Watercolor Flowers Chinese Style: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide

by He Lu

Overview

Follow the author's brush through four seasons, creating your own bouquet of flowers.

In this step-by-step guide you will find: • The basic tools you'll need for watercolor painting • Basic watercolor techniques, including proper brush grip, brush movement, applying paint, color mixing, layering and more • Illustrated tutorials with clear steps for painting beautiful seasonal flowers in various styles. • Inspirations for your work • The 24 solar terms that have been passed down for millennia, along with traditional Chinese flower culture.

Author and illustrator Lu He specializes in combining Western watercolors with the style of traditional Chinese ink. The resulting beautiful, soft look integrates shape and spirit, freestyle and tradition, luxury and quiet elegance. By following his instruction, you will be able to create blooming flowers of different styles, whether delicate, beautiful, bold or gentle.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781602200463
Publisher:	Shanghai Press
Publication date:	09/29/2020
Pages:	132
Sales rank:	615,316
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Lu He is a renowned Chinese watercolor painter, illustrator, and best-selling author of art books, as well as the Greater China representative for the well-known German watercolor brand Schmincke. He designed the poster of the 90th Oscar winner for Best Film, The Shape of Water. Having published eight volumes of his own painting collections and books on watercolor techniques, he has collaborated with many well-known brands both in China and overseas on films, television series, music, games, magazines, and books, adding his iconic airy style and its leisurely Zen feel to the works. He also combines watercolor with traditional Chinese ink and wash style to create a beautifully classic feel that is fresh and refined.

Table of Contents

Preface Embarking on Your Painting Journey with Ease and Pleasure 9

Chapter 1 The Cultural Beauty of Chinese-Style Watercolor Flowers 13

1 The Beauty in the Rich Meanings of Flowers 14

2 The Beauty of Wisdom in the 24 Solar Terms 15

3 The Beauty of Watercolors Integrated with Chinese Painting Techniques 16

Chapter 2 Tools and Materials 19

1 Paintbrush 19

2 Pigment 21

3 Paper 22

4 Palette 25

5 Other Aids 25

Chapter 3 Basic Skills 27

1 Brush-Holding Posture 27

2 Method of Brush Movement 27

3 Basic Coloring Techniques 31

4 The Shading of Color 32

5 Use of Masking Fluid 33

6 Sprinkling Salt 34

7 Splash Technique 34

8 Other Special Effects 35

Chapter 4 Case Studies in Painting Flowers from the Four Seasons 37

1 Winter Jasmine (Start of Spring) 38

2 Camellia (Rain Water) 41

3 Peach Blossom (Awakening of the Insects) 46

4 Purple Magnolia (Spring Equinox) 50

5 Apricot Blossom (Qingming) 53

6 Peony (Grain Rain) 57

7 Rose (Start of Summer) 61

8 Corn Poppy (Grain Buds) 64

9 Pomegranate Flower (Grain in Ear) 68

10 Chinese Herbaceous Peony (Summer Solstice) 72

11 Water Lily (Minor Heat) 75

12 Albizia Flower (Major Heat) 77

13 Lotus (Start of Autumn) 80

14 Dahlia (End of Heat) 83

15 Epiphyllum (White Dew) 86

16 Chrysanthemum (Autumn Equinox) 88

17 Sweet Osmanthus (Cold Dew) 91

18 Cottonrose Hibiscus (Frost's Descent) 94

19 Crab-Claw Orchid (Start of Winter) 98

20 Chinese Enkianthus (Minor Snow) 102

21 Bauhinia (Major Snow) 106

22 Plum Blossom (Winter Solstice) 109

23 Daffodil (Minor Cold) 113

24 Freesia (Major Cold) 117

Sketches 120