Chinese Art

Chinese Painting

Landscape painting was regarded as the highest form of Chinese painting.

They also consider the three concepts of their arts: Nature, Heaven and Humankind (Yin-Yang).

The Han court eunuch, Cai Lun, invented the paper in the 1st Century AD it provided not only a cheap and widespread medium for writing but painting became more economical.

Chinese art expresses the human understanding of the relationship between nature and human.

This might be called the metaphysical, Daoist aspect of Chinese painting.

Painting subjects and Theme

1. Flowers and birds

2. Landscapes

3. Palaces and Temples

4. Human Figures

5. Animals

6. Bamboos and Stones

6 Principles

To make make your painting interesting and realistic apply these Six Principles of Chinese Painting established by Xie He, a writer, art historian and critic in 5th century China.

1. Observe rhythm and movements

2. Leave spaces for the eyes to rest

3. Use brush in calligraphy

4. Use colors correctly

5. Live up to tradition by copying the master’s artwork.

6. Copy the correct proportion of the objects and nature.

Calligraphy It is the art of beautiful handwriting. In calligraphy, the popular materials

which paintings are made of are paper and silk.

Three main types of roofs in traditional Chinese architecture

Straight inclined -more economical for common Chinese architecture .

Multi-inclined -Roofs with two or more sections of incline. These roofs are used for residences of wealthy Chinese.

Sweeping -has curves that rise at the corners of the roof. These are usually reserved for temples and palaces.

Peking Opera

Peking opera face-painting or Jingju Lianpu is done with different colors in accordance with the performing

characters’ personality and historical assessment.

Lianpu is called the false mask.

MEANING OF COLORS FOR FACE PAINTING

Guan Ju - Red indicates devotion, courage, bravery, uprightness and loyalty.

 Huang Pang - Yellow signifies fierceness, ambition and cool-headedness.

Zhu Wen - A green face tells the audience that the character is not only impulsive and violent, he also lacks self-restraint.

Zhang Fei - Black symbolizes roughness and fierceness. The black face indicates either a rough and bold character or an impartial and selfless personality. 

Lian Po - Purple stands for uprightness and cool-headedness. While a reddish purple face indicates a just and noble character.

 Cao Cao - white suggests treachery, suspiciousness and craftiness. It is common to see the white face of the powerful villain on stage.

Jiang Gan - The clown or chou in Chinese Opera has special makeup patterns called xiaohualian (the petty painted face). Sometimes a small patch of chalk is painted around the nose to show a mean and secretive character.

Gold and silver colors are usually used for gods and spirits.

Chinese Folk Art

In China, traditional funerals include burning yuanbao which is a folded paper that look like gold nuggets or ingots called Sycee. Also in Ghost Festival.

A sycee is a type of silver or gold ingot currency used in China.

Gold sycees -are used as a symbol of prosperity.

Paper Cutting Chinese paper cuttings are usually symmetrical in design

when unfolded and adapt the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac as themes and motifs and mostly choose the red color.

The earliest use of paper was made as a pattern for lacquers, decoration on windows, doors, and walls.

Jianzhi is the first type of paper cutting design, since paper was invented by the Chinese.

They are sometimes referred to "chuāng huā", meaning Window Flower.

Chinese Kite

Chinese Kites originated in WeiFang, Sandong, China (City of Kites)

Chinese kites may be differentiated into four main categories:

1. Centipede

2. Hard-Winged Kites

3. Soft-Winged Kites

4. Flat Kites

Knot TyingZhongguo is the Chinese decorative handicraft art that

began as a form of Chinese folk art in the Tang and Song Dynasty (960-

1279 AD) in China.