In painting, being real takes practice
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Wang Xilin |
Wang Xilin, a renowned painter in Beijing, has great interest in realistic painting. Wang, who is now 71, has produced many works during his career, including landscapes and portraits of ancient beauties, in detailed strokes and meticulous coloring.
Guided by several Chinese painting masters, Wang's works have been widely reckoned a success. Former Foreign Minister Huang Hua once said Wang's works reminded him of many famous scenic spots. In 2001, he was recognized by the U.N. for his work "Looking Up at the Waterfall of Mount Lu."
"His painting has poetic connotations," said Liu Hankai, an art agent. "He follows traditional skills but doesn’t copy all of them."
Wang began drawing at an early age. Inspired after visiting the home of painting master Qi Baishi, he began practicing realism by drawing insects in vivid details – the lines of a dragonfly’s wings, the antenna of a cricket and the front legs of a mantis.
The key to his realism, Wang explains, lies in producing a 3-D effect: "The foreground is usually drawn with great details, while the middle and background are blurred for imagination." For him, a good painting has essential and non-essential parts, combined with vivid details and hazy spots.
"The painting is not simply a copy of sceneries, it should have connotations and reflect our own emotions," Wang said.
The way Wang gets his inspiration for his paintings is not always conventional, either. He has visited many mountains and valleys with his painting tools, drawing along the way. Often, he went to remote areas unspoiled by tourists. But that also meant encountering some perilous situations. Once, on a mountain, he had to sleep outside in the rain. Another time, he spent the night in a tent while snakes slithered above him.
"Many painters want to be successful nowadays, but the success takes time," Wang said. "It needs their experience and knowledge. A painter must be very single-minded and practice his basic skills every day. That's the only way to success."
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