A Heavy-coloring-based Comparative Study On The Chinese Folk Wood Engravingpicture And The Japanese Ukiyoe

The Chinese Wood Engraving Picture and the Japanese Ukiyoe are both important part of folk arts. These two forms have much in common, especially in the technique of block color printing. At the same time, due to their different backgrounds and conditions in their development, they differ greatly, having distinctive features respectively. They are both part of visual arts, but for visual arts, the habit of coloring plays a decisive role in developing its artistic style. This thesis, by comparing the two different ways of coloring, mainly focuses on the analysis of their stylistic features and artistic characteristics respectively. With the constant innovations and developments of the understanding of heavy color in modern Chinese paintings, heavy color pigment determines its own glossiness and texture in a unique way. Heavy color pigment, also called mineral pigment, is grinded from natural minerals or synthetic minerals, can achieve a special expressive force. The Chinese Wood Engraving Picture and the Japanese Ukiyoe traditionally put much of the heavy color pigment to use, but till now, it has been replaced by chemical pigments. Therefore, this thesis also centers on the following aspects: what have caused this, is it good or bad for the future of the two artistic forms, what are the similarities and differences between the two artistic forms in heavy coloring. The thesis firstly makes a detailed analysis on the birthplace and the common color of the Chinese Wood Engraving Picture, the color development of Japanese Ukiyoe, and the use of common color and heavy color, and also explores the root of all kinds of colors. This thesis, for the first time, defines the system of the Chinese Wood Engraving Picture, and analyzes the primary causes of their different styles; at the same time, it’s the first discussion on the development of Ukiyoe from the aspect of colors. Secondly, the thesis makes a comparative study on the artistic nature of the Chinese Wood Engraving Picture and the Japanese Ukiyoe, and then further analyzes the causes for their respective styles. The thesis finally centers on comparing their habits and features of coloring, discussing the similarities and differences between the two folk arts from the point of coloring styles, as well as the use and inheritance of heavy coloring, revealing their influences on modern meticulous heavy color art; all these will provide new ideas and references for the new works in modern meticulous heavy color art. There have been only very small numbers of comparative studies on both folk arts from the point of artistic theories, and no comparative studies on their coloring features; therefore, the innovative points of this thesis is that the author makes a comparative study from the points of color choice and use of heavy color pigment, which can not only give hints both to the development of Chinese Wood Engraving Picture and Japanese Ukiyoe, but also directs the innovations and new development of modern meticulous heavy color art.