1. The concept of traditional Chinese painting and watercolor painting
(1) The concept of traditional Chinese painting. Chinese painting, referred to as "Guohua", mainly refers to traditional Chinese ink painting [mainly ink, without color or a small amount of color] and color ink painting [also using ink, but with heavy color, including boneless paintings that basically do not use ink]. It is a form of painting that uses water as the medium, brushes, inks, mineral pigments, and plant pigments to paint on rice paper or silk. The term "Chinese painting" is a concept of "painting category" that emerged to distinguish it from Western painting. According to the classification of artistic techniques, Chinese painting can be divided into three forms: meticulous brushwork, freehand brushwork and part-time calligraphy. Gongbi painting uses extremely delicate brushstrokes to depict objects. The brushes are neat and meticulous, and the colors are applied layer by layer. The details are clear and subtle, so it is called "Gongbi". Worker means neat and tidy. Compared with "meticulous brushwork", freehand brushwork uses bold and concise brushwork to describe the shape and spirit of objects and express the author's emotions. Freehand painting requires the painter to have a high degree of generalization ability and create an implicit artistic conception of less overcoming more. The artist must be accurate when writing, and must be skillful in handling the brushstrokes. Part-time writing is a comprehensive use of the two methods of meticulous writing and freehand brushwork, some focusing on work, some focusing on writing, and so on. In addition, there is a kind of boneless painting. Boneless painting is also called boneless painting. In traditional Chinese painting, when painters draw the outlines and leaf veins of objects, they usually outline them with ink. This painting method is a bone painting method, and the so-called "bones" here are ink lines. The boneless painting method is a traditional Chinese painting method that does not use ink lines and directly uses color modeling. Among boneless paintings, there is another type of painting that is very similar to watercolor painting, which we call photo painting. Since this painting method is very similar to watercolor painting, its similarities and differences need to be studied separately. In the following discussion, we will not single out boneless paintings, especially portrait paintings, for special explanation in order to reduce the length of this article. From the perspective of artistic disciplines, Chinese painting can also be divided into three major categories: figures, landscapes, flowers and birds, and paintings of animals, pommel horses, insects, fruits and vegetables in Chinese paintings can be classified into these three categories respectively.
(2) The concept of watercolor painting. Watercolor painting originated in the West and was developed during the European Renaissance. It also uses water as the medium, using bright and mostly transparent watercolor pigments, on white paper [which is a kind of "hard white paper", such as what we usually call white newspapers, and generally does not use the "soft white paper" specially used for traditional Chinese painting - A form of painting on [rice paper]. From a general concept, we can think of it this way: watercolor painting uses "color" as the raw material and "water" as the medium [oil painting uses oil to mix pigments]. It is painted on special "hard white paper" and pays great attention to light and shadow. The effect is a colorful form of painting.
2. Similarities and differences in the main tools and materials between traditional Chinese painting and watercolor painting
(3) Painting paper. Both watercolor painting and traditional Chinese painting use white paper as the main carrier. Traditional Chinese painting uses rice paper and silk. Rice paper can be divided into raw or cooked, but both are soft and can be said to be "soft paper". The performance of the tools and materials of Chinese painting also determines the characteristics of Chinese painting. Especially when painting on silk and paper, it is easier to express the interest of pen and ink. The permeability characteristics of rice paper, coupled with the soft yet rigid characteristics of the brush, make the pen and ink infinitely versatile. Watercolor paintings use white paper with a certain hardness, such as French ARCHES watercolor paper. Compared with rice paper and silk, watercolor paper can be said to be "hard paper". The ideal watercolor painting paper has a white surface, a solid texture, moderate water absorption, a relatively smooth surface after being wetted with water, and a thickness of the paper grain.
(4) Ink and black color. In Chinese painting, ink plays a very important role, and there is also a saying that "ink is divided into five colors". In watercolor, there is only black pigment. Regarding the use of this kind of black pigment, watercolor painting is not as particular as Chinese painting.
(5) Brush. Both watercolor painting and traditional Chinese painting are based on brushes. Due to historical reasons, there are some differences in the appearance of the two brushes, but there is no obvious difference in essence. The brushes used for traditional Chinese painting and the brushes used for watercolor painting both need to have a certain degree of elasticity and water-holding capacity. In practical applications, the two brushes can also be used interchangeably. For example, the wolf brush, white cloud brush, landscape brush, etc. that are often used in traditional Chinese painting can all be used for watercolor painting.
(6) Inkstone and palette. The palette is an indispensable painting tool for both watercolor painters and Chinese painters.
