Oriental Art Supply Chinese Brush Painting Supplies
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General FAQs:  For BeginnersAbout OASTeachers
Product FAQs:  BrushesPaperBooksColorsAccessories
Technique/Style FAQs:  General TechniqueGong-bi (Fineline)Calligraphy
General Technique
What is Gong-bi?
One of the disciplines of Chinese Brush Painting is Gong-bi. Also known as fine-line painting or elaborate/meticulous technique is often characterized as a style of painting that incorporates delicate Chinese Calligraphy strokes and close attention to detail. Fine-line artists first use fine brushes to create an outline of their subjects and then go back with softer brushes to apply layers of color until the desired effect is achieved. This meticulous style of painting requires certain brushes to make the outlines and layers and certain papers to handle repeat washes of color.
I have trouble controlling my moisture/water, my strokes bleed and run. What can I do?
It is helpful to keep in mind that the amount of water you load on your brush is very important and changes depending on the type of raw Shuen paper you use. A good rule of thumb for this principle is the thinner your paper, the thicker your color and ink needs to be. In other words Double Shuen, a two-ply thick paper, is not going to be as apt to bleed from excessive moisture as Best Shuen, a single ply thin paper. Despite which rice paper you use, too much moisture is going to be a problem - the paper just determines the extent of the damage so to speak. The following are some tips from Ning and Ling that should help you conquer your moisture troubles: When you rinse your brush between strokes, before the brush touches the paper, it should be dry enough that you cannot squeeze any water from the body of your brush. Try painting this way and if you find your brush is too dry, then wet only the first 1/8th of the brush tip and try again.
I have a lot of practice work that I like but would not go to the trouble of mounting. However, I hesitate to just throw it away. Do you have any ideas about what I can do with my practice work?
Yes! Make use of all that hard work. You can use your desirable practice work to make pretty handmade cards. Single flowers work particularly well for this kind of project. Cut around the subject in a way that is appealing to you and that will fit on a card size of your choice. We think it looks particularly nice to leave enough room for the card underneath to show, creating a border; either even on all sides or off-set with a larger margin on the bottom, whatever looks good to you. Cover the entire back of the rice paper painting with glue (we like clear-drying glue sticks) and starting on an edge or corner, roll and press the rice paper painting carefully onto the card. If further pressing is required to smooth the surface simply cover the card with a piece of scrap paper and roll over with a cylinder (e.g. rolling pin, jar). Place under a heavy book to dry and flatten. Once dry, you may wish to accentuate your card design with hand ornamentation and/or paper effects. We sometimes like to decorate the edges of our cards with a thin gold or silver line in metallic paint pen, or spatter the card with other color(s), or go over the card with light washes of color, metallic color, gold, silver, sparkles, et cetera. The possibilities are unlimited! Be sure to sign your work and use a seal (maybe expressing a mood, wish or idea) to finish your composition. OAS sells lovely card & envelope sets that closely match the color of our raw Shuen papers. They come in sets of 10 cards/10 envelopes, and are approximately 7-1/4” x 5-1/4” unfolded (OAS Catalog Item POC). We often use these cards to send special greetings to our friends and families.
Which of your supplies work best for calligraphy?
A. The best material choices for calligraphy are the Flow Brushes, Orchid Bamboo Brushes, Flower & Bird Brush, any of the inks we carry especially Best Bottle. The best papers for calligraphy are Practice Roll, Best Shuen and Double Shuen AO. For print style calligraphy we use the Flower & Bird Brush or any of the Flow Brushes. For grass style calligraphy the Orchid Bamboo Brushes work best. Add a touch of elegance and style to any special occasion calligraphy by mixing Pelikan’s Gold or Silver cake pan colors in with the ink.
Can OAS recommend a good beginner's Fineline (Gong-bi) style book?
OAS has several different Fineline book, but none that are detailed and step-by-step. OAS has an artist who teaches at our showroom in Huntington Beach, CA twice a year who offers two basic classes ideal to learn Gong-bi. Contact us for more information.