'Sumi - e' - Ink Picture

The art of Sumi-e painting, developed in China as early as 200 to 300 AD, comes from the Japanese word for ‘Ink Picture.’  The ink that is used is called ‘sumi’ and when you add an ‘e’ to the end of the word, it means ‘Ink Picture.’  Calligraphy is the basis for sumi-e painting.  The energy and control used to create each stroke is as important as the pressure of the brush and opacity of the ink. Sumi-e paintings aim to capture the essence of the subject matter more so than a literal representation. It is an art form created with deep feeling. The energy that goes into each spontaneous brush stroke is the energy imparted in the painting. Each brushstroke is important, leaving out unnecessary elements and focusing on the essence of the subject matter more so than a literal representation. It is an art form created with deep feeling. The energy that goes into each spontaneous brushstroke is the energy imparted in the painting.

Also known as ‘Wash painting’ or by its Japanese name ‘sui-boku-ga’ or ‘sumi-e’. Ink and wash painting is also known by its Chinese name ‘shui-mo hua’, Korean ‘sumukhwa’.

Wash painting was developed in China. It was introduced to Korea shortly after China’s discovery of the ink.

In an old Chinese legend, an artist named Zhang Seng You was asked to paint a mural in a temple. He painted four dragons but left out the pupils from their eyes. The Abbot asked him why. Zhang explained that if he painted the pupils, the dragons would come alive. When the Abbot insisted, Zhang proceeded to paint two of the dragons’ eyes. As soon as he finished painting the pupils on two of the dragons, they roared to life and flew away in a thunderous flash of lightning. The two dragons that had no pupils stayed on the wall.

This story embodies the philosophy of Oriental sumi-e. The goal is not simply to reproduce the appearance of the subject, but to capture its soul. To paint a horse, the sumi-e artist must understand its temperament better than its muscles and bones. To paint a flower, there is no need to perfectly match its petals and colors, but it is essential to convey its liveliness and fragrance. Oriental sumi-e may be regarded as an earliest form of expressionistic art that captures the unseen.

 

In wash paintings, artists usually grind their own inkstick over an inkstone to obtain ink, but prepared inks are also available. An artist puts a few drops of water on an inkstone and grinds the inkstick in a circular motion until a smooth, black ink of the desired concentration is made. Prepared inks are usually of much lower quality. 

Wash painting brushes are traditionally made from bamboo with goat, cattle, horse, sheep, rabbit, marten, badger, deer, boar and wolf hair. The brush hairs are tapered to a fine point, a feature vital to the style of wash paintings.

Different brushes have different qualities. A small wolf-hair brush that is tapered to a fine point can deliver an even thin line of ink (much like a pen). A large wool brush (one variation called the big cloud) can hold a large volume of water and ink. When the big cloud brush rains down upon the paper, it delivers a graded swath of ink encompassing myriad shades of gray to black.

“Once a stroke is painted, it cannot be changed or erased. This makes ink and wash painting a technically demanding art-form requiring great skill, concentration, and years of training.”  

Some of the Notable Artists:

Tenshō Shūbun 

Josetsu 

Xia Gui 

Bada Shanren 

Jan Zaremba 

Ike no Taiga

Video Links:

Sumi - e Painting: Basic Lesson

Sumi - e Painting: Bamboo (parts ...)

Sumi - e Painting: Orchid (parts ...)

Sumi - e Painting: Brushes 

REMEMBER IT’S AN ART YOU’LL YOURSELF KNOW, IF IT IS GOOD OR NOT GOOD!! :)
Keep Practicing!!!



source: Internet

Disclaimer: None of above art, art links belongs to me, its from internet summarized for one stop Help!! :)