Watercolor

The Magic of Chinese Brush Painting

As with any artistic medium, a general knowledge of the materials created for Chinese brush painting and how they are used seems a good beginning. Simple materials, consisting of an ink stick, brush, paper, plus water and a cloth or paper toweling to blot the brush, are all that is needed.

Rich, opaque ink is one of the three important elements of traditional oriental brush work. The ink is made of pine soot prepared with just the right amount of high-quality glue and comes in stick form. When preparing ink stick for use, the stick is rubbed with a small amount of water on the surface of a fine stone (inking dish). Ancient ink sticks and stones are very valuable and highly prized by collectors, but inexpensive ink sticks and inking dishes are available at most art material suppliers. Traditional styles call for a single, even tone of ink, but modern tastes have dictated a full palette of tones from all colors of ink. These tones are made by simply adding or reducing the water used to create the ink.

Western streamlining of the materials includes many ready-to-use bottled inks. While these do an adequate job and function very well, especially in study work, they lack the traditional aura and mystique of the ink stick. But the creation of an individual's own ink is considered a mandatory step in the traditional process.

The second element is the brush itself. It is made of animal hair in a variety of firmnesses and brush tip sizes. The hairs are placed in the handle to form a plump, rounded point. The overall character of the brush is soft, capable of making many shapes and designs as the artist expands his/her control of movement. It is easily charged with a quantity of ink capable of creating many designs with each fill.

The brush should be handled with spontaneity so that each stroke, while it seems effortlessly placed, is exact in location, appearance and "feel." The brush is held by the thumb, forefinger, and middle finger. Hold the brush as close to the end of the handle as possible. Grip is just tight enough as to hold for control, yet loose enough for a fresh and free painting style. The angle at which the brush is held is more vertical than Western painting techniques; and it is the point--the very tip--of the natural hair brush that creates the sweep and elegance of the design.

As you can tell, even the way the brush is held and used supports a spontaneous painting style. The way the brush is used--the amount of pressure exerted between the brush tip and the rice paper--is the most elegant portion of the process. Simplicity of line is a characteristic of oriental brush painting style, and the subtlety of motion to achieve the line is the true philosophy of the medium.

Finally, the third element of oriental brush painting is the paper onto which the designs are placed. These papers can be selected from a wide variety available at any art supply store. Traditional Chinese paper surfaces are created in many thicknesses and firmnesses. Other papers are made in Japan or Taiwan, as well. All-natural fibers and a complex "screening" create delicate, lacy papers of extraordinary strength and uniform thickness.

The degree of line work planned might help you choose the paper best matched to your painting style. Heavier-bodied papers with smooth finishes might accommodate rich line work while a softer, more delicate sheet may offer the best look for fine-line designs. Experimentation will help you understand the properties of the papers available to you.

TIP: If you have trouble with light rice papers wrinkling as your brush strokes dry, this is happening because the paper shrinks slightly where brush strokes are placed and does not shrink in the areas around the design. One solution is to pre-dampen the paper with a clean sponge, allowing the paper to dry before continuing. This establishes a uniform shrinkage of the entire sheet and prepares the surface for the painting.

The predominant element in a completed traditional brush painting is overwhelmingly the linear quality of the ink painting. The simple truth, and one shared in Chinese painting workshops given by professionals, is: The most important line is the first line--and every line is the first line. With the permanence of the ink, the absorbency of the paper on which the paintings are done, and the disciplined nature of both, there is virtually no margin for error.

Consider Chinese brush painting for a fresh and captivating experience--the feel of the brush, held in a new way. The shape and softness of the brush against the paper is different from any other technique. Buy an ink stick and create your own medium with which to work. And, despite what sounds like an exacting and unforgiving medium, painters who do Chinese brush painting love doing it. Maybe because it is both exciting and exacting; maybe because it seems to have a bit of control; or maybe because it transports a contemporary artist into an ancient time.

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Art Marketplace

Products...

--New Dry Mounting Adhesives - Crescent has introduced Perfect Bond, a collection of three premium dry mounting adhesives designed to mount a wide variety of images and materials. All Purpose Dry Mount Tissue is a porous, permanent, low temperature tissue that bonds while heating; Acid-Free Dry Mount Tissue is a buffered acid-free, porous, permanent tissue that bonds while heating at a low temperature; and Sheer Mount Film is a pure, acid-free, adhesive, removable mounting film that melts completely while heating and bonds while cooling. All-Purpose and Acid-Free Dry Mount Tissues are available in sheets of several standard sizes from 9 x 10 to 16 x 20 and also in rolls. The Sheer Mount Film comes in rolls. Affordably priced for professional applications, Perfect Bond adhesives are the perfect trio for picture framers.

