I love fan paintings, and I love painting fan paintings even more.
With its unique shape and unique style, fan paintings stand out among various categories of Chinese paintings.
(1) The Origin and Development of Fan Painting
The fan was first called "Zhou" and has a history of more than 3,000 years in China. It was not originally used for cooling off, but as a ceremonial tool. With the passage of time, fans have gradually transformed from symbols of status and power into daily necessities and handicrafts that can be used for cooling, entertainment, and enjoyment.
The first person to write calligraphy on fans was Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The story of his calligraphy on old ladies’ fans to help sell them is widely circulated. The history of painting on fans can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. According to Zhang Yanyuan's "Records of Famous Painters of the Past Dynasties", Liang Xiaoben "once painted landscapes on fans, which could be seen thousands of miles away".
In terms of shape, fans can be divided into round fans called tuan fans (wan fans) and folding fans called folding fans.
During the Tang and Song Dynasties, the round fan was widely popular. Especially in the Song Dynasty, with the vigorous development of landscape painting, flower and bird painting, fan painting also developed rapidly. In the Song Dynasty, court painters even became more popular in painting fans. "Shu Ji" records: "During the Zhenghe period, every time Huizong had a painted fan, all the residences in the Six Palaces would imitate the same one, or hundreds of copies." Looking at the paintings of the Song Dynasty, we can see that a large number of round fan paintings have survived, and there are many. Most of them come from famous artists.
With the emergence of the folding fan, calligraphy and painting combined into one became widely popular in the Ming Dynasty. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, due to the highly developed fan-making technology in Jiangnan, there were many exquisite fan paintings handed down from generation to generation. To this day, people can still appreciate the fan paintings and calligraphy of Wen Zhengming, Dian Bonian, Chen Hongshou, Dong Qichang, Wu Changshuo, and Feng Zikai. , as well as fan works by historical celebrities such as Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, Li Hongzhang, and Huang Yanpei. In modern times, fan paintings are still popular, and Zhang Daqian, Qi Baishi, and Xu Beihong all have excellent fan paintings handed down to the world.
Calligraphy and painting fans integrate practicality, craftsmanship and art. From the emperors and officials to the common people, everyone can have calligraphy and painting fans of different levels. It is one of the most widely appreciated works of art.
(2) The unique shape of the fan painting makes it difficult to make.
The folding fan has a fan-shaped fan with a wide top and narrow bottom. This unique shape inspired the creative passion of calligraphers and painters. When calling and painting, calligraphers and painters must consider arranging the picture in a specific spatial range, carefully thinking about the composition, and displaying techniques. Therefore, with unique ingenuity, he turned the pen at will, turning the limited into the infinite, and created many charming images and artistic conceptions.
Calligraphers and painters need precise layout and skillful techniques when creating. A full-foot sketch can often reflect the artist's artistic attainments and interest in pen and ink in natural conditions. Therefore, fan calligraphy and painting play an indispensable role in the history of art. missing important position.
After the fan is combined with calligraphy and painting, it has surpassed its practicality and become a work of art. Many collectors frame calligraphy and painting fans directly into album pages instead of making them into foldable fans. Some people peel off the fans, frame them and store them. Therefore, most ancient fan paintings and calligraphy are preserved in the form of albums to this day.
Compared with scroll calligraphy and painting, fan calligraphy and painting are not as grand and profound as scroll calligraphy and painting, but they have a stronger decorative interest. "Many great painters can paint large paintings, but they may not be able to paint small fan paintings." A painter said.
Fan painting needs to be completed at one time, and the writing cannot be stopped in the middle; due to the size limit, painting on the fan requires the artist to carefully design the lines, ink colors and composition. Only when you have a good "fan" in mind can you In addition, the unevenness of the folding fan also makes it more difficult to apply pen, ink, and color; some materials such as colored paper, gold paper, etc. have higher requirements for ink placement and color application, which are often difficult for painters to master, so ordinary calligraphers and painters usually do not Feel free to try it.
(3) Experience and insights on painting fan paintings
When I first started painting fan paintings, I painted on cut round and fan-shaped rice paper. Even so, it was quite challenging. sex. It is very difficult to break the original square composition habit and carefully control the position and write on the fan-shaped and round light-shaped pictures. When it comes to using a straight line to draw and write on a real fan, many difficulties such as uneven fan surfaces and large changes in paper properties need to be overcome.
To be honest, drawing fan paintings is addictive. I first drew various combinations of mandarin fish on it, two tails, three tails, four, five and six tails, symmetrical, gathering and scattering, and inscribed small poems with auspicious meanings, such as Double Happiness, Ten Thousand Blessings, Five Blessings and Six Successes, etc. Strive to make the fun of playing in your hands more life-like and cultural.
Some of the poems are as follows:
Two mandarin fishes
Wealth and wealth go together,
The spring water is full of blessings.
May your wishes always be with you, and may your days be beautiful,
May your journey be full of joy and prosperity.
Three mandarin fishes
Three years of mystical fortune will bring you blessings.
Three mandarin fishes can be a sign of great fortune.
As soon as the auspiciousness gathers together,
A smooth life is as bright as fire.
Five Blessings Picture
Five mandarin fish gather together to bring five blessings,
Wealth, longevity and joy fill the family,
Kangning has many virtuous descendants,
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The remaining days are full of flowers.
Picture of Five Mandarin Fish
Five mandarin fish gather together to enjoy themselves,
The ambition to ride the waves and ride the tide is high.
Wealth and wealth are all the wishes of all,
Dancing gracefully and freely.
Six Mandarin Fish Diagram
Six Mandarin Fish Flying? Liuhe is connected,
The four directions of heaven and earth are of the same origin.
The path will be smooth in all directions,
Everything you want will go smoothly and you will succeed.
In terms of painting methods, he also tried freehand brushwork, semi-artwork writing, meticulous brushwork, etc. In addition to mandarin fish, I also painted ducks, chickens, people, etc. In the future, I will try to expand the content of my paintings, and strive to learn from the famous masters, study the art of calligraphy and painting, and combine the content and form of calligraphy and painting. Better.
Appendix 1: Celebrities’ Fan Calligraphy and Painting
Appendix 2 My Fan Calligraphy and Painting: