Paint a Flower

Paint a Chrysanthemum
Use the ancient art of Sumi-e to make this lovely flower.

Supplies needed:

Yasutomo Sumi paper roll or pad
Sumi brush (CC series)
Ink Stick and Suzuri ink stone or liquid sumi ink
Flower painting dish

Hint:
Practice the brush strokes first on another sheet of paper until you feel you have mastered the stroke.
Steps:
1. Grind the ink on a suzuri stone and use this time to calm and focus yourself for painting.
2. Fill your flower painting dish with light, medium and dark ink. Lighten the ink by adding water until you have obtained the depth of color you want.
3. Lay the paper on the table in front of you supported by a piece of felt larger than the paper.
4.Load your brush by first dipping the whole brush in light ink, medium ink to the mid point and then the tip in dark ink.

Posture: Sit upright with feet flat on the floor. Hold brush perpendicular to the paper with your arm in the air so that it can move freely.

Paint: Foreground to background, unlike western painting where you would paint the background first.

Calyx Stroke

Paint four short strokes with the tip of the brush with dark ink.

Leaf Stroke

Paint seven flat strokes.

This illustration shows the sequence of the strokes.

Stem Stroke

Paint one long stroke starting with the tip of the brush then slightly lift as you go down the length of the stem. To creat the leaf stem, start at the stem edge and paint one stroke up while making it curve slightly to the side.

Sequence
Start with the top of the flower and work your way around the petals. Then make the calyx by painting four short strokes at the botom of the flower. Now, make the stem, starting at the bottom, then paint the stem that holds the leaf. Finish with the leaf.

You can paint the flower in black in or add colors.
When you are finished you can mount your painting on to a Shikishi board with Nori Paste or paste it onto a greeting card and press until dry.

Finished!
Flower and painting instructions
by Judy Pagnusat