--New Watercolor Book - An essential book for the beginner is the new Basic Watercolor Answer Book, a problem-solving guide for transforming watercolor mistakes and unexpected happenings into creative opportunities. Through illustrations, photographs, and step-by-step demonstrations, author Catherine Anderson shows how to perform techniques and correct mistakes and provides more than 106 answers to the most-asked questions about materials, techniques, and more. North Light Books.

--New Watercolor Blocks - Strathmore has added a new larger size to the line of Lanaquarelle Watercolor Blocks. Ask your retailer for the 12 x 16 block of twenty sheets in either hot or cold press. Also see the 9 x 12 Lana Watercolor Sampler Pad which contains two sheets each of 140 lb. rough, hot press, and cold press paper. Look for Strathmore's new Internet site later this year to include information on contests, new products, sources and more.

...and People

--Chroma, Inc., has announced the appointment of William Hartman to the position of National Sales Manager for Chroma's fine art and craft/hobby lines. Hartman is a 17-year veteran of the art materials industry. Chroma is a Sydney, Australia-based manufacturer of paints for the art materials field, including liquid and washable temperas, finger paints, acrylics, oils and private label products.

--Crescent has reported that Donald Blaine "Bud" Ozmun, Chairman of the Board, passed away suddenly in late November. He was the third generation owner of Crescent Cardboard Company in Wheeling, Illinois, and a well-respected businessman with diversified interests. In honor of his memory, Crescent employees made contributions to the Woodlands 2000 Program; this will represent 2,500 Native American hardwood trees being planted in our forests.

--Strathmore Artists Products has announced that Don Bozek has been promoted to Marketing Manager.

Art Online

Website of the Month: http://www.wwar.com

It's well worth a visit to World Wide Arts Resources on the web which "provides the definitive gateway to arts information and culture." They have been online since 1995, and when you go to their page, you can simply select one of their many categories and search to your heart's content. They not only have listings under the Visual Arts, but under Performing Arts and Other Arts to include Film, Literature, Architecture, and even Antiques. This page is laid out in a logical, easy-to-use design, and you are not required to have any special program or search engine to read it. Featured on the front page under "Premiere Links" is an ever-changing list of a variety of sights for your perusal. Under "Visual Arts," located on the front page for easy access, you can search categories such as Artists Index, Art Museums, Art Exhibitions, Art Publications, Art History, and Arts Employment, among others.

Mounting

Dry Sheet Adhesives No Toxicity - No Mess

Studio mounting of works on paper has long been a challenge for the artist/designer who wants to do a good job, offer good value and be able to do the job whenever and wherever he/she wants.

Liquid adhesives, although the choice of professionals for decades, present several drawbacks. Messiness is near the top of the list because they ooze around the edges of your artwork and can damage the work and anything else that comes in contact with the wetness.

Sprays are very effective; they hold like cement. In fact, there is no other adhesive quite as strong as heavy duty spray adhesive. Framing professionals often joke about the power of spray being adequate enough to bond bricks together and holding well enough to construct a house. But here, too, are some minuses. Overspray can damage surrounding surfaces, create a workroom cleanliness nightmare, and is unhealthy to breathe.

What if all of these negative things could be bypassed? Imagine being able to mount without fear of health or habitat damage.

There are several ways to mount paper artworks and posters using totally dry, non-spray, non-drip, non-ooze adhesives. Several manufacturers offer dry sheet adhesives that are not only acid-free, but new products boast permanency as well. One type uses a silicone paper barrier on either side of a thin, mylar adhesive sheet. This sheet is repositionable until it is firmly burnished (pressed) into place against the mounting material and is, therefore, especially suited for photo mounting. The photo creates a good bond with the sticky mylar surface, and excess mylar can be easily trimmed for easy "float mount" possibilities.

Another type of adhesive sheet has been created by using tiny acid-free adhesive droplets that are sprinkled onto silicone paper that is covered with another silicone paper. This product is used by first burnishing the adhesive droplets to the back of a poster or artwork and then burnishing that item to a mounting/backing board. These dry droplet sheets are especially cost effective because every square inch of material is usable. As long as the adhesive droplets remain covered, they remain "sticky." Simply position the droplets over any paper surface, burnish the droplets onto the item, then mount onto a proper backing material. (This is great for photos, too.) Piecing is okay since there are no ridges or lines when the droplets overlap.

Professionals and those with access to a heat-mounting press have other choices for mounting. Dry mounting tissues and films are available that use heat and the weight of the heat press platen to bond paper or fabric to a chosen backing board. They are easy to use, very clean, can be acid-free, and offer no environmental hazards.

