Ink Work, Ink Wash Painting & Ink Art Techniques
Ink Painting , also known as ink wash painting or shui mo hua (Chinese) or Indian ink painting is a type of brush painting that uses black ink.
Artist
Wang Wei introduced the method of ink painting during the Tang dynasty somewhere between 618 and 907 AD. It prospered during the
Shang dynasty (960-1279), and mostly traded with Ancient India, and so it is also known as Indian Ink.
Zen Buddhist Monks brought the technique to
Japan around 1350. During the
Muromachi period (1338-1573), ink painting reached its peak of popularity among Japanese artists and
calligraphers. The oldest intact brush of the
Warring States period (475221 BC) was found in the tomb of the citizens of
Chu. The
Shanghai School is well known for its modern and contemporary Chinese freehand ink wash painting, and the most representative artists are
Wu Changshuo,
Pu Hua,
Wang Zhen,
Qi Baishi,
Huang Binhong etc.
Pigment ink is used in the Ink Painting technique. Water-resistant pigment ink is formed in a colloidal solution on water, with the water serving as a carrier solution for the pigment. color pigments are produced from a mixture of solid substances, including rocks, metals, minerals, charcoal, and so on.
Even though the ink provides a less vibrant color, it is more durable and less likely to fade. You can use different colors of ink in your paintings to create colorful artwork. To make artworks more light and for better blending purposes Isopropyl Alcohol or Alcohol Blending Solution are also used. The Isopropyl Alcohol solution gives matte finish, and so to finish up with shine, Claro Extender is used.
The artist's sudden inspiration after viewing any beautiful scenery is represented in the Ink painting technique, which does not place a high value on a precise depiction of a real scene or object. As a result, it is difficult to copy or reproduce this type of painting. This painting often feature trees, flowers, landscapes, animals, birds and people.
Like others types of paintings, the Ink Painting or Ink Wash Painting may faded due to the effect of environmental factors, but that can be resist by using sealant with UV protection, which helps to prevent the damage and keep paintings bright and colorful.
By varying the density of the ink, ink paint techniques can achieve a variety of tones and shades. Although ink painting is unique and provides various advantages, once a stroke has been drawn, it cannot be modified or erased. As a result, ink painters spend years improving their brush movement and ink flow by practicing basic brush strokes. As a result, ink and wash painting is a technically challenging art style that needs a high level of expertise, focus, and years of practice.
Whether Indian Ink is poisonous or not is a matter of debate. However, Indian Ink should never be used for tattooing or on the skin. Additionally, shellac binder is included in modern Indian ink pigments to provide water resistance. The fact that the shellac binder is an animal product leads us to the conclusion that contemporary Indian ink is not vegan-friendly, but that the traditional ink, which is made from soot.