There are some basic rules; always get the basic stroke and directions correct. Generally, directions of basic strokes to make Chinese words are:-

• Left to right, top to bottom, sometime end with a vertical hook.
• Dash-dot in the directions from top to rightward or leftward.
• Descending strokes from top to diagonally left with a straight ending. And
• Trailing strokes from top to diagonally right with a slight curve ending.

Okay, straight to the point to learn how to write Chinese characters 1 to 10.

Learn to write Chinese Character 1 (One). The simplest of all. Consist of a horizontal strokes from left to right.

Chinese Character 1, One

Learn to write Chinese Character 2 (Two). A short and a longer strokes at the bottom. Both left to right direction.

Chinese Character, Two, 2

Learn to write Chinese Character 3 (Three). Quiet similar to Chinese character 2, but with a short middle strokes horizontally.

Chinese Character, Three, 3

Learn to write Chinese Character 4 (Four). Looks like a small square, and within consist of 2 dash-dots in opposite direction. Total five strokes to make a word.

Chinese Character, Four, 4

Learn to write Chinese Character 5 (Five). Try to maintain the horizontal strokes to be straight, and stroke with vertical direction to slightly lean towards right.

Chinese Character, Five, 5

Learn to write Chinese Character 6 (Six). Keep the dash strokes to be short.

Chinese Character, Six, 6

Learn to write Chinese Character 7 (Seven). There are only 2 strokes to make this word. Below is recognized as the simplified way of writing “seven”. To be precise, the horizontal stroke is written slanted slightly up, and the “L” strokes consist of a small hook at the lower ending.

Chinese Character, Seven, 7

Learn to write Chinese Character 8 (Eight). This is easy and the most auspicious character in Chinese culture. Quite similar to the 2 inner strokes in Chinese character four. This character word is more bold, bigger and widely spread out. Consist of 2 strokes writing in opposite directions; left stroke is shorter that the right.

Chinese Character, Eight, 8

Learn to write Chinese Character 9 (Nine). Only consist of 2 strokes. Second strokes has a right-angle bent and end with a hook in right direction.

Chinese Character, Nine, 9

Learn to write Chinese Character 10 (Ten). This is as good as the mathematical symbol “+” (plus). Definitely not the cross use in religious symbol.

Chinese Character, Ten, 10

Additional learning to describe hundredth, thousandth, and tenth thousand.

Learn to write Chinese Character 100th (Hundredth). This is a bad writings, especially stroke #2 and #3. It is still recognize as a Chinese character “100th”, but in an unrefined manner. It consist of 6 strokes, with 2 faults you should not follow. Strokes #2 should not budge out to the third strokes. And strokes #3 should have a nicer right turn, instead of the crooked corner.

Chinese Character, Hundredth, 100th

Learn to write Chinese Character 1000th (Thousandth). This is easy. Seems like just an additional strokes on top of the Chinese character “ten”. If you look closely, the order of writings this 3 strokes is not the same.

Chinese Character, Thousandth, 1000th

Learn to write Chinese Character 10,000th (Tenth Thousand). This is very unique for the Chinese to name tenth thousand in just a single character. Compare 13 English alphabets with only 3 simple Chinese writing strokes. Do you see the beauty in this word?

Chinese Character, Tenth Thousand, 10000th

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You would had been done your artwork with painstaking attention, yet drying is another pressing issues for beginners who uses oil color. Waiting time may take even weeks to dry. So what takes oil painting so long time to dry?

For simple fact that oil do not dry by evaporation. The drying of oils is the result of an oxidative reaction, chemically equivalent to slow, flameless combustion. The thicker the coat of paint, the longer the waiting time will be. Having said that, there are 3 basic methods to shorten drying process. Namely, paint with thin layers, use paints ground in linseed oil, and use drying additives.

1. Painting thin layers allows oxidation to permeate into oil layers easier, than thick or multiple layers on top of one another. Thus, shorter time is achieved and it also an added advantage for painting more layers on dryer oil surface.
2. Linseed oil is made from the seeds of the flax plant. It is available in refined and cold-pressed oil. Beside a better and faster drying oil, it also has adds gloss and transparency to paints. It dries very thoroughly, making it’s ideal for under-painting and initial layers in a painting.
3. Cobalt Driers are extremely powerful oxidizing agent. The adverse effect of using this addictive may affect the color of mixtures. So it is advisable to use it sparely. If used in excess they can ruin a painting. Most experienced painters would agree that not more than 5 drops of cobalt drier should be used per each 2 1/2 fluid Oz of any given medium. Basically Cobalt Driers are diluted in the oil painting medium if you are using one. It is harder to control the amount of drier, if directly into the blobs of paint on the palette. In short, Cobalt Driers are used to improve and speed the drying rate of oil colors.

