Hand-Painted Lotus Art: Traditional Chinese Drawing Technique

1. Outlining

Use light ink to outline the lotus petals, applying a bit more pressure at the tips to show variations in brushstrokes. Use dark ink for the front leaves, medium ink for the back leaves, stems, and duckweed, and heavy ink for the aquatic plants. The lotus is a rare double-petaled variety with a complex structure, so the lines should be delicate.

The twisted parts of the shape should be graceful, and the curves smooth and natural. For the insect-eaten areas of the front leaves, avoid excessively thick lines, as this might make them appear too heavy. For the aquatic plant stems, the lines at the nodes should be slightly heavier to emphasize the "bone structure."

2. First Layer of Color

After applying a flat wash of white powder to the lotus petals, apply a flat wash of light purple (carmine + a little phthalocyanine blue) to the reverse petals. For the front leaves, use light ink to shade along both sides of the main veins, intentionally highlighting them. For the back leaves, use clear ink for shading, similar to the front leaves. For the front of the aquatic plants, apply a uniform wash of medium ink, and for the back, apply a flat wash of orange-yellow (gamboge + vermilion). The duckweed below the lotus leaves, the background, lotus stems, and lotus pods are all shaded with light ink.

For the upper background, apply a flat wash of cerulean blue for the first layer, blending it out when it reaches the edge of the withered lotus leaf on the right. After applying a flat wash of light cerulean blue to the upper duckweed, shade from the center outwards with light ink. After applying a flat wash of orange-yellow (gamboge + vermilion) to the aquatic plant stems, use light ink to drag the color from below each node downwards, blending it. The lotus pod is first uniformly shaded with light ink, then with medium ink.

3. Second Layer of Color

For the reverse petals of the lotus, use purple (carmine + a little phthalocyanine blue) for shading, making it darker at the tips and lighter at the base. For the front petals, repeatedly apply a uniform wash and shade with gray-green (malachite green + a little ink). For the area around the lotus pod, apply an overall wash of orange-yellow (gamboge + vermilion). For the side of the lotus pod, apply an overall wash of light first-grade green, and for the front, carefully shade the middle structure with light ink, then apply an overall wash of light ochre, darker nearby and lighter further away. For the reverse veins of the lotus leaves, apply a uniform wash of light first-grade green at the base, leaving the veins uncolored. For the front leaves, apply an overall wash of cerulean blue, including the veins.

For the white lotus bud, apply a uniform wash of light sap green (grass green + gamboge + a little vermilion). For the front of the aquatic plants, shade with heavy ink. For the back, apply an overall wash of orange-red (vermilion + gamboge), without leaving water marks. Continue to shade the duckweed with light ink, just enough to show the veins. For the upper background, repeatedly apply a thick flat wash of blue (phthalocyanine blue + malachite blue) about five times until it's even. For the background area near the edge of the withered lotus leaf, blend in first-grade green towards the blue background. For the lower withered lotus pod, wet it with clear water and, while still damp, quickly blend in a thin layer of first-grade green in the bright areas.

4. Third Layer of Color

For the reverse petals of the lotus, apply a small area of darker purple touch-up. For the front petals, use white powder to highlight the bright areas. For the lotus seeds, use a small brush and first-grade green to shade from the edges towards the center. After applying an overall wash of light ink to the reverse side of the lotus leaves, use a slightly more yellow ochre to apply an overall backwash from the edges inwards. For the front leaves, after shading the dark areas with ink-blue, apply an overall backwash of ochre-ink color. Use white powder to highlight the bright areas of the white lotus bud. For the front of the aquatic plants, apply an overall wash of strong vermilion.

For the back, shade with light ochre-ink, leaving a water line. For the base of the lower withered lotus pod and the withered stem, apply a wash of light ochre. For the lower background, repeatedly shade with cerulean blue and ink until sufficient. For the lotus stems and the bracts of the flower bud, shade with light greenish-gray (grass green + a little ink), and highlight the tips of the bracts with light carmine. For the aquatic plant stems, outline both sides with light ochre-ink, just enough to slightly suggest a cylindrical shape.

5. Finishing Touches

For the tips of the reverse petals, apply a local re-outline with deep purple. For the tips of the front petals, apply a local re-outline with light carmine. Then, use light purple to outline the delicate veins of the reverse petals. For the small flower bud, outline the veins with light grass green, then locally re-outline the tips with light carmine. Dot the top of the lotus pod with dark carmine round dots. For the filaments, outline with light ink, then re-outline with orange-yellow. For brighter filaments, add a little white powder and re-outline. Then, use thick white powder to create raised dots for the stamens. Once dry, carefully dot the center of each white dot with extremely light purple to enhance the three-dimensional effect.

Use ink-green to textural stroke the structure of the withered lotus pod, and use dark ink to outline the filaments and dot the withered pistils. Dot the thorns on the lotus stem with heavy ink, making sure they are scattered irregularly for a better appearance. For the front leaves, apply an overall wash of light grass green to the dark areas. For the withered edges, use brown (ochre + ink) to stain patterns, ensuring the brushstrokes are visible. In undamaged areas, prioritize uniform washes and avoid showing too many brushstrokes. For the reverse leaves, a slight stain is sufficient. For the distant duckweed, apply a flat wash of ink-blue to reduce its brightness.