Court Painting came to its prime in the Tang and Song dynasties. Since then, gongbi (工筆) as a meticulous expression in Chinese painting has become one of the most common practices in Chinese painting. Gongbi literally means ‘fine brush’ style, which also refers to a series of painting techniques. Through the practice of gongbi painting, students will learn basic aesthetics and the process of art making of Chinese painting.  

The course emphasises two basic techniques of gongbi: 1) Linear expression, and 2) Washing refinement. Linear expression covers the skills of baimiao (白描), which could also be considered an independent genre in Chinese art. A set of expressions known as shiba miao (十八描) will be the main focus of this part. In the second part, students will practice two washing techniques called pingtu (平塗) and fenran (分染), and the complex refinements by mixing two techniques together. Through these two parts, students will be equipped to further explore this painting style.  

The majority of the course is dedicated to skill-based training, but the course project also requires students to execute their ideas through integrating different techniques based on a well-planned creative strategy.