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Ink and wash painting

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Ink and wash painting
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Chinese name
Traditional Chinese 水墨畫
Simplified Chinese 水墨画
Pinyin Shuǐmòhuà
Japanese name
Kanji 水墨画 or 墨絵
Hepburn Romaji Suibokuga or Sumie
Korean name
Hangul 수묵화
Hanja 水墨畵
Revised Romanization Sumukhwa
McCune-Reischauer Sumukhwa
Vietnamese name
Quốc ngữ Tranh thuỷ mặc

Ink and wash painting is an East Asian type of brush painting. It is also known as wash painting, or by its Japanese name, sumi-e. Only black ink — the same as used in East Asian calligraphy — in various concentrations is used.

Wash painting developed in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and became an established style during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). It was introduced to Japan in the mid-14th century by Zen Buddhist monks, and grew in popularity until its peak during the Muromachi period (1338-1573).

Tools

In wash paintings, as in calligraphy, the artist usually grinds their own ink using an ink stick and a grinding stone, but prepared inks are also available. Most ink sticks are made of densely packed charcoal ash from bamboo or pine. The artist puts a few drops of water on the ink stone and grinds the ink stick in a circular motion until a smooth, black ink of the desired concentration is made. Ink sticks are of higher quality and are preferred for works that are to be displayed. Prepared inks are useful for practice.

Wash painting brushes are the same as the brushes used for calligraphy, and are traditionally made from bamboo and goat, ox, horse, or wolf hair. The brush hairs are tapered to a fine point, a feature vital to the style of wash paintings.

See Calligraphy for more information on the tools used in both calligraphy and wash painting.

Techniques

Four kinds of brush strokes are the basis for wash painting. The strokes, known as the "Four Gentlemen", are named for the plants they depict — the ume (梅), the orchid (蘭), the chrysanthemum (菊), and the bamboo (竹).

Autumn Landscape (Shukei-sansui). Sesshu Toyo.
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Autumn Landscape (Shukei-sansui). Sesshu Toyo.

Noted artists

China

Japan

External links

 


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