Demonstration Art

From a print by Katsushika Hokusai (1760 – 1849). See discussion.

This week, there are two kanji words for those who want to practice their calligraphy. The first is the kanji for the word kanji itself.

The next word is kuro to shiro (black and white). The to (and) between the kuro and shiro is implied in this case.

Monochromatic Gradation Exercise

The images below began with a pure black sumi swath. Successive images below that show how the sumi becomes progressively lighter as water is added. Initially, the difference in shade came from adding just one drop of water for each swath. Sometimes, I added two drops.

I did this many times using different kinds of paper and different kinds of sumi. Though technically, all sumi is "black," in reality, some types have a subtle bluish or brownish cast. The same goes for different types of washi (paper) which may all be "white" but appear to be slightly different when compared side by side. Washi types also vary by the amount of sizing imbedded in them and other factors. These differences can influence the appearance of the sumi swaths.

I recommend that you do the same thing I did yourself to see what happens. The results you get can vary based on how much sumi you begin with, the kind of sumi you use, and the kind of paper you use. By doing this exercise, you can develop a feeling for how to get the effects you want in your paintings. You should repeat the exercise several times. This is important for any kind of painting, whether it be monochromatic ones or paintings with shades of color, too.

Stroke Practice

When Japanese students are first beginning to learn how to write with a brush, the character below is where they begin. The kanji character is called ei ("forever" is one of its meanings depending on the context).

This exercise is for you to do the same. Practice writing this character until your version looks as close as possible to this example.