You can see below the first step of my brush drawing and the placement of the shadows.
Second step
And the final touch.
January 29, 2012
The beauty of an obi - work in progress
You can see below the first step of my brush drawing and the placement of the shadows.
Second step
January 24, 2012
Chinese Ink - Inkstick
Known as one of the Four Treasures of the Study of classical Chinese literary culture, within the ink stone, ink brush and paper, the CHINESE INK is another reason for which I consider the Asian culture to be fascinating. From form to colour, it's very different than the more popular western ink.
Chinese ink, called "Inkstick", is a type of solid ink used traditionally in several East Asian cultures for calligraphy and brush painting (ink wash painting). Inksticks are made mainly of soot and animal glue, sometimes with incense or medicinal scents added.
"The chief ingredients of high quality ink according to these works are lampblack and glue. The finest lampblack is supposed to come from the burning of vegetable oils. In ancient times the best soot was made from burning of specially selected pines in an ink furnace that had inverted pottery jars over the smoke. These jars trapped the soot which was then removed with feather brushes. The soot was then mixed with glue, which could be made from horn or animal hides. According to the ink classic, the glue made from the horns of young deer was of the highest quality because of its purity. Good ink depended upon good glue, which gives the ink texture and life."
So, in order to make some ink, I'll have to continuously grind the inkstick over an ink stone with a small quantity of water. That will produce a dark liquid which is applied afterwards with an ink brush on the paper or other material. The thickness of the resulting ink may vary according to my preferences by reducing or increasing the intensity and time of ink grinding (i.e. I rather take my time, clear my thoughts and relax the muscles before starting :) ). I can also obtain various concentrations of ink depending on the amount of water that I mix.
As a remark, inksticks themselves are sometimes ornately decorated with landscapes, zodiac symbol or flowers in bas-relief and some are highlighted with gold. An my red inkstick has a golden dragon on one side and some Chinese letters backwards, what a shame it will get destroid!
Happy New Chinese Year!
January 19, 2012
Expo Contempora 2
You can see my oriental culture artworks, exhibited at Sala Palatului in Bucharest for another 10days.
January 17, 2012
Geisha - work in progress
And if there is some particular thing of interest during the passage of times, the most mysterious character in the Japanese culture, that is the GEISHA.
Geisha, a very sophisticated, refined, and beautiful young lady. Geisha, as its name says (芸 (gei) meaning "art" and 者 (sha) meaning "person" or "doer") she is called by us, Europeans: "artist," "performing artist," or "artisan.
In their apprentice period, geishas are called maiko, and they are trained to perform in different Japanese artistic skills, such as classical music, dance, tea ceremony, calligraphy and ink painting - as some examples.
The make up is another very important artistic skill that geisha have to learn and practice, being it one of those elements that complete her image. A detail considered very sensual is also the typical nape make-up (as you can see it in my artwork), that geisha have to make by herself with the help of mirrors.
I wanted to create a character without identity, depersonalized, but which, with just a few details, to reveal an entire story of the culture it represents so well.
Geisha, a very sophisticated, refined, and beautiful young lady. Geisha, as its name says (芸 (gei) meaning "art" and 者 (sha) meaning "person" or "doer") she is called by us, Europeans: "artist," "performing artist," or "artisan.
In their apprentice period, geishas are called maiko, and they are trained to perform in different Japanese artistic skills, such as classical music, dance, tea ceremony, calligraphy and ink painting - as some examples.
The make up is another very important artistic skill that geisha have to learn and practice, being it one of those elements that complete her image. A detail considered very sensual is also the typical nape make-up (as you can see it in my artwork), that geisha have to make by herself with the help of mirrors.
I wanted to create a character without identity, depersonalized, but which, with just a few details, to reveal an entire story of the culture it represents so well.
January 10, 2012
Katsushika Hokusai and Mount Fuji
Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾 北斎, September 23, 1760 – May 10, 1849) was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. He was influenced by such painters as Sesshu, and other styles of Chinese painting. Born in Edo (now Tokyo), Hokusai is best known as author of the woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (富嶽三十六景 Fugaku Sanjūroku-kei, c. 1831) which includes the internationally recognized print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, created during the 1820s.
Hokusai created the "Thirty-Six Views" both as a response to a domestic travel boom and as part of a personal obsession with Mount Fuji. It was this series, specifically The Great Wave print and Fuji in Clear Weather, that secured Hokusai’s fame both in Japan and overseas. As historian Richard Lane concludes, "Indeed, if there is one work that made Hokusai's name, both in Japan and abroad, it must be this monumental print-series...". While Hokusai's work prior to this series is certainly important, it was not until this series that he gained broad recognition and left a lasting impact on the art world. It was also The Great Wave print that initially received, and continues to receive, acclaim and popularity in the Western world.
Hokusai created the "Thirty-Six Views" both as a response to a domestic travel boom and as part of a personal obsession with Mount Fuji. It was this series, specifically The Great Wave print and Fuji in Clear Weather, that secured Hokusai’s fame both in Japan and overseas. As historian Richard Lane concludes, "Indeed, if there is one work that made Hokusai's name, both in Japan and abroad, it must be this monumental print-series...". While Hokusai's work prior to this series is certainly important, it was not until this series that he gained broad recognition and left a lasting impact on the art world. It was also The Great Wave print that initially received, and continues to receive, acclaim and popularity in the Western world.
I saw myself some of the prints in this series by Hokusai, at the National Museum of Art from Bucharest, called "Pilgrimage to Mount Fuji" and I must confess that it was a special experience to take the time and admire those great pieces of art of the master. It is fascinating to see the colours, to discover the woodblock forms, to see how nature is simplified in some signs and, that is the moment when you can understand how much work, time and patience is needed just for one stamp.
January 9, 2012
Konohana Sakuya Hime - Fuji Goddess
Konohana Sakuya Hime - Fuji Goddess (木花之開耶姫 konohananosakuyahime), in Japanese mythology, is the blossom-princess and symbol of delicate earthly life. She is the daughter of the mountain god Ohoyamatsumi. She is often considered an avatar of Japanese life, especially since her symbol is the Sakura, (Cherry Blossom.)
Shrines have been built, at Mount Fuji, for the goddess Konohana Sakuya Hime. It is believed that she will keep Mount Fuji from erupting, but shrines to her at Kirishima have been repeatedly destroyed by volcanic eruptions.
Mount Fuji (Fuji-san) is the highest mountain in Japan, rising to 12,388 feet. Visible from Tokyo on a clear day, the beautiful cone-shaped mountain is located west of the city, surrounded by lakes in a national park.
"The mountain that most represents Japan in the eyes of the world is, of course, Mount Fuji. No peak more beautifully embodies the spirit of a nation. The elegant simplicity of its lines, sweeping up into the graceful shape of an inverted fan painted with delicate patterns of pure white snow, symbolizes the quest for beauty and perfection that has shaped so much of Japanese culture, both secular and sacred. Suspended between heaven and earth, neither rock nor cloud, the volcano appears as a cone of crystallized sky, floating above a vast landscape of fields, villages, lakes and sea.... The very perfection of its form, startling in its incredible simplicity, suggests the mystery of the infinite."
Shrines have been built, at Mount Fuji, for the goddess Konohana Sakuya Hime. It is believed that she will keep Mount Fuji from erupting, but shrines to her at Kirishima have been repeatedly destroyed by volcanic eruptions.
Mount Fuji (Fuji-san) is the highest mountain in Japan, rising to 12,388 feet. Visible from Tokyo on a clear day, the beautiful cone-shaped mountain is located west of the city, surrounded by lakes in a national park.
"The mountain that most represents Japan in the eyes of the world is, of course, Mount Fuji. No peak more beautifully embodies the spirit of a nation. The elegant simplicity of its lines, sweeping up into the graceful shape of an inverted fan painted with delicate patterns of pure white snow, symbolizes the quest for beauty and perfection that has shaped so much of Japanese culture, both secular and sacred. Suspended between heaven and earth, neither rock nor cloud, the volcano appears as a cone of crystallized sky, floating above a vast landscape of fields, villages, lakes and sea.... The very perfection of its form, startling in its incredible simplicity, suggests the mystery of the infinite."
January 8, 2012
Fuji Goddess - work in progress
As you can see, this is how the development stages of my artwork creation act look like.
January 7, 2012
January 6, 2012
January 4, 2012
Obi
Being it a source of the impressionism, it should be also transformed into a new european approach of art...to be continued!
January 3, 2012
Chinese Opera
New source of inspiration, within the context of an upcoming series of works of an oriental scent! :)
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