Whatever the methods to increase the rate of drying oil painting, I would say having good patience is still the key factor in learning any art disciplines.

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Ok, back to the topic of the title today: how to add text to oil painting? You may be interested to read it here, which was also the answer by Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao. Or do you have a better answer than her?

Who is Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao?

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Generally, calligraphy painting is an appreciation of beauty in how every single brush strokes form a Chinese character. And how two characters or more forms a phrase or a proverbs. As a personal point of view, it also helps to build or even change the characters of a person who acquire this art discipline.

As the highest form of Chinese art hierarchy, Hanoi in northern Vietnam makes no difference to this tradition. Especially, Tet’s Day in this festive season of the year, where every homemakers believe calligraphy words that bring them good luck and motivation.

Literary, Vietnamese don’t learn Chinese language. Geographically, the Vietnam maybe East Asia or South East Asia. However, on the other aspect in term of culture, there too, have similar art perspective with the Chinese in learning calligraphy and its appreciation. Black ink with brush strokes painted on red paper, calligrapher often use popular painting words such as “Prosperity”, “Happiness”, “Peace”, “Fortune”, or “Safety”. Patience and calmness is still the main attitude towards learning the technical skill.

Here is a link where you can read more detail about Chinese calligraphy in Hanoi, highlighting on Vietnam calligraphers offer stroke of New Year luck.

Vietnam calligraphers offer stroke of New Year luck

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To the Western painting art, you will be appreciating the techniques of colorful art painted by artists in the early centuries. Their works look brilliant, and colors are being used to express their artistic view. Different sizes of brushes and strokes, as well as knives painting skill are applied. However, on one key difference from Chinese painting art is that you hardly notice written words or poems on the oil paintings. And it is Chinese calligraphy being the most popular and prestigious in the hierarchy of Chinese art and culture. Totally different disciplines and practice, using many different brush strokes with just one-size brush and black ink on plain paper.

The element of single brush stroke may not mean a lot, however, it is able to form a Chinese character with the combination of many strokes. And four characters in a calligraphy writings are usually referring to words for proverbs. To acquire skills in calligraphy, you will need a lot of patience to learn the basic. With consistency and lots of practice, will one makes perfect on this art.

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1) Oil paints

Widely used by most artists and students for centuries, since early Renaissance. Oil paints are made with color pigments, bind with oils. Poppy, linseed and safflower oils are the most common oils used in the paints, giving the characteristic silky texture and gleaming finish of the paint. Traditionally, paint is applied ‘fat over lean’, starting thin and then getting thicker towards the completion of the painting.

Pros:-

• Highly versatile in its forms, applications and techniques. You can use it straight from tube or blend with other colors. And techniques, include knife paintings, alla prima, impasto, glazing, sfumato .

• Easily retouch or re-work, because it take longer time to dry, especially paintings with thick buttery effect of impasto. It is either you paint over when medium is dry, or to wipe away for wet medium.

Cons:-

• Lots of paintings tools and accessories, like color palette, painting knives, bottles of solvents, and painting easel. Thus, need some floor space catered for storage.
• The odor from mixing solvents need good ventilation in studio room. Some people are allergic, and may cause health hazard when inhale too much.

2) Water-mixable Oil Paints

To traditional oil painting artists, this new media may not be a better choice. However, its a preferred media to those who are allergic to the slightest odor of solvents. Very suitable for one who is working in a low ventilated room. Ideal choice is Winson & Newton’s Artisan.

Pros:-

• Hazardous solvent is not necessary. Only require water, easily available from your indoor plumbing.
• Easy to maintain and clean. Drys faster than traditional oil paints, but not as fast as acrylic.

Cons:-

• This is a new media. Generally, there is no disadvantage and probably the going to last for next few decades in oil color media.
• There is one that comes across my thought. Since it is water soluble, what happens if you are in the midst of painting outdoor and it starts to rain? Would be nice to hear your comment if you encounter bad experienced like this.

