What are the ways to categorize Chinese paintings? And the characteristics

Basis for Classification of Chinese Painting

The "three divisions of painting" in Chinese painting, figure, bird and flower, and landscape, are ostensibly categorized by subject matter, but in fact, they are the expression of a concept and idea in art. The so-called "painting three subjects", that is, summarizes the universe and the three aspects of life: figure painting is the expression of human society, human relations; landscape painting is the expression of the relationship between man and nature, man and nature into one; birds and flowers is the expression of nature's variety of life, and people live in harmony. The combination of the three constitutes the whole of the universe, complementing each other. This is a philosophical reflection sublimated by art, the true meaning of art for art.

Characteristics of Chinese Painting

Modeling characteristics and methods of expression

Chinese painting reflects the traditional philosophical concepts and aesthetics of the Chinese nation in its observation and understanding, image shaping and expression methods. In the observation and understanding of objective things, it adopts the method of looking at the small in a big way and seeing the big in a small way, and it also observes and understands the objective things in its activities and even participates in them directly. To go, rather than do bureau appearance, or confined to a fixed point. It is permeated with people's social consciousness, so that the painting has "thousands of years of silence, Phi Tu can learn" the role of understanding, but also to play "evil to warn the world, good to show the future" educational role. Even if the landscape, flowers and birds and other purely natural objective objects, in the observation, understanding and performance, but also consciously with the social consciousness of people and aesthetic

interests associated with the scene to express feelings, objects, reflecting the Chinese "unity of man and nature," the concept.

Chinese painting attaches great importance to conceptualization, emphasizes the idea of the brush first and image thinking, and pays attention to the unity of subjectivity and objectivity of the artistic image. The modeling is not confined to superficial resemblance, but seeks for "between resemblance and non-resemblance" and "non-resemblance of resemblance". Its image shaping to be able to convey the image of the charm and subjective feelings of the painter for the purpose. Thus, the non-essential, or not very relevant to the characteristics of the object can be discarded, while those who can reflect the characteristics of the spirit of the part, you can take the exaggerated or even deformation of the technique to be portrayed.

In terms of composition, Chinese painting emphasizes management, which is not based on a fixed space or time, but in a flexible way, breaking the limitations of time and space, and rearranging objects in different time and space in accordance with the painter's subjective feelings and the laws of artistic creation, to construct a kind of space and time realm in the painter's mind. As a result, wind, rain, snow, the four seasons, and ancient and modern characters can appear in the same painting. Therefore, in terms of perspective, it is not confined to the focal point perspective, but adopts the multi-point or scattered perspective method, moving up and down or left and right, front and back to view the scene and operate the composition, with great freedom and flexibility. At the same time in the composition of a painting focus on the contrast between the real and the imaginary, emphasizing "sparse enough to walk a horse", "impermeable to the wind", and to have the real in the imaginary and the imaginary in the real. Chinese painting uses its unique brush and ink technique as a means of expression to convey feelings and emotions, depicting the object's shape, bones, texture, light and darkness, as well as its mood and charm in the form of dots, lines, and surfaces. Here, the brush and ink are not only the techniques of shaping and conveying feelings, but also the carriers of the objects, and at the same time, they are meaningful forms in themselves, the traces of which embody the interest of Chinese calligraphy and have independent aesthetic value. Since it is not very much in pursuit of the surface resemblance of the object, Chinese painting can be used either with all black ink or with a combination of color or ink to depict the object, and the later, the greater the proportion of ink, and now some people even call Chinese painting as ink painting. The ink used in Chinese painting is divided into five colors, and the amount of water used, the speed of the brush and the size of the brush strokes are all different, resulting in a great variety of brush and ink techniques and a richness of light and dark tones. At the same time, ink can also be combined with color, and ink does not hinder color, color does not hinder ink, forming a diversity of ink and color complementary. In the color-based Chinese painting, the pursuit of "color with the class", focusing on the object's inherent color, the light source and the environment color is not important, generally do not take into account. But in order to some special needs, sometimes can boldly use some kind of exaggerated or assumed colors. Chinese paintings, especially the literati paintings, emphasize the same origin of calligraphy and painting in their creation, focusing on the painter's own character and quality. In the specific works of poetry, calligraphy, painting, printing organic combination, and through the inscription of poems on the screen trek, expressing the painter's understanding of society, life and art, not only play a role in deepening the theme, but also an integral part of the picture.