The method of drawing fish by the Bada Shanren can be fully expressed with a very simple composition and brush, and it has the beauty of assimilation with fish. This simple yet effective painting technique is the originality of his paintings. Below, we will analyze the method of painting fish by the Bada Shanren from two aspects: composition and brushwork.
The composition method of the Bada Shanren is extremely concise, usually using the way of blank space, leaving large blank in small pictures, winning more with less, and replacing reality with fiction. For example, when drawing fish, he usually draws the fish in the corner of the picture, and most of the blank space is used to represent the vastness of space, thus creating a profound sense of space. This composition makes the picture ethereal and distant, giving people unlimited room for imagination.
The pen method of the Bada Shanren is also unique. He is good at using minimalist lines and surfaces to shape the image, and he uses the pen concisely without redundancy. When drawing fish, he usually uses a few concise lines to outline the shape of the fish, and then uses several strokes to express the scales and fins on the fish. The simplicity of the pen is amazing, but the image created is vivid and realistic, and the characteristics, movements, and even the subtle flutters of the fins can be vividly expressed.
The reason why Bada Shanren's method of painting fish can reach such a high level is that in addition to his talent and long-term honed skills, more importantly, his observation and understanding of fish have reached an extremely high level. Through careful observation and understanding of fish, he realized the natural beauty and inner vitality of fish, and expressed it in his paintings, forming his own unique artistic style.
The method of painting fish by Bada Shanren is based on the in-depth observation and understanding of fish, using minimalist composition and brush skills to fully express the form and vitality of fish. This method seems simple, but in fact it contains profound artistic truths, which is the essence of Chinese painting art.