Needlework is back in fashion today. Many girls in winter evenings prefer to sit at home, watch a series and embroider a cross. But such an occupation is rather primitive and of little interest. Cross-stitch pattern is not an art, this is a craft. It is a completely different matter to embroider paintings with silk on silk. How to learn this, the main features of the technique and much more you will learn from this article.
The history of the art of silk embroidery
Many people know that before, Chinese things were worth its weight in gold. It is not surprising, because the art of embroidery with silk originated in this country. In the era of the Three Kingdoms, Emperor Sun Quan ordered his servants to make him a realistic Map of the Kings. On this canvas mountains, rivers and the main structures of the state should have been reflected. The work was delicate, and the girls had to show ingenuity. The picture was embroidered on silk with silk threads. The needles were hairy. The silk-on-silk painting turned out to be wonderful, and the craftswomen received honors from the emperor.
This art continues its development to this day. Currently, there are 4 schools named after the provinces where they originated: Jiangsu, Guangdong, Sichuan and Hunan.
Vietnamese art
To Europe, the secrets of the work of Chinese craftswomen only reached the XX century But despite this, the whole world knows about the paintings "silk on silk" today. This art is especially popular in Vietnam. It came to this country from China and became national.
The Vietnamese ambassador Bui Kong Han became the man who brought the art of embroidery to his homeland. He taught this skill to girls in his village. Over time, the style of Chinese embroidery spread throughout Vietnam. Silk paintings began to transform and acquire their unique features. Today, such works of art are valued no less than Chinese embroidery.
Who makes the paintings today? Among the girls in Vietnam, the embroidery profession is very prestigious. This is even taking into account the fact that the term of work in the production of one woman does not exceed 10 years.
During this time, the embroiderer loses her sight so much that she becomes unsuitable. But the result of the work of these women, who give their health for the sake of art, pleases people around the world.
Necessary tools and materials
In order to make a picture silk on silk, you need to prepare everything you need. And what, in fact, do the craftswomen use in their work?
- Very thin needles. They pass through silk and leave no traces in the fabric. As you know, the craftswoman does not have a second attempt, she must immediately determine the position of the needle. It is not possible to pierce the fabric in one place several times.
- Silk threads. So that they do not stratify or get confused during the work, the craftswomen cook them together with the fruits of gleditsia. Next, dry the resulting material, after which it can be used.
- Thin scissors. Despite the fact that in most Chinese and Vietnamese paintings knots are hidden on the front side, needlewomen still need scissors.
- Hoop or loom. In order to be comfortable embroidering, the fabric should be stretched. To do this without special devices is simply impossible.
What is the difference between this technique and the usual smooth surface?
Silk embroidery is a difficult and painstaking task. The main difference from the Russian surface is precisely in the technique. Our local craftswomen do not attach much importance to the underside of the canvas, while Chinese embroiderers are used to hiding nodules on the front. They manage to do it so skillfully that over time the girls began to create two-sided paintings. Looking at such a masterpiece, it is difficult to say where the picture has a face and where is the wrong side.
Another difference between our surface and the embroidery of Chinese craftswomen is the size of the stitch. Domestic embroiderers use different lengths as one of the stylistic devices. In Chinese paintings, the stitches are so tight that it is impossible to understand where one ends and another begins.
Well, and, of course, it is worth noting that our domestic craftswomen embroider floss in thread, and Chinese girls rarely recognize anything other than silk.
Embroidery technique
As we already know, there are 4 main Chinese embroidery schools. Each of them has its own style, now we’ll talk about it:
- Su School. Craftswomen working in this technique are distinguished by patience. But how could it be otherwise if one day has to divide a thin silk thread into even finer ones. But when the stitches fall on the fabric, an interesting visual effect is created. The eye does not notice the transitions from one color to another, it seems that the picture is painted in watercolor. It was this school that became the founder of two-sided embroidery.
- Xiang School. In this school of embroidery, unlike others, shadows are often used. They are laid on the figures of animals, birds, and even found in landscapes. For Chinese embroidery this is not characteristic. Craftswomen lay the stitches not evenly, but in a chaotic manner. This gives the work liveliness, and the image is more realistic.
- School Yu. The main theme for the creativity of embroiderers working in this technique is dragons and birds. Craftswomen often use gold and silver threads.
- School of Shu. The craftswomen of this school adhere to pastel shades in embroidery. The color of the threads echoes the background color, and the pattern is very delicate and light. The stitches fit evenly and smoothly.
What becomes the plot of the picture?
Many craftswomen embroidering to order do not themselves come up with the themes of their work. Chinese silk paintings sometimes seem too similar. This is due to the fact that embroidered paintings have the same theme. She is always symbolic. Here is a list of the most popular embroidery themes.
- Fish in Chinese mythology is considered a symbol of success.
- Lotus flowers represent fidelity and devotion.
- Butterflies are a symbol of joy, serenity and happiness.
- Birds personify freedom and joy.
- Plums and peaches are a symbol of fertility.
You can learn to embroider at any age
As you know, there are no barriers to creativity. But to master the art of Chinese embroidery, girls need at least 5 years. And this is considering the fact that the needlewoman will work 8 hours a day. Based on these statistics, one can imagine how much time a craftswoman needs to spend to achieve at least a relatively good technique. A minimum of 10 years if she will hone her skills daily.
Of course, everything will depend on the girl’s abilities. If she graduated from an art institute or at least an art school, it will be easier for her to learn to harmoniously distribute stitches across the canvas.
Silk painting
This art came to Europe from Indonesia. It was there that they began to paint silk fabric with various dyes for the first time. For work, not only paints are used, but also a reserve - a substance based on wax or resin, which prevents the paints from flowing into each other.
Batik is the official name for silk painting. The paintings are performed in two main techniques: cold and hot. Painting with paints of a silk cut is considered a cold technique. But when the work is done in layers and waxing is applied, this technology is called hot batik. Paints on silk with paints became popular in Europe only in the 20th century.
Silk printing
Today in the digital age, it’s hard to imagine how art survived. Many artists traded brushes and paints for graphic tablets. Therefore, it is not surprising that every year the print of paintings on silk is becoming more popular. People like crisp lines and well-detailed drawings. In batik, it is simply impossible to achieve a similar effect.
You can get a high quality image in embroidery. But the craftswoman spends a year to create one work. During this time, the printer can print millions of pictures. It is clear that digital creativity is estimated to be much cheaper than applied art. Therefore, absolutely any person can afford paintings printed on silk.
What is the future of silk paintings?
It would seem that with the development of factories, manual creativity should have died completely. But this did not happen. Every year, more and more people are engaged in various types of needlework. Judging by the reviews, many are attracted by the exclusivity of the products, and some find pleasure in the manufacturing process itself.
Silk embroidered paintings will surely be popular for centuries. It may be longer, but it cannot be said with certainty. But the paintings in digital format, according to enthusiastic responses, have a bright future. They will always be printed, because it is fast and cheap.
It is these values that today guide most people who purchase decor for their interior.