Transcripts
1. Introduction: Welcome to the orchid
in Brush Stroke. In this course,
you'll learn how to paint beautiful
orchids step by step. We'll start by exploring the
tools and basic techniques, building up to skills
that will have you painting with
confidence by the end. In your first brushstroke, we'll go over the essentials. Brushes, paper and ink. You'll learn how to hold your brush, create
varied strokes. Mix ink with water and make lines with unique
textures and character. We'll also practice
lines, dots, and shapes. These foundational skills will make all the difference
as you progress. Then in leaves in motion, we'll work through a step
by step ink exercise to master ink flow and
stroke control for creating vibrant leaves
with quality brush stroke. Next, in petals in bloom, we'll focus on orchid petals. You'll learn advanced
techniques for painting petal gradients
and blending color. Finally, in complete
orchid practice, we'll bring everything
together to paint a full orchid with leaves,
petals, and stems. You'll discover
secrets of composition to make your artwork balanced
and visually appealing. Each lesson includes
guided exercises to reinforce what
you've learned, helping you refine your skills
and paint professionally. Let's get started on
your first lesson.
2. Essential for Beginners: Lesson one. Essentials
for beginners. In this lesson, we're using
half ripe Chinese paper. This semi absorbent paper
is an excellent choice for beginners as it offers high
quality control over detail, soft ink flow and smooth
tonal variations. Brushes. There are three
types of brush hairs, goat hair, mixed
hair. Wolf hair. In this course, we will use wolf hair and goat
hair brushes in medium size and
mixed hairbrushes in small and medium sizes. To prepare a new brush, soak it in water for
two to 3 minutes. The brush hairs will soften, making it ready for painting. When holding the brush, there are two traditional
techniques to consider. Begin by measuring the brush
position with your fingers. Hold it firmly with two fingers, adjusting as needed for
balance and comfort. You may hold the brush using
two different methods. Option one, option two. For this course, we're using either Chinese or
Japanese painting ink. Before we begin, place
a layer of wool or felt fabric beneath your paper to help with absorption
and stability. Prepare two plates, ensure you have an adequate amount
of water prepared. Add a few drops of ink and then clean and moisten
your brush thoroughly. When taking ink,
use just the tip, allowing the ink to
absorb evenly into the brush hairs until you're ready with a dark
rich ink color. Now, try drawing a few lines
to test the ink color. As you practice, take more ink whenever the
brush starts to dry, repeating the same steps
to get comfortable. Exercise one. It's time to practice the movement of
your hand and brush strokes. Position the brush at a 90
degree angle for fine control. And try holding it at 45
degrees for a different effect. Draw lines and experiment with various shapes to become more
familiar with the angles. For thin controlled lines, keep the brush at
a 90 degree angle, while 45 degrees is ideal for creating more fluid
curved lines. Lay the brush down for
thicker lines and shapes. Create unique lines and shapes. Letting your
creativity guide you. For smaller details, rest
your hand on the table. But for longer lines
and larger objects, lift your hand to gain
freedom of movement. Try drawing
continuous long lines with your hand slightly
lifted off the table. Well done. You're now ready
to move on to the next class. Let's continue building your brush technique
and mastery. But
3. Your First Brushstroke: Lesson two. Your first brush
stroke in this lesson, we'll dive into the
essential brush strokes and techniques for creating
foundational forms. Exercise 2.1. Let's begin with some short, straight and thick lines. These strokes will
give you a feel for the pressure needed
to create bold marks. Now, let's switch to short, straight and thin lines. Adjusting the pressure will produce these delicate
lighter lines. Next, we'll practice
short, curvy thick lines. As you make these lines, try letting your
wrist move fluidly, adding a natural curve. Now shift to short,
curvy thin lines. Keep the pressure light, but focus on
maintaining the curve. Practicing both thick
and thin versions of each line type will make
your strokes more dynamic. Now, we'll move on to
long straight lines. These require steadiness and
control, so take your time. Whether they're part of
a stem or an outline, long lines help guide the viewer's eye
across the painting. Next, let's practice
long curvy lines. Imagine these as flowing
