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Simple Sumi-e Bird
Introduction: What is Sumi-e? Sumi-e (ink wash painting from Japan) and Chinese brush painting are based on Asian calligraphy. Subjects are painted with simple strokes, using the tip or the side of the brush.
Here's How: Watch the video and follow the 7 simple steps to create this bird. You will need bottled Chinese ink, a small pointed Chinese brush and a selection of colors of your choice. Absorbent Xuan "rice" paper or newsprint works best.
Here's How: Watch the video and follow the 7 simple steps to create this bird. You will need bottled Chinese ink, a small pointed Chinese brush and a selection of colors of your choice. Absorbent Xuan "rice" paper or newsprint works best.
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Birds & Blossoms Sumi-e Painting by Virginia Lloyd-Davies
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.
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.)
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.
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.)
The Birds
Closeup of Birds on Xuan Rice Paper
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:
Blossoms
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Robin Redbreast
This colorful birdie jumped out of the brush at the top of a rather uninspired bamboo painting. With a little sneaky cropping, I saved the good part! Never underestimate the power of cropping: If you are unhappy with a painting and don't know why, try masking off one of the sides and see if that improves the composition. Sometimes we hate to let go of a favorite element ("look what a wonderful rock I created here!"), but by trimming that bit off, the picture suddenly makes better sense.
Tip: don't cut it off until you're absolutely certain!
Tip: don't cut it off until you're absolutely certain!
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Name that Bird!
My sumi-e birds just pop out of the brush on to the paper. I rarely plan them out and while I do attempt to get them somewhat anatomically correct, I realize that often exaggeration is what makes them successful. Like this one: I asked my Facebook followers to give me names for him and I loved the variety of suggestions: "Lord Horty", "Wellhellow", "Crook" and "Themistocles", were offered, then there was "Archibald", "McGrackle" and "Ronald". I think my favorite for elegance points was "Ba Da Shan Wren", a hilarious international word play on the artist Bada Shanren, who painted very funny birds, and of course "Wren", one of our smallest birds.
What kind of bird is this? Not a clue! I just put some body parts together and then got excited when I saw how well the wing feathers came out! Tip: if your strokes are strong and self-confident, you can get away with anything!
Bird About Town
Here we have a sophisticated strutter with his nose in the air. I suspect his feet are going in the wrong direction, but does this really matter?
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Here are the basics:
Annotated Bird Beaks
The Chinese brush style of painting that I demonstrate is called 'spontaneous' or 'splashing ink'. It is also known as 'paint the idea'. When we paint birds, we are not looking to produce a photorealistic bird, but more the idea of 'birdy-ness'. So we may exaggerate the beaks and eyes to bring out character. Frequently the birds are making a commentary on the rest of the painting so the birds need to have an aliveness that we can read into. Click on "Read More" to watch a video and see how to paint them.
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Painting birds in spontaneous style can be quite a challenge. My advice? Study the anatomy of birds carefully and then practice the bird in "bits": I've done sheets and sheets of beaks and eyes, practiced wing patterns, studied feet and how to place them. See this blog post for more bird poses.
A good reference book for artists is Laws Guide to Drawing Birds. It will answer many of your questions and give you plenty of models. Looking at photos of birds can actually be confusing since that snapshot moment in time may not show you clearly what's going on. My teacher I-Hsiung Ju has several bird videos available here. He shows you how to paint them in Chinese brush style.
And when you've done all that practice? Take heart! It takes courage, but bit by bit you will triumph!
A good reference book for artists is Laws Guide to Drawing Birds. It will answer many of your questions and give you plenty of models. Looking at photos of birds can actually be confusing since that snapshot moment in time may not show you clearly what's going on. My teacher I-Hsiung Ju has several bird videos available here. He shows you how to paint them in Chinese brush style.
And when you've done all that practice? Take heart! It takes courage, but bit by bit you will triumph!
Do you have questions? Let me know! I'm happy to help.
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Goldfinch Practice
I painted the goldfinches first, then this big, noisy blackbird had to get into the picture! I find gestural, spontaneous painting is often like this: I start off minding my P's and Q's and then something rowdy jumps out of the brush.
In the next painting, it was the other way round: Old Loudmouth made his appearance first and I tried to match his energy with a flying bird in the upper right quadrant. That bird didn't work, so the splashing ink became autumn leaves. Perhaps you can still see a beak and eye peering out up there. Or perhaps some wings and a tail...
In the next painting, it was the other way round: Old Loudmouth made his appearance first and I tried to match his energy with a flying bird in the upper right quadrant. That bird didn't work, so the splashing ink became autumn leaves. Perhaps you can still see a beak and eye peering out up there. Or perhaps some wings and a tail...
Old Loudmouth
You can see more of my bird practice sheets here. Got questions? Let me know!
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It's been a week of bird practice for me. As with most subjects I paint, I don't plan my birds out. That doesn't mean I don't practice. Improvisers of all kinds (dancers, musicians, artists, actors) still need to keep the wheels greased so that technique doesn't get in the way of the performance. Sumi-e birds are all about capturing the essence of 'birdie-ness'. Here are my practice sheets: some of the birds are good, some are so-so, and some are a bit of a train wreck! But that's the beauty of practicing. I hope you enjoy them and feel inspired to try your own.
Bird Practice Painting #1
Bird Practice Painting #2
Bird Practice Painting #3
Bird Practice Painting #4
Let me know if you have questions!