3) Acrylic paint

Acrylic paint is pigment dispersed in a film of transparent liquid plastic. Only soluble in water when medium is not dry. To reduced the rate of drying, acrylic paint can be mixed with a retarder medium and extender

Pros:-

• Dues to the characteristics of fast drying, it is sometime use as an alternative for oil paints.
• More durable and color permanency, as compared to oil paints. The color remain true to its originally painted, with least chances to turn yellow, crack or mold as time passed by.

Cons:-

• Fast drying may serve it’s purpose if you are skilled and a quick painter. Otherwise, you will spend more time cleaning dried brushes than to focus on painting. Always keep your brushes wet at all time.
• Acrylic paints is resistant to water once it is completely dry. So how can one get rid of the harden tip that has already dried and clog at the tube’s opening? Simplest advice is… always screw back the cap of the tube once unused, don’t leave it dry.

Although you are reading about color painting mediums, I’m also interested to know your point of view in other choices. At the moment, I’m using graphite pencils as my beginner’s choice. Color painting will be next, once I mastered how to draw beautifully.

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Learning “linear perspective” enable you to create depth and distant on a flat surface. By looking at any buildings out from your windows, you will notice object starts to appear smaller and parallel lines look as if they are converging. Visually, this effect reproduces on flat surfaces, such as your sketch book paper. When imaginary lines in the same direction, if extended, meet at a common point on the horizon, it form a vanishing point. Some abbreviate it as V.P.

Perspective is regarded as the key to drawing with great accuracy and quality. It is a tool to establish the scale of objects at different places in space. In general, different viewpoint, has different perspective and vanish point.

Based on the drawing from “The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci”, it show how a box would appear between the eye and the subject if it was traced on a flat screen. Using the rules of perspective means that you can draw without the need for tracing: the picture plane – the flat surface of the paper – replaces the window.

Leonardo da Vinci on Perspective

Below I have illustrated objects with three different types of vanish point in linear perspective, subjecting to your viewpoint.

1. Look at a box face-on. With one-point perspective, the horizontal lines at the front remain parallel, but the lines of the top coverage at the vanishing point on the horizontal line.


Perspective Vanishing Point VP1

2. If you look at the box from a corner angle. You will see two sides. With two-point perspective, the parallel lines of each face and the top of the box converge at two vanishing points on each side.


Perspective Vanishing Point VP2

3. Look at a tall box from above. With three-point perspective, the parallel lines of the sides will appear to get closer together towards the base. This means you will have a third vanish point (great for dramatic skyscapes.)

Perspective Vanishing Point VP3

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1. It is a proven method in history, basic learning by reproducing paintings.
2. There are nothing to lose, yet more to gain. Even if the result is not pleasing to your eyes, you would have already aware of the basic shape, lines, colors and tone exist in the paintings.
3. Choose a painting you love to copy, and you don’t have to paint one single day in your life. Do u agree?
4. Do you know that there are great artists who love to share their work and allow reproduction for learning? Naming a few great artists, post-impressionist, Van Gogh, and photo realist painter Chuck Bell.
5. Challenges your thought to explore how Old Masters managed to achieve excellent paintings, with limited choice of material and colors in the early centuries.
6. Beside understanding paintings by simply viewing and appreciating, you are also having hands-on practice for painting every elements meticulously. Technically speaking, it improves your art appreciation and widen your knowledge.
7. Analyzing paintings you like, helps to improve your understanding easier. Study and take note of the key area in shapes, color, lines and design. And how the paintings are being organized, related and structured.
8. Overall experience can be more cost effective for learning composition, by just using pencil on paper. Practically for beginners, it is also easier to fulfill self-satisfaction. Makes you go another mile without sweat.
9. As you copy, you will also discover new things to study from great artist of the past.
10. It isolate the learning process of learning creativity from composition, thus, keeping your attention focus and achieving learning more effective.



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Below I have listed out the traditional hierarchy of Chinese art, starting from the most popular and prestigious in early times.

1. Landscape paintings and calligraphy writings. Using ink on paper
2. Figure paintings, including birds, flowers and insect paintings
3. Religious paintings of Tang Dynasty. Ink and colors on silk. Art for Buddhist temples
4. Hand-scroll paintings of Yuan Dynasty.
5. Jade craving and bronze vessels inlaid with gold and silver.
6. Decorative painting art, lacquer, porcelain earthenware and silk.
7. Silk embroidery
8. Ceramic ware

Ancient Chinese Landscape Painting, Handscroll; ink and pale color on silk

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