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The Spirit of the Brush: Chinese Brush Painting Techniques: Simplicity, Spirit, and Personal Journey
Sungsook Setton learned ink painting techniques from Chinese and Korean masters in her native South Korea; now she brings them to you in The Spirit of the Brush.
Chinese ink painting is one of the oldest continually practiced art forms in the world. First appearing in China in the fifth century, it soon traveled to Korea, and then to Japan. As old and deeply rooted in East Asian aesthetics and meditation as it is, ink painting is credited with influencing the development of modern Western art. Its minimalist approach to painting continues to have enormous appeal.
Author, artist, and teacher, Sungsook Setton is now bringing her years of experience to you with The Spirit of the Brush. You will learn traditional disciplines for holding and using the brush, as well as how to turn these techniques into inner meditation which will help your own world; city views, music, and the essence of contemporary life.
Chinese ink painting is one of the oldest continually practiced art forms in the world. First appearing in China in the fifth century, it soon traveled to Korea, and then to Japan. As old and deeply rooted in East Asian aesthetics and meditation as it is, ink painting is credited with influencing the development of modern Western art. Its minimalist approach to painting continues to have enormous appeal.
Author, artist, and teacher, Sungsook Setton is now bringing her years of experience to you with The Spirit of the Brush. You will learn traditional disciplines for holding and using the brush, as well as how to turn these techniques into inner meditation which will help your own world; city views, music, and the essence of contemporary life.
128 pages, ebook
Published June 1, 2017
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39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 15, 2025
A decent beginners guide, the author has a very free style, possibly influenced by her western art training. Some lovely paintings included.
September 22, 2020
Sublime. I highly recommend this book, if you enjoy ink and wash style and want a solid, succinct, highly accessibly introduction to the philosophy of Chinese painting and elements of the genre, together with practical guidance on taking up the brush yourself. This slim, substantive book is filled with sumptuous paintings that are arrestingly beautiful and inspiring ~ drinking them in is somehow both peaceful and exhilarating. I find the author's gentle style of instruction encouraging and motivating--rather than intimidating--although the artist has skill beyond my wildest imaginings as a total beginner myself. Teaching and example illustrations in each section are generously supplemented by a vibrant gallery of her images scattered throughout the book, often with minimal annotation, to open-endedly suggest wide possibilities for freestyle painting.
August 9, 2017
A very thorough and relaxing read with beautiful art to accompany it's teachings.
February 21, 2019
I've read a lot of how-to books about watercolor painting, but very few aimed at westerners about Chinese brush painting. This is a nice introduction with lots of beautiful illustrations by the author. While she gives the basics of the techniques for brushstrokes and materials, the strength of the book is really in what she has to say about how to think about painting. You probably will want to watch some youtube videos to supplement the book if you don't have access to a class.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews