Why can oil paintings be so lifelike, and why do China's Chinese paintings pay more attention to verve?

There are many similarities and differences between ancient China and western cultures. The similarity lies in that we have all experienced romanticism, realism, poetry, prose, novels and other genres. However, our views on China and Western painting are quite different. Western portraits are very close to my own. China's traditional Chinese painting often pays more attention to verve, not only because of the different painting materials, but also because of many other factors.

First, the realistic style of Chinese painting requires you to understand it. Realism means paying attention to reality, while the previous painting themes were mainly religion and myth. But in China's traditional Chinese painting, the requirement for realism is not high, as long as you can see the outline or scenery of the characters, which is probably because the East pays more attention to mystery. Because in the world of painting creation of the ancients, they don't want to show the original appearance of things too much, and only a few strokes can highlight their main features.

Second, the aesthetics of traditional Chinese painting is half hidden and half present, just like the best way to appreciate a beautiful woman is to enjoy a flower with her face hidden in front of us behind her guitar. It is in this obscurity that the appreciation of Chinese painting is completed before it is full. In ancient times, our traditional Chinese painting was influenced by Taoist thought, but we abandoned what was too perfect. Therefore, appropriate blank space is the essence of Chinese painting. A painter only paints half, and the rest is left to those who appreciate the painting to explore and complete.

Third, Chinese painting highlights the mood rather than the real scene. In the creation of Chinese painting, the painter wants to express a state of mind, not the actual appearance of things. For example, when painting scenery, the painter wants to express his views on human nature through the organization of mountains, which may be the grand occasion of flowers or the more quiet loneliness of Tonamiyama. Chinese painting pays more attention to the identity of the character and the meaning expressed by his expression when painting the character. Some characters look smart, while others are dignified. Therefore, Chinese painting pays more attention to the charm of both form and spirit.