The inkstone is one of the indispensable painting tools for Chinese painters, while watercolor painters do not need an inkstone at all. A few palettes are enough.
(7) Pigments. From the source of raw materials, watercolor pigments are basically the same as traditional Chinese painting pigments. They are both derived from animals, plants, minerals and chemical synthesis [the chemically synthesized pigments in Chinese painting were later borrowed from watercolor paints], but there are also many differences.
[7-1] There are two types of pigments used in Chinese painting: one is mineral, such as cinnabar, ocher, azurite, stone green, stone yellow, white powder, gold powder, silver powder, etc.; the other is One type is plant matter, such as cyanine, garcinia, rouge, magenta, etc. Since the pigments used in traditional Chinese painting are mostly natural minerals or animal shell powders, they can withstand wind and sun and remain unchanged for a long time. For example, Dunhuang murals and Han tomb murals still maintain bright colors. Watercolor paints have the disadvantage of fading easily. Watercolor paintings tend to fade over time, especially when exposed to sunlight and air. This is because watercolors use volatile pigments such as rose red, green lotus, garcinia, and grass green.
[7-2]There are different types of pigments. There are far more types of watercolors than traditional Chinese painting pigments, with rich color gradations and bright colors. Commonly used watercolor paints include lemon yellow, medium yellow, earthy yellow, vermilion, earthy red, dark red, rose red, grass green, emerald green, ultramarine blue, plain blue, cooked brown, coal black, etc.
[7-3] There is not much difference in the halo effect of the two pigments on "hard white paper", that is, basically no halo; but on rice paper, the halo effect of Chinese painting pigments is It's extremely strong, and the watercolor paint doesn't smudge at all, and seems to be a little "oily". This is because watercolor paints contain small amounts of glycerin.
[7-4] The raw materials used in traditional Chinese painting pigments must be divided into dark, light, fine and coarse through the production process of grinding, refining, sinking and phasing, and then selected, but generally speaking, the particles are relatively small. thick. Although watercolor pigments are also extracted from animals, plants, and minerals, their particles are much finer than traditional Chinese painting pigments. After being dissolved in water, they become crystal clear and delicate. Applying them layer by layer on white paper will also produce a crystal clear effect. After watercolor pigments are mixed with water, most colors are transparent or translucent. Among them, blue, lemon yellow, emerald green, rose red and other colors are the most transparent, followed by ultramarine, orange, vermilion, etc. Earth red, earthy yellow, coal black, and brown are not very transparent, but if more water is added to blend and the concentration is reduced, a transparent effect can also appear. Ultramarine, ocher, earthy red and other mineral pigments in watercolor pigments are prone to precipitation when used alone or mixed with other colors.
(8) Reconciling agent. Both Chinese painting and watercolor painting use water as a pigment blender. Water plays a very important role in both Chinese painting and watercolor painting. Whether it is Chinese painting or watercolor painting, there is a lot of emphasis on the use of water. When painting, the amount of water depends on the painting theme and the effect of the painting, and is directly related to the water absorption of the selected paper. The dryness and humidity of the climate also affect the use of water. But in general, water has three functions: first, it is used to blend pigments; second, it is used to wet the paper surface; and third, it is used to blur the color ink. For example, in watercolor painting, the general painting procedure is to wet the paper first and then apply paint. If the color is not deep enough at one time, you need to paint a second or third time. The method is to wait until the last coat is dry, then wet the paper surface and continue painting on it. The gongbi painting method in traditional Chinese painting also requires layered painting, which also requires that the previous layer of paint be completely dry before continuing with the next layer of paint. In traditional Chinese painting, especially in freehand painting, proper use of water and color ink can achieve a "brilliant" effect. Water plays a vital role in it.
(9) Covering liquid and alum. During the watercolor painting process, painters often use covering fluid to achieve a certain painting effect. There is no covering liquid in traditional Chinese painting materials. In Chinese painting, there is also a special material that is not used in other types of painting (including watercolor painting, of course), and this is alum. In traditional Chinese painting, alum can be used to make rice paper (that is, raw rice paper can be turned into mature rice paper); second, it can be used as a blocking liquid for color ink to a certain extent, with some covering liquid effects; third, it can be directly used as a painting pigment, such as using Painted by Yu Bingxue.
