Masterpieces of Chinese Painting 700 - 1900: How a Silk Painting was Made

Recreating a figure from a Chinese painting in the gongbi style. Gongbi paintings are characterised by meticulous brushwork and highly coloured palettes. Chinese ink is made in a solid form, and needs to be ground and mixed with water. A full-size line drawing, known in Chinese as huago, is made on paper with a brush and ink. The outline of the figure is carefully drawn. A piece of silk is selected for its weave and texture. Raw silk is non-absorbent, so it needs to be treated in a process c