By Prof. Ralph Croizier

This is a book about art, but not just about art. The subject is an art movement with specific regional origins that achieved national significance in the context of the political and cultural revolutions of early twentieth-century China. It is about a group of painters who attempted to produce a new national art that would be modern and still distinctively Chinese. It is about the interplay between art and politics in a period of cultural crisis and social change.

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This is the first English translation of the famous Chinese handbook, the "Chieh Tzu Yuan Hua Chuan" (original, 1679-1701). Mai-mai Sze has translated the texts of instructions, discussions of the fundamentals of painting, notes on the preparation of colors, and chief editorial prefaces. This book is THE classic manual of traditional Chinese painting. It is a must for the library of any fan of Chinese brush painting
 
While the English translation leaves much to be desired, this book is THE classic manual of traditional Chinese painting. It is a must for the library of any fan of Chinese brush painting, but it should not be the only book used for instruction, especially if you don't have a teacher. Since the true original book was written in the 17th century, it was printed with woodblocks, so the subtleties of ink shading are not very well illustrated.
 
  However, it is an excellent summary of the myriad of brush techniques, especially for rocks and trees. I highly recommend it as a reference book for anyone serious about Chinese brush painting.   more & to order ...

by Lian Quan Zhen

This is one of the clearest and easiest to follow beginning art books that I have ever read. The author manages to weave together traditional, modern and improvisational oriental brush art and watercolor in a practical useful guide. Early in the book, the author gives a detailed guide to mounting semi-e style paintings made on shuan or rice paper. I haven't found a better mounting guide in any other book. The step by step pictures for mounting rice paper paintings is priceless. In the latter half of the book, the author describes his watercolor techniques and tools. I found this section useful. He emphasizes that you don't need hundreds of colors and dozens of brushes. Beautiful results can be realized on a very modest budget. Too often, beginning watercolor artists spend hundreds of dollars before they even paint a single picture. You don't have to and this book vividly demonstrates that. It is a superb teaching tool and I highly recommend it to student and teacher.     more & to order ...

This book in Chinese, available at

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Available at Chinese Culture Center
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San Francisco, CA 94108
Ph: 415 / 986-1822
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