vines or branches. Try creating a rhythm with your brush as it
follows each curve. Paint thin lines between
thicker lines. Stay steady. Then add cross lines across
the horizontal ones. Experiment with your own
layered line designs. Now that you're
comfortable with lines, let's add some dots. Follow the direction
indicated by the red arrow. Apply pressure and lift up
quickly to create dots. Spread them across the paper
in various directions, building depth and texture. Dots can represent small details like the center of a
flower or scattered seeds. They're a wonderful way
to add subtle interest. Then create groups of dots
in various directions. We'll use this doting technique
in our orchid painting. Exercise 2.2. It's time to
explore geometric shapes, simple forms like squares,
triangles or circles. Geometric shapes offer
a structured feel and can serve as strong focal
points in a composition. Once you're comfortable, try moving into irregular shapes. These free flowing shapes
add spontaneity and allow for creative expression
without rigid lines. Then move to see
free form shapes, whatever you feel
inspired to create. Free forms add a
unique character as no two will ever
look exactly alike. Let's return briefly
to geometric shapes. But this time, we'll be
adding filled color to them. Filling in shapes brings them to life with weight and emphasis. Similarly, try filling in
free forms with color. Whether bold or soft, color gives each shape a unique feeling and
presence on the page. Create your own shapes
with solid colors. Complex organic shapes
can be achieved by combining multiple forms
into a single group. To draw a gradient
within a line, make sure your brush
is clean and moist. Use a paper towel to
absorb any excess water. Take a little bit
of ink on the tip, then carefully absorb it
into the brush hairs. To create a gradient line
in one brush stroke, press the brush hair
slightly onto the paper. Then let the ink flow naturally. This brush stroke creates a subtle transition
from dark to light. Take a bit more ink and
repeat the same steps, practicing smooth gradients
within lines and shapes. Continue practicing until
you feel comfortable. Once you're ready, let's
move on to the next steps where we'll combine
these techniques to paint an orchid leaf. Remember to upload your work to the Skill Share project platform to share your hard
work and creativity. Congratulations
on your progress. Keep practicing
and you'll master these foundational brush
strokes in no time. O.
4. Leaves in Motion: Lesson three, leaves in motion. Exercise 3.1. Let's begin by
preparing our ink. First, take a small
amount of ink and mix it evenly to
ensure a smooth flow. Now start with drawing straight, thick lines on your paper. Notice the pressure you're
applying on the brush. Slightly release it as you move, creating a subtle gradient
effect with each stroke. Repeat the process, painting both short and
long lines with stability. Okay. Exercise 3.2. Take more ink as needed and move on to
curved thick lines, pressing down
firmly, then gently lifting the brush to give your
strokes a varied texture. As you practice, experiment with long lines in
various directions. Create an overlapping
effect by layering lines, adding dimension
to your artwork. Repeat the same process, focusing on short
and long lines. Plan your composition
creatively. Exercise 3.3. Mix your ink well once more and try drawing with
different levels of pressure for each line. Within a single line, press and lift up several times to create dynamic brush strokes. This technique brings life
and motion to the image. Repeat these steps
a few times to build your confidence and
control with the brush. Exercise 3.4. When you're ready, draw orchid leaves pressing down for a bolder look and gradually release pressure
for softer edges. Keep adding layers, experimenting with
overlapping strokes. Creating depth and contrast
in the composition. Repeat the process to establish
your own rhythm of lines, paint long curved lines with varying pressure and overlap
them to form a composition. Great job so far. You've mastered the basics
of brush stroke techniques, and now you're ready to move
forward with petal painting. These skills are foundational, so keep practicing to develop
your own expressive style. Enjoy each stroke. It
5. Petals in Bloom: Lesson four, petals in bloom. Welcome to this segment of our painting
workshop where we'll explore the beauty of
creating gradient petals. Exercise 4.1. Let's begin by taking some ink. We will focus on techniques
for painting gradient petals. Remember, the quality
of your ink can make a difference in how
