1. Understand the basic principles of ink method: To master the application of ink method in landscape painting, you must first understand its basic principles. As the core means of expression of landscape painting, ink can produce rich changes through the blending of water. "Ink is divided into five colors", namely burnt, thick, heavy, light, and clear. Different ink levels can express the distance, reality, light and dark of mountains and rivers. Understanding this is the cornerstone of achieving exquisite changes in ink method.
2. Choose the right tools and materials: If you want to do your job well, you must first sharpen your tools. It is very important to choose the right brush, rice paper and ink. The size and hardness of the brush are different, and the effect of absorbing and moving ink is also different. For example, sheep hair can store more ink and is suitable for expressing light ink and wet ink; wolf hair has good elasticity and can be used to outline thick ink lines. The water absorption of rice paper is different. Raw rice paper has strong water absorption, which can make the ink color penetrate quickly and produce rich smudge effects. Cooked rice paper is relatively difficult to soak the ink and is suitable for delicate ink method performance. High-quality ink can ensure the purity and durability of the ink color, which helps to better control the ink method.
3. Control the water ratio: Water is the key factor in controlling the thickness, dryness and wetness of the ink. More water means lighter ink, less water means thicker ink. When dipping the ink, you can first wet the pen in water, then dip the pen in ink, and adjust the ink thickness by controlling the ratio of dipping water and ink. During the painting process, you can also dip the pen in water or ink as needed to keep the ink color changing. For example, when painting distant mountains, you can dip the pen in more water and less ink to show the haziness and distance of the distant mountains; when painting near stones, you can dip the pen in less water and more ink to highlight its heavy texture.
4. Use different pen-using methods: pen-using methods and ink-using methods complement each other, and different pen-using methods can produce different ink-using effects. When using the center-point pen, the lines are round and full, and the ink color is uniform; when using the side-point pen, the lines are rich in changes, and the ink color has virtual and real changes. The speed and weight of the brushstrokes will also affect the wet and dry effects of the ink. Fast brushstrokes will produce dry ink, which can show vigorous brushstrokes; slow brushstrokes will produce wet ink, which can create a moist atmosphere.
5. Pay attention to the layering of ink: The layering of ink can make the picture richer and thicker. First, use light ink as the base to show the general outline and light and dark relationship of the landscape, and then gradually add thick ink as needed to highlight the key points and details. When adding ink, pay attention to the previous layer of ink drying before adding the next layer to avoid confusion. At the same time, you must grasp the number and intensity of superposition to avoid the picture being too dark or messy.
6. Combine observation with practice: Observe the changes in ink color of natural landscapes under different light and different climatic conditions, such as the moist ink rhyme of landscapes after rain and the bright ink color of landscapes on sunny days, and transform the observed natural beauty into the expression of ink in the brush. At the same time, a lot of practical exercises should be carried out, and continuous attempts and summaries should be made during the practice, so as to gradually master the application skills of ink method and find the ink method style that suits you.
7. Cultivate the pursuit of aesthetics and artistic conception: The application of ink method is not only the display of skills, but also serves the aesthetics and artistic conception pursuit of the picture. It is necessary to understand the cultural connotation and aesthetic taste contained in landscape painting, and choose and use ink method according to the artistic conception that the picture wants to express. For example, when expressing a tranquil and distant artistic conception, light ink and wet ink can be used to create an ethereal and soft atmosphere; when expressing a magnificent artistic conception, thick ink and dry ink can be used appropriately to enhance the strength and momentum of the picture. By constantly improving one's own aesthetic literacy, the application of ink method can be more connotative and expressive.
