2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25
Japanese painting is an absolutely unique trend in world art. It has existed since ancient times, but as a tradition it has not lost its popularity and ability to surprise.
Attention to tradition
East is not only landscapes, mountains and the rising sun. These are also the people who created its history. It is these people who have supported the tradition of Japanese painting for many centuries, developing and multiplying their art. Those who made a significant contribution to the history of art were Japanese artists. It is thanks to them that modern works of art have retained all the canons of traditional Japanese painting.
Painting style
Unlike Europe, Japanese artists preferred to paint closer to graphics than to painting. In such paintings you will not find rough, careless strokes of oil, which are so characteristic of the Impressionists. What is the graphic nature of such art as Japanese painting? Flowers, trees,rocks, animals and birds - everything in these paintings is drawn as clearly as possible, with firm and confident ink lines. All objects in the composition must have an outline. Filling inside the contour is usually done in watercolor. The color is washed out, other shades are added, and somewhere the color of the paper is left. Decorativeness is exactly what distinguishes Japanese paintings from the art of the whole world.
Contrasts in painting
Contrast is another characteristic technique used by Japanese artists. It could be a difference in tone, color, or a contrast between warm and cool tones.
The artist resorts to a technique when he wants to highlight some element of the subject. It can be a vein on a plant, a single petal or a tree trunk against the sky. Then the light, illuminated part of the object and the shadow under it are depicted (or vice versa).
Transitions and colors
When drawing Japanese paintings, transitions are often used. They are different: for example, from one color to another. On the petals of water lilies, peonies, you can notice the transition from a light shade to a rich, bright one of some color.
Also, transitions are used in the image of the water surface, the sky. The smooth transition from sunset to dark, deepening twilight looks very beautiful. In drawing clouds, they also use transitions from different shades and reflections.
The main motifs of Japanese painting
In art, everything is interconnected with real life, with the feelings and emotions of those involved inhim. As in literature, music and other manifestations of creativity, there are several eternal themes in painting. These are historical plots, images of people and nature.
Japanese landscapes are varied. Often in the paintings there are images of ponds - a favorite piece of furniture for the Japanese. An ornamental pond, a few water lilies and bamboo nearby - this is what a typical 17th-18th century painting looks like.
Japanese painting animals
Animals are also a frequently repeated element of Asian painting. Traditionally, it is a crouching tiger or a domestic cat. In general, Asians are very fond of the cat family, and therefore their representatives are found in all forms of oriental art.
The world of fauna is another theme followed by Japanese painting. Birds - cranes, decorative parrots, magnificent peacocks, swallows, inconspicuous sparrows and even roosters - all of them are found in the drawings of oriental masters.
Fish is an equally hot topic for Japanese artists. Koi are the Japanese version of the goldfish. These creatures live in Asia in all ponds, even small parks and gardens. Koi carp is a kind of tradition that belongs specifically to Japan. These fish symbolize struggle, determination, achieving one's goal. No wonder they are depicted as floating with the flow, always with decorative wave crests.
Japanese paintings: depiction of people
People in Japanese painting is a special theme. Artists depicted geishas, emperors, warriors and elders.
Geishas are drawn insurrounded by flowers, always in elaborate robes with many folds and elements.
Sages are drawn sitting or explaining something to their students. The image of an old scientist is a symbol of the history, culture and philosophy of Asia.
The warrior was portrayed as formidable, sometimes intimidating. The samurai's long hair was detailed and wirelike.
Usually, all the details of the armor are refined with ink. Often, naked parts of a warrior's body are decorated with tattoos depicting an oriental dragon. It is a symbol of Japan's strength and military power.
Rulers were portrayed for the imperial families. Beautiful robes, ornaments in the hair of men are what such works of art abound in.
Landscapes
Traditional Japanese landscape - mountains. Asian painters have succeeded in depicting a variety of landscapes: they can depict the same peak in different colors, with different atmospheres. The only thing that remains unchanged is the mandatory presence of flowers. Usually, along with the mountains, the artist depicts some kind of plant in the foreground and draws it in detail. Paintings depicting mountains and cherry blossoms look beautiful. And if they draw falling petals - the picture is admired by the sad beauty. The contrast in the atmosphere of the painting is another wonderful quality of Japanese culture.
Hieroglyphs
Often the composition of a picture in Japanese painting is combined with writing. Hieroglyphs are arranged so that it looks beautiful compositionally. Usually they are drawn on the left or right of the picture. Hieroglyphs can representwhat is shown in the picture, its name or the name of the artist.
Japan is one of the richest countries in history and culture. All over the world, it is customary to consider the Japanese as pedantic people who find aesthetics in absolutely all manifestations of life. Therefore, Japanese paintings are always very harmonious in color and tone: if there are inclusions of some bright color, then only in the semantic centers. Using the example of paintings by Asian artists, one can study color theory, the correct transfer of form using graphics, and composition. The technique of performing Japanese paintings is so high that it can serve as an example for working with watercolors and “washing” graphic works.
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