Chinese landscape painting (also known as ‘Mountains-and-Streams’or shanshui (山水) in the academic discourse of Chinese art) represents a distinct genre that extends beyond the concept of landscape painting in Western art. Chinese landscapists emphasise the use of brush and ink (用筆用墨). Traditionally, there are two primary approaches to learning Chinese landscape painting: (1) Study of varied landscape motifs: This approach focuses on techniques derived from ancient painting materials; and (2) Life drawing: This method emphasizes direct observation of nature.

The course primarily focuses on the first approach. Students will explore various techniques related to different landscape motifs, such as trees, rocks, clouds, water, and buildings and so on, drawing inspiration from the works of old masters. The artistic arrangement of these landscape motifs is crucial for expressing one’s thoughts and inner vision.

The second part of the course involves direct observation of actual scenes. Students will engage in outdoor studies of nature, integrating their empirical observations with an enhanced understanding of traditional landscape motifs in their life drawings.

The majority of the course is dedicated to skill-based training. However, the course project also requires students to implement their ideas by integrating various techniques based on a well-planned creative strategy.