learn sumi-e

I’d love to learn sumi-e and have signed up for a workshop.

apparently this is supposed to be a great meditation practice. i’ve bought the brushes and sumi-e paper, and an instruction book. now i need to sit down and focus on it for a while.

Time to break out the paper, ink, and brushes. I have some new books that look very interesting.

Sumi-e is my winter hobby.

As I practice the suggested way by starting with Calligraphy. The Symbol is Autumn. I must practice it until I can do it perfectly by memory. And thank gods it’s not that difficult, now that I’m getting used to the amount of ink and water I need to use to keep the line nice and black and not bleeding and grey.

This is nicer than bamboo. Actually, it’s quite meditative and I quite enjoy it. I do/did enjoy the bamboo as well but only in strict moderation as it did get frustrating.

I don’t want to sound flighty or as if I’m skipping from one thing to another. I had meant only to try bamboo until I got used to the crappy brushes, as the advice in one book went. Well, I’m going with the other book, which is much more traditional and I can say that only after one day, I can see a difference. I haven’t gone back to bamboo… I mean at the end of my session, Autumn looked quite like Autumn and not Brain Like Falling Leaf or anything of the sort.

Anyhoo- it’s much fun. I am enjoying myself.

Soooo.
I got my books today. I bought a set of brushes, some ink, and a large roll of rice paper.
I tried the brushes. Practiced moving them across the paper.
I don’t like the feel of either brush- they’re too soft.

I’m practicing bamboo. Over and over and over and over and over… I’m beginning to become bamboo myself.

I am going to get a harder brush. Wolf hair. Bamboo and Orchid. Something harder than the two whatever-the-heck-they-are brushes that came with the set. Don’t buy a set. At least, not from Hobby Lobby.

I swear- I will master bamboo if it’s the last thing I do.

I’ve been looking into taking up Sumi-e. Sumi-e is a type of Japanese ink painting where the subject is depicted in as few strokes as possible. Traditionally, only different concentrations of black ink is used. Sometimes it’s called “The Haiku of Painting”. Anyway, I am looking into beginning to learn it. It looks like something I could do. I’m not too artistically-inclined when it comes to drawing, painting, or sculpting. I’ve gotten relatively good at photography through sheer force of will and loads of practice. I think I might not suck at sumi-e if I were to peg away at it in the same way.

I’m fairly decent at depicting subjects with the minimum amount of strokes to suggest the subject and mood- I used to do miniature drawings back in school and they weren’t too terrible. L I am not too intimidated at the thought of Sumi-e as I think the haiku reference is apt- it’s forgiving to the beginner but to do it perfectly requires skill and practice. And, frankly, I need more meditative hobbies if I am going to come to terms with my IC.