Note: Although the dry sheet adhesives just described are acid-free, they do not constitute archival mounting. Acid-free indicates that the products contain no acid to damage the artwork, but anytime a change (adhering, taping, gluing, etc.) is made to a valuable artwork, its value is compromised.

Kids' Korner

New Finger-Paint Kit

Any little one (3 years and up) can dabble as a finger-paint artist with the I Can Finger Paint Kid Kit. Inspiration flows from simple, yet brilliant easy-to-duplicate paintings on colorful pages offering guidance and suggestions. Four 2-oz. pots of non-toxic washable finger-paint contain colors most common to the book's 16 illustrations. Additional colors may be mixed easily, or you may add your own tempera paints for a full palette. Also included are a bright red vinyl artist smock and 10 sheets of 9 x 12 padded finger-paint paper. (Any smooth, glossy paper will work with the paints). Usborne Books, 32pp.

Best Books

Since 1952, The New York Times Book Review has asked a panel of judges to select the best illustrated children's books from among the several thousand published each year; and those selected for 1998 (with illustrator in parentheses) are: I Lost My Bear (Jules Feiffer); The Gingerbread Man (Barbara McClintock); Walter Wick's Optical Tricks (Walter Wick); Zoom City (Thacher Hurd); The Little Scarecrow Boy (David Diaz); No, David! (David Shannon); Window Music (Wade Zahares); The Wild Boy: Based on the True Story of the Wild Boy of Aveyron (Mordicai Gerstein); A Handful of Beans: Six Fairy Tales (William Steig); and Jazper (Richard Egielski).

Photography

The Nude in Photography

The aesthetics of the nude form have been painted and modeled since prehistory. So it was no wonder that, when photography became a viable medium in the mid-1800s, one of the first subjects to pose for the infant lens was again the nude.

Many today are suspicious of the nude as serious and legitimate photography. These suspicions may be due to the proliferation of nude photographs that mostly have little or no esthetic value. Or perhaps it is the underlying doubt that photography cannot quite attain the level of fine art and this somehow lessens even the finest photographs. Whatever the current perception, the nude form in photography began as a serious artistic study by a relatively small number of imaginative photographers.

Originally, painters in France closely studied nude photographs and painted them as subject matter (most notably, EugŠne Delacroix). For these artists, this was a practical pursuit since only an expensive professional model could hold a pose for the required time it took to paint. Beyond that, there were some artful poses that even a professional could not long perform but were merely a click away for the camera.

As morality and modesty surged in the late-1900 Victorian era, the concept of public nudity fell from acceptance. So the nude (both in painting and photography) abandoned realism for the protective shroud of Impressionism.

In photography, this was achieved by imposing a blurred focus and using dense shadows. Out of this study came a series of striking nudes by photographer-scientist Eadweard Muybridge, an Englishman working in America. Painters around the world were fascinated by Muybridge's action photographs of human locomotion. Much like frames of a film, these photographs were taken in rapid succession and typically depicted nudes in the sequential acts of lying down, running, walking, and the like.

Other photographers chose to veil their nudes in billowing drapery as was evident in Charles Shenk's "Draperies in Action" series of the 1890s. In these photographs, nude models are seen dancing while scantily shielded in sheer, flowing material. Some posed against curtained backdrops while others lay draped in repose. These images are renowned for their classical portrayal of the female nude awash in swirls of light and shadow.

As photography grew in popularity and acceptance, its standing as an art form was raised to new levels by a group calling themselves the "Photo-Secessionists." This group formed in the early part of the Twentieth Century and was led by Alfred Stieglitz. Their goal was public acceptance of photography as fine art, and they achieved this by presenting lavishly-produced photographs in their magazine titled Camera Work.

The nudes produced by these photographers were at their best when the mood and photographic quality were balanced with subtle texture and lighting. The later nudes of Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Weston marked a definitive turning point for the nude in photography. This occurred when these photographers stopped trying to prove artistic points and instead explored the camera on its own terms.

From this point on, the seemingly inexhaustible possibilities of "photographic" nude took precedence. This dynamic approach is evident in the softly-focused elegance of Arnold Genthe's "Dancers," the black and white linear clarity of Harry Callahan's compositions, and in the romantic visions of Emmanuel Sougez and J. Frederick Smith.

The works of the American photographer Robert Wilson expanded on the clear forms of Edward Weston, but with a proclivity for the fluent linearity of Japanese art. Weston's nude photos are renowned for their lighting and composition and for their sympathic portrayal of the model.

