A Sketch of a Peking Opera Scenario by Ye Qianyu on show. [Photo provided to China Daily]

People who knew Ye often mention that he always carried a sketchbook. He began to draw in the 1930s and sketched whenever and wherever he could.

The medium allowed him to quickly capture dancers' flowing motions and changing emotions, and he often translated these sketches into paintings.

"I don't like when people pose or sit up straight for me to paint," he once said.