Article/ Deng Shaobing
From Sui and Tang dynasties till now, bluish green landscape painting has flourished for more than 1000 years. Each artist who is engaged in bluish green landscape painting has his/her own understanding and empirical conclusion on its “decorativeness”.
“The bluish green is a dark color itself, if overused, the gloss of ink will be decreased. To keep coordinated, the red and water colors cannot be too thick, either; otherwise, it will appears rigid and damage the spirits. The use of colors is similar to the use of ink, from light to dark, drawing another out of one color. To outstand the gloss of ink with colors; to outstand the elegance of color by subjecting to ink. Should make it ‘color in ink’ and ‘ink in color’ and reach the subtleness of ink, then the ‘decorativeness’ of landscape painting can be accomplished.”
---quoted from Subtleness Of Painting by Tang Dai in Qing dynasty
To present the decorativeness, firstly, we can outline the layers with light ink, darken the colors in sequence, add a little glue into azurite powder (the glue should be as slight as not adhered to fingers) , mix it well with soft brush and widely and evenly paint it on the surface; till it dries a little, separate it with grass green, darker for the shade part of the stone surface; a little ochre can be added into the green. Refined azurite color can be added again till the paper or silk is evenly moist. For the obvious part of mountain rocks, adjust it with gel to increase the force sense. If the dabbed azurite powder is too thick and rough, can wipe it off with waste paper, to make it smooth. The best effect is as smooth as jade. The outlines can be smoothed by cyanin and a little gamboge. Then the whole feel will be presented. If still not satisfactory, concave and convex parts can be adjusted again.
“Green can not be set off without golden” That’s an important philosophy for color use in bluish green landscape painting. Golden color is an intermediate to mediate blue and green.Bluish green can be set off by ochre to substitute yellow. Vermilion and golden pink can be used to outline trees, trunks and branches or canopies to enhance the strong light sense of reflection of the sunlight. That’s a technique in classical painting. In innovated heavy-color landscape painting, earth, rocks and trees are dotted with plenty ink strokes; as it dries a little, apply grass green， a while later, dye grass green with fresh no.3 green. The forceful ink trace plus spontaneous application of grass and mineral colors make the painting appears moist, thick and solid and break the flat pattern of craft formularized painting. ”
--quoted from Lin Quan Shi Cao by He Haixia
The topic of “decorativeness” is involved in many aspects of painting theories by ancient and modern bluish green landscape painters. The colors in bluish green landscape painting are interdependent and contradict with each other, under certain conditions inter-converted with each other as well. Can we also take “decorativeness” as a reference to judge the realm level of bluish green landscape painting? It deserves discussion. But in the field of bluish green landscape painting, the direct artistic feeling conveyed by a good bluish green landscape painting--its “” is doubtless.
It seems there are a lot of space and theory supports for the application of rule of unity and opposition as in “light and heavy” “light and dark” “cold and warm” “convergence and divergence” “thin an thick” with modern thought and theories in 21st century.
With regard to “decorativeness”, if we are limited to consideration on technical level, we will not be able to go deep into the art level. The relatively poor productivity in ancient times didn’t overshadow ancient Chinese culture and art. On the contrary, the art light of predecessors is shining our advancing steps.
Either modern or ancient, all art with cultural connotation are always inheritance and breakthrough as well as enrichment and development of art rules. The final goal of constant exploration and practice of the “decorativeness” of bluish green landscape painting is to return to the nature of art and the highest realm of painting art.