Revisiting old skills

I've been given a few opportunities lately to show people how to paint with a Chinese brush. I was apprehensive at first about shouldering such a responsibility.  It was going to take time away from me twiddling my thumbs.  I had better use for my time!  Then I was timorous about my own inadequacy.  I did not want to be branded as a dilettante.  I eventually placated myself that my job was to offer my knowledge as a coach and not how well I could do it as a player.  

The fundamentals of using a Chinese round brush is in mastering the brush tip within the brushstroke. Hence center-tip and side-tip.  Such techniques can best be seen in paintings of bamboo.  

A bamboo painting by Shi Tao (1642-1707)

 

Bamboo is also symbolic for being a good citizen.  Bamboo is stiff, yet flexible.  It is difficult to break a bamboo.  Bamboo is a symbol for humility, because it is hollow in the center.  The bamboo represents integrity, as the word for the "node" in a bamboo is a homonym for the word "integrity" in the Chinese language.  Bamboo branches out only at the nodes, thus a mature bamboo plant shows distinct layers of leaves, resembling rungs of a ladder.  Hence the bamboo teaches us to shelter and nurture those who are below us, allowing them to grow as well.  My mentor encouraged us to paint bamboo with reverence to the virtues of the bamboo.  Then I had a student painted a Christmas card with the bamboo as a wreath.  Definitely couldn't fault the originality, but there was a cultural disconnect somewhere.

Rungs of leaves on bamboo plants,

 I used a photo that I took as the model for my bamboo tutorial, 

I was cognizant with the virtues and symbolisms of the bamboo when I took this photograph.

The long stem to me represented the spirit of an aging plant which was truncated at the top node.   The yellow leaves perhaps signaled the inevitable end, despite putting up a good fight.   Yet it persisted.

The younger, greener leaves flourished under the embrace of the aging plant.

With the help of modern technology, specifically the "clean-up" and "add sticker" functions available through the IOS photo app, I was able to create a composite using my photo and examples of bamboo leaves from a textbook.

My task now would be to do a proof of concept rendition, one that could be reasonably painted and narrated within the framework of an hour. 

I needed to reacquaint myself with writing bamboo leaves again.  Sure one would not forget about how to ride a bicycle once the skill is learned, but there's a difference between riding in a straight line versus cutting a zig-zag path.  Some practicing was called for.

Onwards with my proof of concept,

This proof of concept might even pass as a painting with appropriate cropping,

Water ripples again

It was time to enjoy my new toy again.  My airbrush.  I charged the battery to 100 percent and I was ready to rock and roll. 

My subject matter would again be water ripples.  There's something about that ephemeral shimmer that hypnotizes me.   

This time around I would use a semi-sized Xuan paper and see how that would work with my alum solution.

I began the laborious task of laying down the shimmers with the alum solution.  Perfect opportunity to practice my center-tip and side-tip brushstrokes.

I angled my desk lamp to see the tracks better,

After that was completed, I placed my paper over newspaper and was ready for the airbrush.

The resulting piece was extremely disappointing,

The alum solution did not provide a strong blocking, or "resist" effect.  The tracks were mottled and faint.  Definitely not the result I was anticipating.  I didn't know if that was due to the fact that the paper was already semi-sized.

Perplexing.

I was distraught enough to abandon my project.  I was not being complacent but I had always accepted the fact that a lot of my attempts ended up in trash cans. 

Couple of days later I decided to re-engage my painting, hopefully to gain a fresh perspective and figure a way out.  The tracks did look more succinct now that the paper was thoroughly dried.

Should I airbrush on more layers of the indigo and hope for a more intense contrast or should I repeat my alum solution brushstrokes and then airbrush again and hope for a better reveal?

I had waited a few days to come this far, no harm in waiting for a few more days to devise a more concrete solution.