Learn Chinese Lotus Drawing: A Step-by-Step Song Dynasty Technique Guide
Brief Introduction:
"Lotus Emerging from Water" is one of the most widely known classic works of Song Dynasty painting. While its composition isn't extraordinary, its depiction is extremely lifelike, and the colors used are very true to nature, making "vivid" the perfect word to describe this piece. Moreover, because the work's form is simple and its coloring not overly complex, it serves as an excellent starting point for beginners to learn Song Dynasty painting.
Step One:
Outline the lotus head with light ink. Use medium ink for the back of the leaves (reverse leaves) and stems. Use dark ink for the front of the leaves (obverse leaves).
The original Song Dynasty painting uses very fine lines, especially for the lotus head, and the ink color is very light. When copying, you should avoid your usual linework habits and try to match the original as much as possible.
The veins of the obverse leaves are drawn using a "double-outline" method, which is different from the currently popular method of leaving a waterline on both sides of the obverse leaf veins.
Step Two:
Apply a light ocher-ink color (vermilion + ink + a little carmine) as the base layer using a background brush.
After drying, apply the base color three times with "overnight ocher" (vermilion + ink mixed and left overnight) (do not paint over the flowers, leaves, etc.). Overnight colors have sediment, which can create a rough texture, helping to bring out the delicate, watery feel of the petals.
Apply a light white wash to the lotus head.
Paint the reverse leaves and stems with ocher (a tiny bit of grass green can be added to the ocher). Paint the obverse leaves and lotus pod with an old green color (grass green + a little carmine).
Step Three:
Apply light vermilion multiple times to the lotus head in layers (the color must be thin).
When coloring, note that the reverse petals can be colored one or two more times than the front petals.
The reverse leaves and stems are washed with grass green. For the stems, use the "low-dyeing method," where you apply color from both sides towards the middle. The veins of the reverse leaves should have waterlines left on both sides, similar to the common method for obverse leaves in modern times. Then, the reverse leaves are washed with light vermilion, working from the leaf edges towards the base.
The lotus pod is washed with ocher. The deepest parts are slightly washed with ink.
The base of the petals around the lotus pod can be entirely washed with carmine + a little vermilion. If you make it slightly darker, it will make the stamens brighter when you add them later.
The obverse leaves are washed multiple times with indigo. You should consciously highlight the veins of the obverse leaves. This "highlighting" effect should be more pronounced near the base and weaker towards the edges, always maintaining a harmonious overall light and shadow relationship to avoid over-detailing specific areas.
Step Four:
Continue to darken the obverse leaves with ink-blue (indigo + ink). Outline the fine leaf veins with light ink-blue (indigo + ink).
In areas where petals overlap, lightly wash with a very light gray-green (malachite green + a little ink) to show the light and shadow, but be careful not to overdo it.
Darken the tips of the petals with rich vermilion, then re-darken with a medium concentration of carmine. Carmine is a cool color, different from the warm vermilion. Adding carmine will make the red of the petals richer in layers. Beginners can also use this method when painting other pink flowers.
The reverse leaves and stems are entirely glazed with a thin layer of malachite green (malachite green + white). For the stems, this is applied from the middle outwards, and for the reverse leaves, it's a general wash from the base towards the edges. At the same time, use malachite green to highlight the bright areas of the lotus pod and seeds.
The base of the petals around the lotus pod continues to be entirely washed with light carmine + a little vermilion.
Step Five:
Highlight the petals with a medium concentration of white. This step is crucial and requires varying techniques. Some areas are highlighted to emphasize the reverse petals, while others are to make the upper petals stand out. Therefore, some highlights might be at the base, and others in the middle. Generally, most of the white powder is applied to the middle part of the petals, blending outwards towards the base and tips.
Outline the petal edges and fine petal veins with light vermilion.
Outline the stamen filaments with light ink, then re-outline them with orange-yellow (gamboge + vermilion).
Lightly outline the fine veins of the obverse leaves with light indigo. The brushstrokes can be a bit more relaxed.
Apply thick white powder for the raised dots of the stamens. After drying, apply a very light wash of carmine to the middle of the stamens again to better create a three-dimensional effect.
The obverse leaves, excluding the veins, are entirely coated with another layer of slightly greenish grass green.
Based on the overall picture, use light ink to adjust the general light and shadow of the obverse leaves. Use light ocher-ink to adjust the general light and shadow of the reverse leaves.
Dot the top of the lotus seeds with thick carmine.