vibrant your colors appear. Now we'll draw gradient petals. Start with the first petal and apply your brush in
various directions. Follow the red arrow. We will focus on techniques
for painting gradient petals. This technique adds
depth and dimension, making each petal come to life. As you create, envision the petals blossoming
before your eyes. The subtle transitions of color will enhance their beauty. Next, follow the red arrow, painting petals by gently laying down the
tip of the brush, moving towards the
center of the flower, pressing down, then lifting
up to complete the shape. Use a gradient
effect here as well, transitioning from
lighter to darker shades. Repeat until the motion
becomes natural. Practice by repeating
the process, paying close attention
to brush pressure. We'll focus on the
center of the flower, we'll draw dots to
represent the pistol. Remember to repeat this step
as we create more petals. Drawing additional dots
toward the center will help unify the design and
give it a natural look. Exercise 4.2. Once you have a few petals, it's time to combine
them together. Let's start with
our first orchid. We'll draw orchid one, followed by orchid two. Watch as they begin
to blend seamlessly. Now combine the petals
of these two orchids. You can add a third orchid
to enrich the composition. Drawing dots as the pistil in each orchid will enhance their
detail and give them life. Continue to combine the orchids, layering them one
over the other. Start with orchid one. Then bring in orchid two, and finally, add
your new layers. Don't forget to finish
by drawing the dots for the pistil in these
combined orchids. This final touch will create a sense of harmony
in your artwork. Congratulations on completing
this part of the workshop. You've made beautiful progress. Remember to upload your work to the Skill Share project platform to share your hard
work and creativity. Now, let's prepare to move on to our final lesson where we'll
put all our skills together.
6. Complete Orchid practice: Lesson five, complete
orchid practice. Exercise 5.1. First, we'll clean and
moisten the brush, then dip it in the ink, mixing evenly to get
the right consistency. Now, let's start
with the petals. Use soft strokes to
create petal shapes, paying attention
to the inks flow. Once we've got a few petals, we'll add thin lines
for the stems, followed by some smaller petals
to give depth and detail. Add more ink as the brush dries. Paint another orchid with a gradual ink gradient and connect it to the
stem with a thin line. We'll go back for
more ink as needed, adding petals and then a long
elegant leaf beside them. These leaves can vary in length, creating a balanced
and natural look. Let's keep experimenting with short and long leaves to
build a layered effect. Paint additional leaves
of various lengths. Overlap them thoughtfully to achieve a balanced composition. Now, for some finishing touches, add small dots to the center of each orchid representing
the flowers pistils. Exercise 5.2. We'll begin by painting the
orchid with light gray ink. And some thin lines to
highlight the stems. Next, we'll bring in
darker ink for the leaves, mixing lengths and shapes
to add structure and depth. Longer thinner
leaves will balance the composition and frame
our orchids beautifully. Continue adding leaves
of different lengths, overlapping them while carefully considering
the composition. Finally, let's create another
orchid with light gray ink, adding a few more petals. A few extra dots bring
the flowers to life. Each stroke you make builds on the one before,
creating a serene, layered composition, and there you have it a complete
orchid scene. Enjoy the natural beauty you've created with just a few
simple brush strokes. Fantastic job. Now that you've
completed the exercise, I'd love to see your work. Share your project on the Skill Share platform
to showcase your progress, connect with others,
and gain feedback. Don't be shy. Every
stroke is a step forward. Let's celebrate your
creativity together.
7. Summary: Thank you for joining
me on this journey into the art of Chinese
orchid painting. In this course, we explored each step to help you
master brush techniques, control ink flow, and bring beautiful expressive
orchids to life. I hope you enjoyed learning
about the subtleties of each stroke and
how to use layering, gradients, and composition
to create unique pieces. I'm thrilled to have
been your guide, and I'd love to
see your progress. Please upload your artwork
to the online platform. It's a wonderful way to
share your creativity, inspire others, and
celebrate your hard work. Keep practicing, and I can't
wait to see what you create.
Oi Ling Atelier, Art educator
