Brushing up on Chinese ink painting

Nine parent-child pairs signed up for the first instalment of Introduction to Chinese Ink Painting

Red and yellow florets blossomed, as budding artists swirled their creations onto sheer rice paper in NUS Museum’s Introduction to Chinese Ink Painting. Designed for children aged 7 to 12, the first instalment of the Museum’s two-day workshop took place on 4 and 11 June. It provided parent-child pairs the basics of the traditional art form in a fun way, alongside step-by-step demonstrations.

The special workshop was held in conjunction with Children’s Season, a joint platform by the Singapore National Heritage Board and Museum Roundtable that offers programmes in 27 museums islandwide.

Since 2011, NUS Museum has been organising workshops for children during the June and December school holidays. Topics range from conservation and tile painting to linocut printing and clay sculpting.

“Chinese ink painting is a lot of fun and not difficult to pick up, so workshops like these are great for the kids to start appreciating and interacting with the arts,” said NUS Museum Guest Relations and Outreach Manager Ms Poonam Lalwani. An ongoing exhibition of Chinese ink works from the Lee Kong Chian Collection of Chinese Art at the Museum inspired this year’s workshop.

The class started off with an introduction to ink painting, followed by an interactive session where participants learnt about the different types of brushes and how to hold them. The youngsters applied their new-found knowledge in painting a key motif in many Chinese ink paintings, the humble flower. The last part of each masterpiece, inking their names in Chinese characters, was the satisfying reward of the morning’s hard work.

Instructors walked participants through the basics of holding and using a Chinese ink brush

Mr Dong Haur Phua, who brought his daughter, said, “It was awesome! The class was very interesting and a great way to learn about ink paintings. The artists explained and demonstrated in a simple and interactive manner, making it easier for children. We’ll definitely be back for more workshops on different art forms.”

In the second half of the workshop, instructors illustrated more complex techniques such as shading and composition, using concepts of space and balance to place the elements of an artwork. Each pair of participants, now armed with new ideas on conceptualisation, worked with advanced subjects and motifs such as animals and landscapes.

The next workshop will run on 18 and 25 June. Tickets are available at inkpaintingforkids.peatix.com.

By NUS Museum, Centre For the Arts