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This evening I finally managed to experiment with sumi-e. As proof, I have about 6 sheets of newsprint covered in my attempts to paint bamboo leaves and stems. Damn, this is hard. I expected it to be hard, but there are a few things making it even harder.
First, I need some decent paper. One of the books I'm using suggests starting with newsprint, but the only newsprint we've got lying around is somewhat rumpled, and it's tough trying to paint on a crinkled piece of paper. I don't know if I should buy a pad of newsprint, or just suck it up and buy some rice paper so I can get used to painting on the surface I'd actually be painting on for a finished piece.
Second, I think my brushes are probably pretty crappy. Another of the books recommends against getting a sumi-e starter set, because the materials usually suck (great to find this out after the fact). I think it's probably right. Before one of these brushes can be used to paint you have to clean out the fish glue keeping ithe bristles stiff. I tried to do this as gently and gradually as possible, and I still lost an absurd number of bristles in the process. I lost even more during the painting itself, which often screwed up the brush stroke I was making at the time. Of course, if I hadn't gotten a starter set, I don't know where I would have gotten a suzuri, brushes, and ink. I'm still not sure where I should go to try to get better ones.
Third, the brushes are weird. Maybe it's because my brushes suck, or it's because I haven't done a lot of other painting, but I found it very frustrating to be called upon to make strokes with the pointed tip of the brush after making a firm stroke that has completely flattened out the bristles. Am I supposed to reshape the bristles after certain strokes? Is there some other way to deal with this problem? Neither of the books I have mention this sort of thing at all.
Finally, both books refer to using light washes of color, which would be water that has very little of the ink it in. But sometimes you're supposed to use a 'dry' brush to do this, leaving me to wonder how I'm supposed to increase the ratio of water to ink without getting the brush wetter - unless I'm just supposed to paint away a lot of the diluted ink on scratch paper before returning to the piece, which doesn't seem likely at all. That would be very, very disruptive, and sumi-e seems to be very much about painting as a harmonious, flowing experience. Again, though, my books fail me. Maybe I should look into taking a workshop in this after all. It seems like I could really use a little demonstration before I go back to trying to learn it on my own.
First, I need some decent paper. One of the books I'm using suggests starting with newsprint, but the only newsprint we've got lying around is somewhat rumpled, and it's tough trying to paint on a crinkled piece of paper. I don't know if I should buy a pad of newsprint, or just suck it up and buy some rice paper so I can get used to painting on the surface I'd actually be painting on for a finished piece.
Second, I think my brushes are probably pretty crappy. Another of the books recommends against getting a sumi-e starter set, because the materials usually suck (great to find this out after the fact). I think it's probably right. Before one of these brushes can be used to paint you have to clean out the fish glue keeping ithe bristles stiff. I tried to do this as gently and gradually as possible, and I still lost an absurd number of bristles in the process. I lost even more during the painting itself, which often screwed up the brush stroke I was making at the time. Of course, if I hadn't gotten a starter set, I don't know where I would have gotten a suzuri, brushes, and ink. I'm still not sure where I should go to try to get better ones.
Third, the brushes are weird. Maybe it's because my brushes suck, or it's because I haven't done a lot of other painting, but I found it very frustrating to be called upon to make strokes with the pointed tip of the brush after making a firm stroke that has completely flattened out the bristles. Am I supposed to reshape the bristles after certain strokes? Is there some other way to deal with this problem? Neither of the books I have mention this sort of thing at all.
Finally, both books refer to using light washes of color, which would be water that has very little of the ink it in. But sometimes you're supposed to use a 'dry' brush to do this, leaving me to wonder how I'm supposed to increase the ratio of water to ink without getting the brush wetter - unless I'm just supposed to paint away a lot of the diluted ink on scratch paper before returning to the piece, which doesn't seem likely at all. That would be very, very disruptive, and sumi-e seems to be very much about painting as a harmonious, flowing experience. Again, though, my books fail me. Maybe I should look into taking a workshop in this after all. It seems like I could really use a little demonstration before I go back to trying to learn it on my own.
