2. The Influence of Japanese Art on Vincent Van Gogh

3. The Japanese Influence of Sumi-E
In the late 1800s some Japanese dishes wrapped in discarded wood block prints were delivered to a cafe in Paris that was frequented by the Impressionists. They admired the beauty of the thick and thin sumi-E brush strokes as well as the color and composition used in the prints.

4. Van Gogh was inspired by the bold shapes, strong lines and lack of shadows.

5. Van Gogh wrote the following to his brother, Theo
Van Gogh wrote the following to his brother, Theo. “I envy the Japanese for the enormous clarity that pervades their work. It is never dull and never seems to have been made in haste. Their work is as simple as breathing and they draw a figure with a few well chosen lines with the same ease as effortless as buttoning up one's waistcoat...."

6. Sumi- E a Japanese word meaning “ink picture” was brought to Japan
around 7 A.D. by Japanese
scholars returning from a visit to
China.

8. Sumi-E is full of spirit and individuality
Sumi-E is full of spirit and individuality. One stroke leads effortlessly to another. The artist makes each brush stroke the most beautiful he can while having complete control of his mind and brush. To be successful, you will need patience, persistence, eye-hand coordination and imagination.

10. The three major tools for Sumi-e are the brush, the ink and paper.
The sumi-e brush is called fude (foo-day).
Sumi ink sticks when rubbed in water on a piece of slate called the suzuri (soo-zoo-ree) produces a black ink.
Paper
(Experienced artists paint on rice paper or silk.)

11. The last of necessary materials are the water container and a paper towel to take the excess water from your brush. For smoother painting, set your materials on the right if you are right-handed, and on the left if you are left-handed. Keep peace of mind by thinking only about the essence of your painting even when you are practicing!

12. Hold your sumi-e brush vertically with your thumb and first two fingers. Your paper should always be flat on the table and you should sit erect over your art. You should be able to move very freely with your whole arm (as if it were in a solid cast) with the stroke action coming from your shoulder. Always flow the action off the paper, not allowing the boundaries to stop your stroke.

13. With Sumi-e there are four basic strands called the Four Gentlemen.
Bamboo
Wild Orchid
Chrysanthemum
Plum Branch

14. Now we will learn the basic brushstrokes of the Bamboo and the Wild Orchid.

16. The Bamboo Brushstrokes
Leaf
Stalk
Node

17. The Bamboo Leaf

18. The Bamboo Stalk

19. Node

20. Try a Bamboo Composition

21. Bird Composition

22. Related Strokes

23. Wild Orchid Brushstrokes
Twisting, grass like leaves
Flower

24. Wild Orchid Leaf

25. Now arch Wild Orchid leaves into a composition with dark, gray and pale gray leaves.

26. The Wild Orchid Blossom

27. Single Wild Orchid

28. Related Strokes

29. Fish

30. The Chinese Chop is a form of engraved writing dating back 3,600 years used to identify its owner. Around 1, 000 years ago Japanese artists began using personal chops to sign their paintings and drawings. Create a composition using the brushstrokes you have learned and practiced today. When you are finished sign your art work with one of the chops.

31. Sumi-e Techniques 1. Hold the brush vertically unless otherwise instructed for a special stroke. 2. Pull your brush in the desired direction. 3. For a shaded brush, load your brush with a light wash and shade it with a stronger color. Depending on the stroke, the shading can be on the tip, on the bottom half, on one or both edges, or on the top half. 4. Always practice in a way that will lead naturally to a finished painting. 5. Learn versatility by brushing your strokes in all directions. 6. Paint soft things, like fur and feathers, with a light wash. For harder objects such as birds’ beaks and legs, use darker, thicker ink. 7. Practice the same stroke getting smaller and smaller. 8. Try to learn the four basic strokes (the Four Gentlemen-Bamboo, Wild Orchid, Chrysanthemum and Plum Branch)