Chinese brush painting is one of the oldest art styles existing today dating back to the beginnings of the ancient Chinese civilizations. It is still a well known skill in the art world today and continued to be practiced on throughout the world. The beauty and splendid nature of the style have brought it to many new areas and has been experimented with by more people than thought before. Today we can take Chinese brush painting classes in school or as an off hour activity. We witness its many unique characteristics and spiritual elements being incorporated into different concepts and medians. As we continue to become more advanced and technological, there is no reason Chinese brush painting can not develop too.
One major area that I have seen Chinese brush painting become introduced into is video games. If any of you hardcore gamers are reading this then you have probably have heard of the game Okami. The wash and brush style of Chinese brush painting is clearly visible within the game. The usage of distinct lines and loosely shaped forms all make a great presence within the game. This new feature of using the Chinese brush painting style is exclusively used by Okami so far. No other game has developed such imaginative and creative ideas into their systems. I hope in the near future we will be able to see similar games incorporate such ideas into their games and make use of the wonderful art style.
The Chinese philosophy of the brush painting technique has been to always believe within and use the qi of the brush. The energy and connection between you and the brush is believed to flow out on to the paper. This is what makes the style so unique and creative compared to other art styles. The traditional style of the paintings has been to always draw images of scenery, animals, and human forms. The styles vary from very detail oriented pieces to simplistic yet profound sets of works.
- A simple push of the brush would create a form that ones’ eye could easily identify.
- A simple stroke of the brush creates a defining line that brings out power of the painting.
- A slight wash over a small lake can bring out the glistening tones of a sun setting over the mountains.
When I find such elegance in the simple characteristics of a certain artistic style I imagine what more could develop from the Chinese brush painting style. I believe there is a whole range of possibilities that Chinese brush painting can develop into.
Within the art community the age of digital art has taken over. Digital art is definitely an amazing artistic skill that has come and developed through the use of technology. Can Chinese brush painting be more incorporated and developed within it too? I believe we have seen the first glimpses of this with such examples as Okami. As a whole, I believe the art world really hasn’t quite taken and realized the greatness of this art style. The huge media world of today has yet to become accustomed to the characteristics of Chinese brush painting. What if there were TV shows and movies that used such traits of brush painting? The marketing world could definitely bring out a new way of presenting its ads and presentations to the world through Chinese brush painting styles. The list can go on and one, but I hope you can imagine all the different ways brush painting could really evolve with our vastly developing world…
Chinese brush painting has barely touched the surface of opportunities that lie ahead for it.