Chinese Scrolls Ancient China Art Masterpiece 2nd Grade

Chinese Scrolls Chinese brush painting has been in existence for more than 2,000 years. During the Han Dynasty, which began in 200 B.C. The Chinese began using stiff-hair paintbrushes soaked in a mixture of pine soot, water and colored pigments produced from mineral and organic materials. They used sheets of silk, bamboo and other woods as painting surfaces. Two types of scrolls - hanging scrolls and hand scrolls. Both types are kept rolled for storage. Hanging scrolls are intended to be viewed all at once Hand scrolls are unrolled gradually, bit by bit, to reveal the story (Pine soot is the burnt wood from a pine tree crushed into powder which was black and mixed with water to make paint.) They would paint on sheets of silk or on bamboo wood. What do you think they would paint? What type of a picture?

Chinese Scrolls Do you see any Chinese calligraphy or characters? Often times the artist would have a poet inscribe the painting with a poem to go with the scene. Chinese calligraphy is also an art form Chinese characters written along side the painting are a poem or story to complement the scene often written by a calligrapher or someone other than the artist. Area at the top the artist’s signature and the date written in Chinese characters as well as his/her seal in red. A seal is a stamped ink mark, usually in red, used since ancient times to replace a signature. The seal is carved in stone, pressed in damp, red paste, and applied to the surface of a completed writing or painting. In China, people train and start practicing calligraphy as little children through adulthood.

Xiao Sun (Show Suhn) Artist 1883-1944 Landscape The painting is a hanging scroll. The scroll is tall and narrow; creates a vertical sense of space. Forms seen at the top of the scroll like mountain peaks and rolling clouds, grow smaller as we “read” the painting from the bottom to top. The long surface allowed Sun to show great distance Sun’s Inscription: I lack intelligence and knowledge. I am not farming and not weaving, only attached to the ink and the ink attached to me.

Symbolism Is it real? Is it a real place? Convey a sense of peace and serenity with limited color and simplicity of style in these natural scenes Mountains represent the permanence of earth Pine trees symbolize survival Stay green all year even in harsh cold winter Running water over rocks (waterfalls) shows change Is it real? Is it a real place? Sometimes Chinese landscapes are a real place and sometimes they are imagined. What else do you see on this landscape painting? People are usually not drawn which is why it is a landscape

Art Project Instructions! Today you are going to create a scroll on special Chinese rice paper (the “zhi”) using paints with real bamboo paint brushes (the “bi”). You can practice your brush strokes before you begin and you can lightly sketch your drawing on the paper before you paint. Instructions! Write name on back with pencil Draw landscape (can use light pencil or just paint) Little water and paints. Press lightly. Can rip paper! Don’t paint to the top and bottom. Leave 2 inches to glue stick Leave a white spot (2x3”) on the top left corner to sign your name in Chinese and add red dragon stamp Glue and roll sticks to top and bottom of rice paper Tie red yarn at top Can practice writing name on small rice paper by placing symbols under the paper and tracing

Landscapes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqKZm5FJNAw