Gongbi Painting: Traditional Chinese Realistic Painting

Gongbi (Chinese: 工笔) is a careful realist technique in Chinese painting.

Chinese painting is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. Gongbi, or “Meticulous Painting”，has been specially favored for its realistic technique and bold coloring.

Gongbi (Chinese: 工笔) is a careful realist technique in Chinese painting – the opposite of the interpretive and freely expressive xieyi (Chinese :写意) or sketching thoughts styles.

The technique calls for brushstrokes to “be as detailed as detailed can be”, uses highly detailed brushstrokes that delimit details very precisely and without independent or expressive variation. In addition, it tries to strike a balance between artistic expression and vitality, is often highly colored and usually depicts figural or narrative subjects.

Gongbi (Chinese: 工笔) is a careful realist technique in Chinese painting.

Gongbi requires drawing with fine lines first to represent the exaggerated likenesses of the objects, and then adds washes of ink and color layer by layer so as to approach the perfection of exquisiteness and fine art.

Though no compelling evidence exists, the technique is believed to have first appeared during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) as the economic prosperity and political stability favored its development. These paintings peaked between the Tang and Song dynasties (7th to 13th centuries) when these refined paintings were endorsed and collected by the royal families of China.