before drying, use other similar colors to dot dye the part, similar to the use of burnt paper, so that the semi-fusion effect or slightly mottled color changes are produced.
Generally speaking, the white drawing method, the double hook color painting method and the boneless painting method all belong to the category of the brush painting method, and attention should be paid to the integrity of its form and the clarity of its structure.
Beginners can first hook a sketch of the same size before painting, placed under the drawing paper, then the composition, shape has a basis, can focus on the color and the fun of the pen, no matter which method to draw flowers, leaves, the color should have a change in intensity, a pen dipped in water, in order to divide the dye. You can also use the method of "dyeing successively" to pursue richer color changes, but the color should not be too intense, and it is always light and elegant.
After dyeing the color, wait for it to dry before hooking the leaf tendons, silk flowers or painting the flower buds to add details.
Freehand painting
Freehand painting refers to the use of simple and generalized brush and ink to express the mental state of the object, and does not seek the shape of the god-like painting method.
According to the records in the history of painting, the Jialing Rivers and Rivers or Wang Qia's splashed ink painted by Wu Daozi of the Tang Dynasty may have had a freehand form. Among the paintings handed down from generation to generation, su shi of the Northern Song Dynasty, the ink bamboo of Wen Tong, and the ink plum of Shi Zhongren can already be included in the freehand painting method. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Xu Wei even used his pen and ink to draw a pleasant stroke on rice paper. The following figure is Xu Wei's "Peony Banana Stone Map". The Bada Shanren, the Eight Monsters of Yangzhou and the Jinshi School of Painting have all expanded a lot of fields for freehand flower and bird painting.
The freehand flower and bird painting method is mostly based on the technique of "dot stack" or "dot cluster", which can be subdivided into hook flower dot leaf method, small case method, capitalized method and so on.
Freehand painting is suitable for using raw paper, which can be painted with ink color alone or in several colors. The pen first contains a good light color, and then the reef dark color on the tip of the pen, you can also first reef dark color and then dip in water to paint, each stroke must have a change in shade, the use of raw paper is easy to dissolve, in order to produce dry, wet, thick, light different effects.
In short, although the freehand painting method has the so-called "not enough to realize the pen", the form is simple or the image is not accurate, but to draw the freehand painting method well, it is still necessary to work more in the brush painting method and observe the sketching more, in order to play the characteristics of simple and meaningful.