Understanding Of Ink-and-wash Painting Through Studying Its Characteristics

Ink-and-wash drawing contains profound features of the East and expresses specialoriental mentality. Also it uses peculiar to the East materials such as paper, brush, ink. Itconveys the way of thinking and characterizes oriental art culture.Ink is a unique oriental material, historically expresses an artist’s spirit. Ink is alanguage of a painting. Usage of ink is a very expressive language that creates new andperfect image; it is a result of each artist’s own experience. Ink paintings does not onlyconsider the shape and appearance of the subject, but also comprehends the value ofthing’s nature and soul. East Asian Ink-and-wash painting may be regarded as anearliest form of expressionistic art that captures the unseen.For the first time ink was used in the6thcentury. However, real development of thisstyle started during the Tang Dynasty. At the latter period of Tang Dynasty Wang Weiand Wu Dao Zi guided other painters and formal development of Ink painting. They hada great impact on future generations. For a long time Ink-and-wash drawing took avery important place in the history of Chinese painting and represented traditionalChinese painting culture. Following the traditions of Buddhism its growth hadinevitably reflected the changes of time and social conditions.After that at the chaotic era of five Dynasties the system of painting schools andHanlin Academy were established. At early Song Dynasty that tendency continued togrow and painting schools reached a great development. With these innovations manyartists appeared and nature observation became the most important painter’s task. Andwe can say that was the time the traditional ink-and-wash painting system was officiallyestablished.The art was further developed into a more polished style during the Song Dynastyperiod. Later on at that time Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism ideas started to prevailand became popularized.At the same time Ink-and-wash painting became a symbol of Asian paintingculture and reflected historical, ideological background and moreover spirit of the age.It mirrored Oriental consciousness system and expressed a new painting genre.However in modern times Asian fine art culture receives an impact from the West. Although Ink-and-wash painting is a symbol of Asian painting culture, it is beingcovered over by a great variety of western styles. Thus understanding of the traditionalink painting’s value is gradually falling. At this crisis Ink painters should realize thenecessity to protect the traditional art and the spirit of the Orient.Ink-and-wash painting does not only express forms but also exposes the essence ofthings. This is beyond painting just the shape of things, with the help of an artist’sfeelings ink painting shows contemporary trend on a picture. Thus painters should givemuch attention to the development of Ink painting culture through connectingtraditional and modern methods.This paper’s general ideas and sources, special materials and studying oftechniques extend the understanding of Ink-and-wash painting. This work showsideological and historical backgrounds of the art and establishes the place of Ink-and-wash painting in the fine arts world.