Designed for students aged 14–18 (UK Key Stages 4–5 / Years 10–13), but adaptable for other ages.
Learning objectives
To better understand how to use ink through practice and action – How do you prepare ink? How do you treat your paper? How do you utilise your brush?
To enter into the spirit of Yūgen through ink painting, taking inspiration from Japanese and Chinese ink painters from the 10th and 14th centuries.
Learning outcomes
A quick ink study
A sustained ink drawing
You will need
Ink
Water
Two brushes
Three containers for water
Paper of various thickness
Daniel C TurnerCards II
Daniel C TurnerFlies (Rotherhithe)
Introduction
Yūgen is a profound feeling of the mystery and beauty of the universe. It is too deep to be put into words, however many artists throughout the centuries in Japan and China have tried to capture this elusive state of mind in ink. In this lesson you will experiment with varying strengths of ink and creating a mysterious and compelling atmosphere in your work.
Preparation
Before you begin, please prepare your inks in three separate containers. One should be pale consisting of mainly water and a small amount of ink. The next should be a medium strength ink consisting of a ratio of half water to half ink. The third container should be mainly ink and only a small amount of water, this will be your deepest tone.
Exercise 1
Experiment with the ink in a gestural abstract way. If you have a variety of paper, see how the ink sits differently on thick and thin paper. If possible, it is also preferable to have two brushes, one which is soaking wet in the various inks while the other is kept dry with paper towels when not in use. Experiment with how the wet brush flows across the paper while the drier brush creates shorter fewer fluid marks. Try to see how the inks bleed into each other. How various tones can be created and how the paper reacts when the ink begins to pool creating abstract areas.
Exercise 2
To begin working from observation please create a still life with strong tonal contrasts. If possible, use a lamp or strong light to create shadows. This will be a quick fifteen-minute sketch to capture the scene. Start with you palest tone to create the shapes, think about where the darkest and lightest tones sit. Next fill in your mid tones and finally fill in the darkest tones.
Exercise 3
Now you have experimented with a shorter fifteen-minute work reflect on wither you would like to change the strength of any inks. To finish the lesson do a longer study of the same subject matter. This time allow yourself to slow down and take in the subject matter. Allow sections to dry if necessary and gently build your tones.
