The application of center brush in painting bamboo

Dear friends,

Let's see the application of center brush in painting to demonstrate the art of brushwork. For example, in bamboo -- one of the most popular themes of Chinese painting, for it is one of the "four gentlemen" of Chinese painting. The other three are orchid, plum blossom, and chrysanthemum. Bamboo is a suitable subject matter. It illustrates well the Hsieh Yi style of painting.

Before drawing, one need to seek a deep understanding of the subject, for without such knowledge one cannot hope to express its Ch'i (expression). Bamboo, of course, has all along been closely identified with the daily life of the Chinese. It is the common material for a hut, fence, chair or table, measuring spoons and chopsticks, a hat, a bed and its mat, a brush holder, the water pipes, etc. The bamboo shoot is also a favorite Chinese food.

To understand the structure of bamboo one starts with its roots which tell us that its joints and its branching correspond to the pattern of growth above ground. The special characteristics of this plant center around its joints. The word "joint" in Chinese, pronounced Chieh, means "high fidelity". (Great heroes have given their lives to earn the honorific of Chieh.) Inside, the bamboo is hollow; it is described by scholars as Hsu Hsin, which implies that one's heart is so spacious and modest that he/she is ready to receive advice at any time. When painting bamboo, therefore, one must remember that it is its hollowness that provides the ability of bamboo to bend and spring back under a strong wind.

Branches shoot out at each joint, numbering from one to five. At a distance, its whole contour is like that of a slim red pimento with the head tilted, bending under its weight or the force of the wind. In planning his composition, the artist must decide how many branches to include and what to leave out, and to arrange the branches and leaves according to the principles of composition.

The traditional way of painting a trunk of the bamboo is to use broken lines (see Fig. 115a); between the lines, which represent the sections of the bamboo, ample white space is left for hooklike horizontal short lines which fill in the spaces representing the joints. To me, the traditional series of broken lines can hardly achieve the coherent continuity -- Ch'i, or the one-breath feeling; moreover, the hooks are added things, which do not really belong to the bamboo body, adding feet to a snake, as it were.

As a result of many years of experimenting, I believe the best way is to stress the ends of each section of the bamboo, as shown in Figure 115b. To achieve this, start with side-ink. At each end of the section, hesitate -- a definite halt -- and exert pressure to produce the heavy joints. Since side-ink is being used, the end joint of each section will have an oval shape. In painting the beginning of the next joint, overlap half of the oval of the preceding end joint, and a solid connection will be achieved. Thus, a natural, articulated and strong bamboo is easily accomplished. This approach is simpler, more direct in expression, livelier and, certainly, there is more economy of line. In art, the search should be for simplification. Traditional methods do not hold forever as truth. One has to seek a better way to solve problems, whatever the field.

In painting bamboo with branches, for the small branches, one will find pulling the brush very useful. It should be reiterated that in doing any kind of branch, the brush starts out in a low position and gradually is raised to ensure a tapered end.

-- David Kwo