3. Similarities and differences in painting ideas between Chinese painting and watercolor painting
(10) Painting design. Traditional Chinese painting pays attention to the intention of painting first and having a plan in mind. Watercolor painting is mostly guided by realism, focusing on realism and the use of light and color. Gu Kaizhi, a painter of the Jin Dynasty, proposed that "ingenuity comes from careful thinking". Zhang Yanyuan of the Tang Dynasty said in "Records of Famous Paintings of the Past Dynasties": "An image must be similar in shape, and the shape must be complete with its bones. Similarity in bones and shape are all based on the carelessness and return to the use of the brush." ??He believes that only the intention comes first, and the painting That's amazing. Fang Xun of the Qing Dynasty also emphasized the relationship between conception and painting in his "Mountain Quiet Residence Painting Theory": "When painting, you must first establish the conception to determine the position. If you want to be strange, you will be strange, if you want to be high, you will be high, if you want to be far, you will be far away. Deep is profound, and ancient is ancient. " He believes that mediocre people will paint mediocre paintings, and vulgar people will paint vulgar paintings, because they lack the most precious "concept" of the painter. Where does "meaning" come from? It comes from the painter's rich observation of real life and full accumulation of creative experience; it comes from the painter's own cultivation. Although Western painters also pay attention to the concept of painting, for example, the Italian Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci said: "A painter should depict the two most important things, people and people's thoughts and intentions." However, The requirements for artistic conception in Western painting are far less than that of Chinese painting, which puts it first. Generally speaking, Western painting (including watercolor painting of course) pays more attention to how to be realistic, how to shape and how to express light and color.
(11) Painting intention. Traditional Chinese painting pays attention to the meaning and symbolism of painting, while watercolor painting emphasizes aestheticism. The landscapes, flowers and birds in traditional Chinese paintings often contain symbolic meanings. For example, plum blossoms and pine trees symbolize the indomitable fighting spirit of braving the severe cold and wind and snow, while lotuses and bamboos symbolize nobility, etc. Wang Keyu of the Ming Dynasty said in "Coral Outline": "The ancients all had profound meanings in painting, and they all had their own ideas when thinking and writing." Watercolor landscape painting and watercolor still life painting mainly pursue the beauty of the picture and pay attention to the harmony of light and color. Instead, the content of the painting takes a secondary place.
(12) Aesthetic requirements. Traditional Chinese painting emphasizes conveying spirit through form. Watercolor painting relies on light and color. "Use form to describe spirit" is a famous saying of Jin Dynasty painter Gu Kaizhi. In traditional Chinese painting, "spirit" is higher than "form". Under the guidance of this aesthetic concept, painting characters must not only be similar in appearance, but also similar in spirit, and the spiritual outlook of the person must be painted, and the latter is more important than the former. The focus of watercolor painting is first of all the resemblance of appearance. "The pursuit of "the charm in the painting" is far less intense than that of traditional Chinese painting. Traditional Chinese painting, especially freehand painting, pursues a feeling of "the beauty lies between resemblance and dissimilarity". And watercolor painting It emphasizes "writing form with form" [of course it does not emphasize the expression of "spirit" at all] and pays attention to the overall picture and generalization. Some people say that Western painting is an art of "reproduction" and Chinese painting is an art of "expression". . This statement does have some truth. In the past hundred years, abstract painting and impressionism have emerged in the Western painting world, and their paintings have begun to pursue artistic conception and charm.
4. Differences in composition rules
(13) Size. Watercolor painting paper is generally smaller in size, mostly half a meter square, and the ratio between length and width is more particular. It must comply with the golden rule. The length-to-width ratio of many works of Chinese painting, such as paper, long scrolls, or vertical scrolls, does not comply with the golden rule at all, but it can well express the special artistic conception and the painter's subjective taste.
(14) Perspective method. Watercolor painting is created in accordance with the principles of perspective, anatomy and color. The basic technique is to use focus perspective to create a three-dimensional space on a plane. Traditional Chinese painting uses both focus perspective and color. Scattered point perspective is used, but the most widely used is the scattered point perspective composition method. This can realize moving mountains and seas, that is, when objects appear in the picture, they can be stretched or shortened according to artistic needs, and their positions can be changed. In order to obtain the best visual effect. This is a unique perspective method created by ancient Chinese painters based on the needs of artistic expression. For example, the well-known "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" by Zhang Zeduan in the Northern Song Dynasty uses scatter perspective. It is centered on the Bianhe River and draws from the distant countryside to the lively "Hongqiao".
Viewers can see both the city and the countryside; they can see the pedestrians on the bridge and the boats under the bridge; they can see the nearby buildings and trees, and they can see the depths in the distance. Streets and river ports. And no matter which section you stand on, the proportions of the scenery are similar. If you draw according to the focus perspective method of Western paintings, many places cannot be drawn.
