Sometimes, I wonder when Chinese painting started. Said to be one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world; I suppose it must have started thousand of years ago. After all, Chinese civilization has been in existence for more than 5000 years already. Unlike western paintings, Chinese paintings don't really look realistic; it looks like being done simply and quickly; but the more elaborate ones that used highly detailed brush strokes do sometimes appear ethereal; like they belong to another world.This technique Gongbi 工筆, the meticulous type; is one of the two main techniques; the other being shuǐ-mò 水墨 or Ink and wash painting. It's not easy to draw Chinese style though; at least not in the past like in the 90s when I joined some aunties in a Chinese painting class. It was on a Sunday morning and the ladies would come with their baskets of vegetables; having just done their marketing. I suppose learners have to be disciplined and work hard at practising unlike today when technologies can enable just anyone to come out with something impressive; at least that's what I was led to believe by the following video:
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