Chinese Brush Painting – Thanh Duong
March Activity Night
Thanh Duong’s skills with the brush are mesmerising, as the 16 who attended our activity night discovered.
Thanh first explained the equipment used: black calligraphy ink, Chinese Brush Painting paint (watercolour with a bonding additive to make it fast), a selection of round and flat Chinese ink brushes, depending on stiffness bristles are made from horse, goat, fox, wolf or rabbit hair, and Suan absorbent rice paper to paint on.
Thanh painted a branch of cherry blossom upon which a sparrow was perched. She first painted the branch by loading a round brush with watered-down black ink, then dipping the tip in undiluted ink to give tonal variation. This double-loading technique was used throughout the process, giving the brush strokes colour variation. Most of the work is painted wet-on-wet so the colours blend beautifully together, and comma-like strokes are used to create the elements.
Thanh kindly gave a set of paints and some brushes so we can try for ourselves, so keep watch for a casual workshop sometime soon!
Report & Photos: Kirsten Craggs
March Activity Night
Thanh Duong’s skills with the brush are mesmerising, as the 16 who attended our activity night discovered.
Thanh first explained the equipment used: black calligraphy ink, Chinese Brush Painting paint (watercolour with a bonding additive to make it fast), a selection of round and flat Chinese ink brushes, depending on stiffness bristles are made from horse, goat, fox, wolf or rabbit hair, and Suan absorbent rice paper to paint on.
Thanh painted a branch of cherry blossom upon which a sparrow was perched. She first painted the branch by loading a round brush with watered-down black ink, then dipping the tip in undiluted ink to give tonal variation. This double-loading technique was used throughout the process, giving the brush strokes colour variation. Most of the work is painted wet-on-wet so the colours blend beautifully together, and comma-like strokes are used to create the elements.
Thanh kindly gave a set of paints and some brushes so we can try for ourselves, so keep watch for a casual workshop sometime soon!
Report & Photos: Kirsten Craggs