(15) Picture space. Among the composition rules of Chinese painting, there is another one that is also very important and is generally not used in watercolor painting. This is to use white for black. In traditional Chinese painting, there are scenes and blank spaces that strictly adhere to reality, and there are also scenes and blank spaces that break reality and are artistically adapted to meet the needs of composition. This kind of due or artificially designed blank space occupies an important position in traditional Chinese painting. The practice of leaving blank space as part of painting is the so-called "calculation of white and use of black". Traditional Chinese painting pays special attention to the management of blank spaces, often borrowing the concept of white and black from calligraphy. Even if there is no picture, it should be carefully scrutinized and processed as if there is a picture. There is also a saying of "leaving blanks" in watercolor painting. The "blank" in watercolor painting refers to some light and white parts, which need to be left blank before painting darker colors. Appropriate and accurate blank or light color will also enhance the expressiveness of the picture.
5. Similarities and differences in painting techniques between traditional Chinese painting and watercolor painting
(16) Different modeling methods. Traditional Chinese painting uses line modeling, while watercolor painting uses light and shadow modeling. One of the most important characteristics of traditional Chinese painting is the use of lines to create shapes and shapes to convey the spirit; the chamfering method is used to distinguish light and shade from yin and yang, and only the shapes are drawn, not the shadows. First, Chinese painters outline outlines, yin and yang, texture and volume through lines and chamfering techniques. At the same time, in the eyes of Chinese painters, lines are still an important means of expressing the author's thoughts and feelings. Chinese painters have accumulated a very rich line type for outlining landscapes and clothing patterns, such as "eighteen strokes" and various chamfering methods such as hemp draping, ax splitting, lotus leaves, and rice dots. These are not found in watercolors. Watercolor painting also uses lines and flying white [similar to the chamfering method of traditional Chinese painting] to create images, but the basic modeling method of watercolor painting is light and shadow. Western paintings (including watercolor paintings) focus more on expressing the texture and sense of space of objects through light and color. Without the specific content such as shape, structure, light and shade to be expressed, the lines themselves have no value.
(17) Color concepts and color applications are different. Chinese painting attaches great importance to color, so in ancient times, pictures were called "paintings". Dan refers to cinnabar, and green refers to indigo, both of which are commonly used colors in paintings. Coloring is a basic technique that ancient painters must master. But generally speaking, Chinese painters' understanding of color, concepts of color use, and coloring methods are very different from watercolor painters.
[17-1] The scenery of Chinese painting does not pay attention to the shape of the object, the changes in light and color on the object, and the brightness of the picture [the setting is dark], as Western painting does, but pays more attention to the scenery. It has charm and spiritual resemblance, focusing on "conveying spirit through form" and "having both form and spirit".
[17-2] Applying colors according to type is the basic rule of Chinese painting coloring, and applying colors according to light is the basic rule of watercolor painting. Traditional Chinese painting pays more attention to the inherent color of the object itself, rather than emphasizing the conditional color under special light. When you paint an object, you give it a basic color. The basic colors in traditional Chinese painting are only approximate colors [colors are given according to the type rather than according to the object, let alone according to the light]. Although sometimes coloring can be divided into thick, light, dry and wet, the purpose is not to express the light perception of the object but to break the rigidity, so as to achieve rich changes and vivid charm of the color itself.
etc. We can call it "coloring according to the mood".
[17-4] Like to use primary colors with strong contrast. Chinese people are accustomed to using red, yellow, blue, white and black as the "five primary colors", among which black and white are the main colors. Chinese painting pays attention to "clear black and white" and strong contrast. For example, the general painting method for large green landscapes is: use large areas of azure and azurite to paint mountains and rocks, use mud gold to outline the outline, use white powder to dye the mountain clouds and mist, and use cinnabar to point out red maples. In this way, the green mountains, white clouds, and mangroves form a strong contrast.
Traditional Chinese painting pays attention to the use of brushes in calligraphy, while watercolor painting adopts a pragmatic attitude towards the use of brushes. Traditional Chinese painting pays attention to changes in thickness, speed, pauses, turns, squares and circles to express the texture of objects. Generally speaking, you have to use force when starting and stopping the pen, and the breath should not be broken in the middle. It should be bent like a bow and straight like a ruler. This is the meaning of using the pen. The word "pen and ink" is regarded as the general term for traditional Chinese painting techniques. It is not only a means of shaping images, but also has independent aesthetic value in itself. Brushstrokes are also an indispensable factor in watercolor paintings, and the quality of the brushstrokes is directly related to the success or failure of the work. Just the right brush strokes can improve the expressiveness of the work and make the picture lively and vivid. Watercolor painting requires that nearby objects have clear contrast and the water contained in the brush should be less [dry brush]; distant objects are faint and blurry, and the water contained in the brush should be more [wet brush], thereby creating a sense of space. Regardless of whether the brush is dry or wet, the speed of the brush must be decisive and powerful. Watercolor painting is an additive process, and in most cases there is no regret at the first stroke, so it is also required to use the pen and color in one step as much as possible.