Another modern photographer who made significant contributions to the photographic nude is Ruth Bernhard, whose formally-posed figures portray a fine balance between strong form and gentle femininity. Her works appeared regularly in many books and magazines in the mid-Twentieth Century, as it was her goal to portray the female form as a fluid form of nature rather than an exploited sensual image.

In the more unconventional arena were the dynamic forms of Lucien Clergue and the uniquely-distorted forms of Bill Brandt, who was one of the best English photographers of this century. Not satisfied with merely mimicking human sight, Brandt's surreal photographs explored the nude in a distorted perspective, usually posed within an interior or a landscape setting. His photos not only provided a powerful photographic statement of the nude, but were a triumph of photographic technique as well.

Lucien Clergue tended to photograph his models in aquatic environments. Like Brandt, he rarely photographed faces, allowing instead the intimate torsos to communicate for themselves. Like the goddess Aphrodite emerging from the foaming sea, Clergue's nudes remain somewhere between nature and womanhood.

It can be argued that present-day photography is the last refuge of the nude. Yet the photographic nude is not just a realistic image that the progressive Nineteenth Century painters abandoned. In the works of the best photographers, the beauty and significance of the nude are portrayed with a graphic directness that is unique to the camera. In a photographic medium, the nude has been seen in ways that had never been previously conceived.

Exhibitions

Washington Winterfest

If you plan to be in Washington, D.C., this winter, be sure to schedule time to participate in Winterfest. When you check into a participating hotel, ask for the WinterARTs Passport which is filled with 45 special offers from cultural attractions throughout the Capitol. For information, call 1-800-422-8644. A few featured art exhibitions follow:

--Corcoran Museum of Art: "New Worlds from Old: American Landscape Painting of the 19th Century" includes 100 American and Australian landscape paintings which explore larger issues of social migration, economic change, politics and comparative intellectual history. Through April 20.

--National Gallery of Art: "John Singer Sargent" includes a collection of 100 works of the beloved American artist's portraits, landscapes, and figure sketches. Feb. 21-May 31.

--National Museum of American History: "The Art of the Gold Rush" features 70 portrait paintings, watercolors and drawings, landscape and narrative paintings created in California. "Silver and Gold: Photographs of the Gold Rush" further illustrates the life and landscape of the Gold Rush period. An exhibition of 140 daguerreotypes is thematically grouped. Both through March 7.

Touchy/Feely Exhibition

Minneapolis Institute of Arts: "Memory of the Hand: Making Sense of Art through Touch" consists of sculpture displayed to encourage museum audiences to think about the knowledge gained about art through the sense of touch. All visitors may touch the metal, wood, leather, and paper sculptures. Featured are the works of Rosalyn Driscoll, who has created sculpture for those with limited or no vision. Located in the Cargill Gallery through April 11.

Decorative Egyptian Art

Kimbell Art Museum (Fort Worth, TX): "Gifts of the Nile - Ancient Egyptian Faience" is devoted to the artistic medium of faience in ancient Egypt. Faience was a porcelain-like substance used by the Egyptians to create some of their most memorable art, including exquisitely modeled statuettes of kings and gods, delicate inlaid figurines, charming animal sculptures and amulets and jewelry. Displayed through April 25 are over 200 small-scale objects that range from pre-dynastic times through the reigns of the pharaohs and into the Greco-Roman era.

Airbrush

Airbrushing Watercolor

Many individuals don't associate the use of an airbrush with watercolor technique. But, more and more, the airbrush is being used to varying degrees in the development of watercolor paintings. And, why not? Watercolor was the first medium used in the 1890s in airbrush technique. Today, artists of various "stripes" utilize the unique effects of sprayed paint to develop atmospheric mists of color, cast shadows, highlight objects, develop a three-dimensional shape, establish exacting hard edges, and more.

Since watercolor is easily thinned to an ink-like consistency with just water, it can be sprayed without fear of a clogging airbrush. Because watercolor is normally so finely ground, the pigment size is such that it can be sprayed with ease through airbrushes with the finest tips, thus allowing artists to spray a line of hairline thickness on up. From the work of revolutionary artists such as Man Ray (1920s) to that of contemporary photo-realist watercolorists such as Kirk Lybecker, the airbrush is used, but not obvious. (See his work online at http://arttalk.com/watercolor/watercolor.htm).

The watercolorist today has an array of tools and found objects in his/her studio for the development of various effects--obviously paint brushes, but also sponges, toothbrushes (for stippling), blotters, textured paper, and airbrushes. The knowledge in the use of all these tools enhances the artist's ability to develop unique and outstanding paintings. And the knowledge required to use an airbrush can easily be learned through practice and trial and error.

