Japanese painting is an absolutely unique direction in world art. It has existed since ancient times, but as a tradition it has not lost its popularity and ability to surprise.
Attentive to tradition
The East is not only landscapes, mountains and the rising sun. These are also the people who created his story. It is these people who maintain the tradition of Japanese painting for many centuries, developing and enhancing their art. Those who made a significant contribution to the history of art were Japanese artists. Thanks to them, modern works of art have preserved all the canons of traditional Japanese painting.
Manner of execution of paintings
Unlike Europe, Japanese artists preferred to write closer to graphics than to painting. In such paintings you can not find rough, careless oil strokes, which are so characteristic of the impressionists. What is the graphic art of such art as Japanese painting? Flowers, trees, rocks, animals and birds - everything in these paintings is drawn as clearly as possible, with solid and confident lines of the carcass. All items in the composition must have a contour. Fill inside the contour is usually done in watercolor. The color is blurred, other shades are added, and somewhere they leave the color of the paper. Decorativeness is exactly what distinguishes Japanese paintings from the art of the whole world.
Contrasts in painting
Contrast is another characteristic technique used by Japanese artists. This may be the difference in tone, color or contrast of warm and cold shades.
The artist resorts to reception when he wants to highlight some element of the subject. It can be a vein on a plant, a separate petal or a tree trunk against the sky. Then the bright, illuminated part of the subject and the shadow below it (or vice versa) are depicted.
Transitions and color schemes
When drawing Japanese paintings, they often use transitions. They are different: for example, from one color to another. On the petals of water lilies, peonies, you can notice a transition from a light shade to a saturated, bright of some color.
Also, transitions are used in the image of the water surface, sky. The smooth transition from sunset to dark, condensing twilight looks very beautiful. In drawing clouds also use transitions from different shades and reflexes.
The main motives of Japanese painting
In art, everything is interconnected with real life, with the feelings and emotions of those involved in it. As in literature, music and other manifestations of creativity, in painting there are several eternal themes. These are historical plots, images of people and nature.
Japanese landscapes are diverse. Often in the paintings there are images of ponds - a favorite piece of Japanese interior. A decorative pond, several water lilies and a bamboo nearby - this is how the usual picture of the 17-18th century looks.
Animals in Japanese painting
Animals are also a frequently repeated element of Asian painting. Traditionally, it is a crouching tiger or a domestic cat. In general, Asians are very fond of the cat family, and therefore their representatives are found in all forms of oriental art.
The world of fauna is another topic that Japanese painting follows. Birds - cranes, decorative parrots, magnificent peacocks, swallows, inconspicuous sparrows and even roosters - all of them are found in drawings of oriental masters.
Pisces is an equally relevant topic for Japanese artists. Koi carps are a Japanese version of the goldfish. These creatures live in Asia in all ponds, even small parks and gardens. Carp koi is a kind of tradition that belongs precisely to Japan. These fish symbolize the struggle, determination, achievement of their goal. No wonder they are depicted floating with the flow, always with decorative crests of the waves.
Japanese paintings: image of people
People in Japanese painting are a special topic. Artists depicted geishas, emperors, warriors and elders.
Geishas are painted surrounded by flowers, always in elaborate robes with many folds and elements.
The sages are drawn sitting or explaining something to their students. The image of the old scientist is a symbol of the history, culture and philosophy of Asia.
The warrior was portrayed formidable, sometimes frightening. Samurai's long hair was drawn in detail and looked like a wire.
Usually all parts of the armor are refined using mascara. Often, the exposed parts of the body of a warrior are decorated with tattoos depicting an oriental dragon. It is a symbol of the strength and military power of Japan.
Rulers were portrayed for imperial families. Beautiful attire, jewelry in the hair of men is what abound in such works of art.
Landscapes
The traditional Japanese landscape is the mountains. Asian painters succeeded in portraying diverse landscapes: they can depict the same peak in different colors, with a different atmosphere. The only thing that remains unchanged is the obligatory presence of flowers. Usually, together with the mountains, the artist depicts a plant in the foreground and draws it in detail. Pictures with the image of mountains and blossoming sakura look beautiful. And if the falling petals are painted, the picture admires the sad beauty. Contrast in the atmosphere of the picture is another remarkable quality of Japanese culture.
Hieroglyphs
Often the composition of a painting in Japanese painting is combined with writing. Hieroglyphs are arranged to look beautifully compositionally. Usually they are painted on the left or right of the picture. Hieroglyphs can indicate what is shown in the picture, its name or the name of the artist.
Japan is one of the richest countries in history and culture. All over the world, the Japanese are considered to be pedantic people who find aesthetics in absolutely all manifestations of life. Therefore, Japanese paintings are always very harmonious in color and tone: if there are blotches of some kind of bright color, then only in the semantic centers. By the example of paintings by Asian artists, you can study the theory of color, the correct transfer of form using graphics, composition. The technique of performing Japanese paintings is so high that it can serve as an example for working with watercolors and performing “washing” of graphic works.