(20) Each special technique has its place. The special techniques of watercolor painting include scraping method, crayon method, suction and washing method, water spray method, salt method, counter-printing method, oil stain method, etc. The scraping method is to scratch with a knife commonly used for sharpening pencils. It is a method that destroys the paper surface and creates special effects. The crayon method is to use crayons or oil pastels to apply wax on certain areas before coloring. The areas where the wax is applied will naturally become vacant during coloring. This painting method can be used to express sparse leaves, night lights, complex crowds, etc. The blotting method is to use absorbent paper to absorb part of the color from the painting while it is dry. The water spray method is to spray water on the picture before coloring or when the color is not dry, so that the picture will appear wet by drizzle. The salt-sprinkling method is to sprinkle fine salt particles when the color is not dry, so that the painting will have a texture like snowflakes after it dries. The counter-printing method is to first draw the general color on a glass plate or plastic-coated smooth paper, then cover the drawing paper on it, and then transfer the color on it [and then slightly process it to become a watercolor painting] ]. The oil stain method takes advantage of the incompatibility of oil and water. When coloring, dip a little turpentine to make the picture appear colorful oil stains and increase the changes in the color blocks. The formation of special techniques is directly related to painting materials. Some special techniques of watercolor painting have been borrowed by Chinese painting, while others cannot be used abroad. For example, watercolor paintings use "hard paper", and artists can use knives, pencils, and wooden strips to make scratches on the paper. This is unimaginable on rice paper specially used for traditional Chinese paintings. In traditional Chinese painting, the technique of using alum to control color ink, and the technique of using washing powder, detergent, and salt to spread color ink are all better realized by using rice paper, a special painting carrier.
6. Similarities and Differences in Post-processing between Chinese Painting and Watercolor Painting
(21) Inscriptions and seals are unique to Chinese painting and are also one of the important features that distinguish Western paintings, including watercolor paintings. Chinese painting is good at perfectly combining poetry, calligraphy, painting and seals to form an indivisible whole. It can improve or supplement the appreciation and understanding of viewers through inscriptions and seals. It can also enrich the changes in the picture and play a mutual role. The functions of setting off, highlighting each other, embellishment and balancing composition.
7. Similarities and Differences in the Feeling of Chinese Painting and Watercolor Painting
(22) Watercolor painting and Chinese painting have many differences due to the characteristics of the tools and materials and painting techniques, so the final visual experience is and psychological effects are also different. A good watercolor painting gives a visual impression that is colorful, crystal clear, moist and smooth, flexible and natural, dripping and joyful, relaxed and lively. The first feeling that Chinese paintings give people is the artistic conception, the second is the meaning behind the painting, and the third is the beauty brought by the composition, lines and colors. In fact, artistic conception is also a sense of beauty, but it is a macroscopic, high-level, and vague sense of beauty. In traditional Chinese painting, the most important thing is the so-called "vivid charm". Qiyun is the artistic spiritual realm of Chinese painters. A good Chinese painting should be full of vitality, fresh and lively, with a lyrical charm, making the viewer fascinated. If this artistic realm is not expressed, the basic requirements of traditional Chinese painting will not be met.
In short, from a broad perspective, the main differences between Chinese painting and watercolor painting are: Chinese painting makes good use of lines, while Western painting’s lines are not obvious; Chinese painting does not pay attention to perspective, while Western painting attaches great importance to perspective; Chinese characters Painting does not pay attention to anatomy, while watercolor figure painting pays great attention to anatomy; Chinese painting does not pay attention to the background, but watercolor painting pays great attention to the background. With the advancement of the times, especially after the May 4th Movement, with the introduction of Western paintings, modern Chinese painters, on the basis of inheriting traditional techniques, are also constantly absorbing various techniques such as sketching, oil painting, and watercolor painting, greatly enriching the In addition to the expression techniques of traditional Chinese painting, some painters have also continued to innovate in tools and materials, cleverly integrating Western painting techniques with traditional Chinese painting techniques, giving Chinese painting new vitality. We hope there will be more paintings that combine Chinese and Western styles!