Chinese painting is an ancient art exhibited on silk or paper using brushwork with water, ink, and colour pigments. The two main classical techniques are gongbi and freehand style. Landscaping, flowers and birds, and human figures are the common themes. Chinese painting is mainly presented in lines, shades, and white space to express the feelings towards the nature and social phenomena. The traditional subjects, such as mandarin ducks, butterflies, the Four Gentlemen (plum blossoms, orchids, bamboos, and chrysanthemum) contain rich cultural meaning.

This book illustrates various basic Chinese painting techniques with the use of different tools, brushwork, and colour mixing. With the step-by-step projects, you can first follow the introductory lessons to learn the basic skills of brushwork, usage of paper, and characteristics of water, ink and colours; then follow the advanced lessons to learn the compositions and more complicated colour applications to create your own beautiful art.