Application of center brush in painting bamboo

Dear friends,

Let's continue to study the application of center brush in painting bamboo.

On the whole, the bamboo leaf is the most difficult to handle. It is a good test of the merit of an artist in so far as his brushwork is concerned. The structure of a bamboo leaf is shown in the picture. The main parts are three: a triangle with its apex pointing north, followed by a rectangular body, and then a long triangular form with a tail-like apex. These three forms must be connected together with the tiny stem of the leaf, all in one stroke. Not an easy task.

There are three common mistakes in doing this leaf: (a) the much too-pointed start, with a feathery end, is caused by a "rocking" movement, this is, the brush was tilted at both ends, when actually it should have been kept in a perpendicular position.

(b) Although the start is a proper center brush, at the other end, the brush is rocking again, the result of a slip brush, and thus, too light. It is regrettable that many manuals on Oriental art are full of bad examples of bamboo as well as orchids, with too many slip brush marks, which are indeed serious mistakes, giving the strong, energetic thin leaves a weakness bamboo does not have. However, to some degree, split brush can be used, for some leaves do split in the winter or in a storm, but unless the painting is of bamboo in a storm, or of withered bamboo, the bamboo leaves, like those of an orchid, should never look like cotton or silk, done with a slip brush.

(c) The lifting of the brush is incorrect. The brush is pressed so hard that it could not spring back again, and therefore becomes "dead." As a result, the end of the bamboo leaf is a blunt, rounded shape instead of a tapered point. The brush had been "punished". It could not move any further to form a proper end to the line. When the brush was lifted, an awkward line was evident.

For everyone there is a limit to the amount of weight he/she can carry before collapsing. The same is true with the brush. To perform the duty of center brush, a brush can easily regain its springing power if pressed down only about a quarter of its length (if the brush is an inch or longer). If the brush is pressed down one-third of its length, unless the brush is fairly wet and the is speed slow, it is difficult to get a solid point at the end of the line. In most cases, if the brush is pushed downward half of its length, the chances are that the brush will be unable to bounce back and thus will become "wooden", dead.

If a heavy pressure must be used, as in making a tapered line, the remedy is to use extra water and ink; in other words, to add more lubrication to the hairs, thus reducing the friction between them and helping the hairs to spring back to their original strength. With more water, the hairs may swim freely and maintain their elastic power. Therefore, whenever a solid line or a tapered shape is required, plenty of water in the brush is a necessity.

At the same time, speed is a crucial factor, a speed allowing sufficient time for the brush to restore its resiliency. It takes time for the bristles, after being pushed down, to stretch back and stand up again. Therefore, a suitable speed should be maintained. For example, under average conditions of water, pressure, and speed, one has to spend a second or so to do an average bamboo leaf. There is the risk of a split or even slip brush if the brush moves too fast; swelling, if too slow.

The speed of the brush should be the same for each inch of the total movement in order to avoid a feathery, split end. In manuals on bamboo, the illustrations are generally very misleading. For instance, the structure of the leaves in relation to the stems and branches is not all that clear. Unless one has observed the actual growth of bamboo well, it would seem that the cluster of leaves grows out at one point. Actually there is a space between each leaf, about a quarter or a half inch. They decrease in size, the closer the leaves are to the tree trunk; they become longer as they approach the tip of the branch. Each cluster differs in number, from two, three, five, nine or more leaves in a group, depending on the kind of bamboo. Some are larger leaves, others quite small. Four or five-inch-long leaves are the common size. For a painter, it is advisable to study and memorize the growth pattern of a few basic leaf groupings and master their structure. Then, whenever a composition is desired, one can subjectively recall the growth and arrange the groups according to the principles of composition.

-- David Kwo