I had done a few insect paintings in the style of Master Qi Baishi over the years. The two that I am most fond of was one with a cicada and one with a grasshopper. I decided to re-visit the grasshopper again. I want to see if I can show an improvement in my brush.
I found a piece of triple Xuan measuring 15 x 18. I wanted a thick paper because I wanted to do it a la Xuan-boo style; a thicker paper would stand up to the abuse I put it through. I will be preparing my own canvas and making my own frames etc. I use the commercial painters drop cloth as my canvas. I enjoy the more pronounced texture from the drop cloth, over the anemic feel of the canvas frames sold in stores.
The problem ( and the advantage ) of using commercial drop cloth is that the fibers are not always uniformly wound. Sometimes a few loops go astray and swell inordinately with the application of Gesso. This apparent irregularity actually adds to the uneven feel and the character of the canvas.
I started out by laying down the stalk with a coarse brush. The stiff bristle makes a bone brushstroke that much easier, and the white streaks left at the end of the stroke is very enticing and enigmatic.
I did the upper leaves a different hue from the bottom ones to add dimension and interest.
Using very faint indigo and ink and pencil, I blocked in the shape of the grasshopper.
The insect is coming into life with a fine brush. This part of the painting is more Gongbi than Xieyi.
A close-up reveals the interaction between the fabric and the brushstroke. At this point, no one would have believed that the painting was done on Xuan. The paper assumed a feel of the fabric underneath.
Made a frame and colored it with dark mahogany. That dark sultry red tint was a perfect match for this painting.
I do think this work is better than the previous attempt! My brushstrokes are more convincing now.
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