Want to try my sumi-e painting of "Birds & Blossoms"? Here are some tips on how to create your own masterpiece. Don't be dismayed if yours turns out differently from mine. Sumi-e and Chinese brush paintings come alive through the energy of the brush strokes, and every artist's strokes are unique.

​Practice! Once you have studied the step-by-step elements and practiced with the video segments, the composition will come together easily for you. Think of it as an adventure! You'll find the link to the full video at the end of this post.
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Materials: I am using thin raw xuan ("rice") paper, but you can use double raw xuan if you prefer. (Recommended Chinese paper suppliers.) Sized Asian paper or Western watercolor paper will not give you the effects you need to create this xie-yi ("paint the idea" or "spontaneous style") painting. I am using two sumi-e brushes: a small, mixed bristle brush with a good point for the birds, the veins and the flower stamens, and a larger, fatter, mixed bristle brush (it could be all soft or hard bristle, depending on your preference) for the petals and leaves. (Recommended Chinese brush suppliers.)

Load your brush with strong black ink and start with the beak and eye of both birds. This establishes their relationship and will give you some ideas for the bodies (facing front, facing back, body higher, body lower, etc). This is a simple Chinese sitting bird composition. I am using a small mixed bristle brush with a good point. Hold the brush upright for the beak and eye, and at a slant for the wings and belly. Add the feet when the branch is dry. You can learn more about painting birds in my book "Mindful Artist: Sumi-e Painting" published by Quarto. Watch the birds here:

Load yellow, light orange and dark orange on to a bigger brush, or choose a color combination of your choice. You can use a soft bristle or a hard bristle brush, or a combination brush. My blossoms are very loose; I wanted a cheerful mass of color rather than detail. ​Watch the blossoms here:

My leaf color is a mixture of phthalo blue with a little yellow and black. Indigo blue would work well too. I deliberately vary the shades and intensity. I use mostly the side of the brush for the leaves and the point of the brush for the branches. I let my brush dance in a carefree way, but notice how the leaves on the right half of the paper mostly face to the right and the ones on the left face to the left. They are following the direction of the branches. The leaves are in groups, not scattered. ​Watch the leaves here:

The veins are fun! Hold the small brush upright and let it dance! Pause at the beginning of the stroke and keep the energy going to the end of the stroke. The curve of the strokes will bring out the roundness of the leaves. Use black for the veins on the darker leaves and grey-blue on the lighter leaves. Watch the veins first up to speed and then on the last leaf in slow motion. Notice how casual my brush is! I am aiming for energy more than accuracy. This is what brings the veins to life.

Sumi-e and Chinese brush paintings often exaggerate the size of the bird's beak, eyes and feet. This adds character and personality to the bird. You can add the feet over the painted branch, or you can paint the feet first and then add the branch. Notice the direction the toes curve in, which further helps to show the angle of the bird's body and emphasize the roundness of the branch. Use the same brush you used for the beaks. Watch the feet here:

When you have practiced the elements and are ready to put the composition together, watch the full video on my YouTube channel to see how the composition comes together.  You can also find more flower and bird help in earlier blog posts and in my galleries. Check the side bar for subjects. My book, "Mindful Artist: Sumi-e Painting" can help you with flowers, leaves and birds, showing you step by step illustrations and providing helpful tips.
​Good luck and happy painting! If you have questions and comments, please let me know. I love to hear from you and I'm always happy to help. You can find more of my paintings and projects on Facebook and over 300 illustrations in my book.