Landscapes with Guan Sui-Sheng - May 11th, 2024
Landscapes are essential to developing a painter's skill. Guan Sui-Sheng began his landscape workshop by discussing the leveled approach to painting with his technique that uses no water. Each level uses a drier brush instead of gray ink. Po Man Chan helped translate Guan Sui-Sheng who speaks in Cantonese.
Begin with a bold start of a mountain with a large, wet brush.
Continue with the slope of the mountain.
Guan Sui-Sheng turned to the other mountain side.
The form of the mountain emerged with the large wet brush. The side of the brush is used for rocky, scratchy surfaces.
Guan Sui-Sheng holds his brush high and works in forceful brush strokes.
A landscape painting often has a foreground. Guan Sui-Sheng added a tree.
Still with the large, wet brush, some areas on the mountain were emphasized.
A temple, often found on Chinese mountains, was created with the tip of the brush.
The temple completed the first level of Guan Sui-Sheng's technique that does not use water.
In the next level, a drier brush - not gray ink - is used to create more distant mountains.
Mist is also created with the dry brush.
Elements of the landscape were in place: the mountain, the foreground tree, distant mountains and mist. All elements were created without water and gray ink.
A flat brush with little ink was used at this point for the final level of detail.
Rocky weathered surfaces were created.
Distant mountains were clearly defined.
Leaves filled the tree.
Guan Sui-Sheng wrote some calligraphy.
The artists tried painting a landscape without using any water and gray ink.
Guan Sui-Sheng helped each artist.
This painting caught the essence of the technique.
A flowerpot rock often seen on coasts where water has eroded the rock used the technique effectively.
This artist blended a rocky landscape with the sea.
Guan Sui-Sheng left us with a memorable landscape and a unique way of creating it.
You can learn more about Guan Sui-Sheng by clicking Shih Tai Arts and Crafts > Art Collections in the links section.