Watercolor is sprayed in the same way that you spray any other paint. The fundamentals of airbrushing remain the same: The paint must be flowable, the air pressure should be low (10-15psi), and the airbrush must be properly triggered. (Information on the fundamentals of airbrush technique can be found online at http://www.arttalk.com/iwata/air-tip.htm.)

Once artists become familiar with airbrush technique, they should move on to applying it to their watercolor technique. Following are some tips on working with watercolor:

--Both pan and tube watercolors must be thinned with water to a flowable consistency for spraying. This is done almost automatically when you add water to watercolor. You can lather up the watercolor with a paint brush and then transfer it to the color cup or reservoir of the airbrush. Tube color is normally preferred because it can be reduced in a paper cup and poured into the reservoir. Also, these colors are less likely (than pan colors) to be contaminated from one color to another when mixing.

--To enhance the bleeding effect and the flowability, add a few droplets of oxgall, a dispensing agent, to the watercolor.

--Enhance washes by airbrushing back into them to help fortify the color, e.g., make blues deeper in the sky; or accentuate detail and develop more three-dimensional space by airbrushing small shadows. With the airbrush, shadows look realer than real. By building up transparent layers of color, you can establish an intensity of color through a traditional glazing technique.

--Watercolor can easily be cleaned from the airbrush with soap and water. If you wish to make watercolor more water-resistant, add a few droplets of acrylic medium to your colors.

--Rough papers in watercolor technique are used to develop highlights at the tops and darks at the valleys. Remember when spraying onto a coarse surface like this, it will tend to mimic the texture of the paper and be evident in your artwork.

As in all art techniques, much can be learned from mistakes made while practicing. Don't be intimidated by the tools or the hook-ups. Practice and learn the fundamentals of airbrush technique before you apply them to a watercolor painting. Once you become comfortable with the tool, you will discover through its use the many effects that can be easily achieved.

ArtPourri

Facelift Planned--As part of the renovation of Rockefeller Center in NYC, an 18-foot-tall copper and bronze sculpture of Prometheus weighing eight tons will be repaired and regilded. Sculpted by Paul Manship and installed over 60 years ago, the restored statue is scheduled to return to his home in the spring.

Van Gogh Package Offered--Several hotels in the Los Angeles area are offering packages with passes to "Van Gogh's Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam" at the LA County Museum of Art. The exhibit of 70 paintings will run through April 4. For further information, call (323) 857-6000.

First Painting for Museum--The Montclair Art Museum, N.J., has been given its first O'Keeffe painting titled "Skunk Cabbage" (1922). It will hang in the museum's lobby until May and then become part of a permanent collection installation scheduled to open in 2002.

Alice Sets Record--Lewis Carroll's personal copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) has sold for a record $1.54 million at Christie's. Included among the 38 related items auctioned was Carroll's sepia-toned photograph of the original Alice at age 6 which sold for $62,000.

Travelers Eyed--By the end of this month, look for a new addition to "Oculus," a mosaic installation at the Chambers Street/World Trade Center subway station in NYC. The new 20 x 40 foot work includes 800,000 pieces of glass and stone mosaic and symbolizes New York as a microcosm of the world's diverse cultures.

Champ's Fists Missing--An edition of bronze sculptures of boxing champ Muhammed Ali's fists weighing 7-1/2 lb. each and 9-1/2 inches long have turned up missing at the Tallix Foundry. One hundred sets, cast from the famous fists, will be created and sold in galleries as commercial art. Sports memorabilia fans who buy the pieces will be automatically enrolled in the Millennium Society, which will enable them to cast their vote for an athlete to represent the millennium. Officials are hoping the missing "Fists of Greatness" have simply been misplaced.

City Hall Restored--San Franciscans are proud of their newly renovated City Hall. Besides structural improvements to the 1915 building, the $293 million cost included a newly gilded dome, fixtures, paint, furniture, lights and updated computer and communication systems. Because the building is a national landmark, every lamp, railing and piece of carved wood had to be restored to its original condition.

Museum Reopens--After being closed for almost ten years, Stanford University's newly renovated and expanded museum (Palo Alto, CA) has opened with a new name, too: The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts. As home to the second largest Rodin collection outside Paris, the museum's first exhibit features 120 Picasso prints from the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena (through March 28). Recent gifts and loans on view include works by Oldenburg, de Kooning and Serra. (650) 723-4177.

February Birthdays:

  3    Norman Rockwell

12    Max Beckmann

18    Louis Comfort Tiffany

21    Constantin Brancusi

24    Winslow Homer

29    Balthus

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Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 9 No. 4 -- February 1999