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Inkmo — Sumi-e, Bamboo

Published: 2005-07-05 14:21:07 +0000 UTC; Views: 10588; Favourites: 168; Downloads: 493
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Description I studied Sumi-e while in Japan and did a bunch of paintings:

Styled after a Chinese master whom I enjoy (and whose name I've forgotten currently.. Cui Rin? Dammit. I wrote it down somewhere...)

This was my favorite painting all year. I haven't backed it.
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Comments: 23

lunavalse [2011-07-06 03:36:15 +0000 UTC]

I adore your color choice. I would love to be able to take a class in Sumi-e. It is such a soothing, beautiful art.

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xRyokucha [2010-01-05 17:28:53 +0000 UTC]

Gosh, how do you manage to scan your paintings in? Without the paper looking too grainy/grey?

Great job on the painting though! Really like the blues.

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Inkmo In reply to xRyokucha [2010-01-07 01:27:31 +0000 UTC]

actually it's a digital photo. I'm sad that this is the highest resolution copy of it I have.

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Grim71 [2009-12-04 21:58:06 +0000 UTC]

Awesome! I love it!

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ExtremeNoizChristian [2009-01-23 17:42:17 +0000 UTC]

oh goody

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chorns [2008-11-29 10:05:17 +0000 UTC]

sumi-e brushes are big fun, I like the composition of the painting.

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WarpHedgehog [2008-08-12 00:57:29 +0000 UTC]

I was just wondering, what type of ink is used in Sumi e ? I am trying to learn Sumi e and would like to know what the ink is called.

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Inkmo In reply to WarpHedgehog [2008-08-14 17:24:01 +0000 UTC]

Sumi ink is called sumi, for charcoal. It comes in a little bar (which is not straight charcoal, but I think also contains some oils and binding agents) which you grind in your inkwell with water. That's sumi ink. For calligraphy, people also typically use bottled ink. I haven't had the patience for or a safe place to keep an active inkwell in years. It takes a while to work the ink up to a proper darkness and thickness, so it's not like you'll just dump out your ink and stuff when you're done painting for the day. God, I can just imagine my cat getting into that.

You might just try it with india ink. It won't be totally the same, but it should dilute well enough to make a wash or two.

Oh yeah! If you don't already know, when doing sumi, you'll have a:
horse hair brush or two
A large waterdish. These are often deep and rectangular, with two compartments
2 or three small dishes for washes. You charge your brush in your ink and mix it with the water in the small dishes to create different gray tones...
A good ink stone. The ones that come in decorative sumi sets are no good because they're too small. The ones you want for painting and calligraphy are large and rectangular and have a large reservoir on one end for holding lots of ink.
Good ink. Harder to gauge, especially if you're not at an art store in Asia. Typically, good ink sticks don't go too heavily on ornamentation like they do in the decorative sets. Also, lousy ink tends to smell heavily perfumed (though the better ink stick that I own reeks of temple incense for some reason).

Anyways, good luck! If you can find someone that's teaching it, more power to you. I didn't find it as intuitive as I initially thought it would be...

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WarpHedgehog In reply to Inkmo [2008-08-14 18:20:18 +0000 UTC]

Thanks that helps a lot. I don't know where to get the good Sumi ink so I've been trying to do it with India ink. No teachers around here either. And you're right it's not as intuitive as I first thought it'd be, I'll stick with it though.

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DarkAngelGirl1 [2006-09-26 05:38:44 +0000 UTC]

It's very beautiful!^_^

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hangdog [2006-03-14 03:44:10 +0000 UTC]

Looks like others have already said what needs to be about this one, but I'll agree: a very nice job. Great colors and a Wonderful energy to the whole thing. Wish I could do half as well!

Write me if you remember the artist's name (whose style you were imitating!)

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sameerkulavoor [2005-07-09 14:47:11 +0000 UTC]

hey nice one..!

can u suggest some websites on sumi-e.. very fascinated by the strokes n d styling...
want to know more abt the origin of the style..
lemme know..
thx for d fav!

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Inkmo In reply to sameerkulavoor [2005-07-09 16:16:22 +0000 UTC]

I'm afraid I don't know any websites about Sumi-e. I had a Sumi-e teacher when I was in Japan and that is about all I know... I would suggest googling.

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sameerkulavoor In reply to Inkmo [2005-07-09 16:29:22 +0000 UTC]

cool...thx neways!
checked out ur gallery.....loved ur sketches..!

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wolviesgirl [2005-07-05 20:33:01 +0000 UTC]

i love sumi-e!!!!!!! its so cool. great picture!!

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jess-jess [2005-07-05 16:26:32 +0000 UTC]

ive never heard of sumi-e before, but i always see it everywhere. Now i know what its called! ^^ i love this! yet again i cant express myself enough @.@!. What did you use, water color? ( as you may already know, im not familar with sumi-e, im just familar with the results of it

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Inkmo In reply to jess-jess [2005-07-05 16:32:00 +0000 UTC]

sumi ink and watercolor on rice paper.

Ideally, you would use mineral pigments instead of watercolor. Many of those are toxic however. They would understandably not trust any of us junior painters with such things.

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jess-jess In reply to Inkmo [2005-07-06 19:05:43 +0000 UTC]

ohhh, i want some now . What do you mean by mineral water? The basic blue red and yellow? or mineral as in nature-ish colors?. (( sorry if i double post, theres something wrong with my computer and i dont know if it goes through or not>.<

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Inkmo In reply to jess-jess [2005-07-06 19:12:52 +0000 UTC]

mineral PIGMENT. As in pigments made from minerals. Quite indelible and often toxic.

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jess-jess In reply to Inkmo [2005-07-06 19:17:08 +0000 UTC]

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH * smacks herself* sorry, its a habit of mine to add the , how do you say it ,... the " UMPH" in the first word.

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jess-jess In reply to Inkmo [2005-07-06 19:05:08 +0000 UTC]

ohhh, i want some now . What do you mean by mineral water? The basic blue red and yellow? or mineral as in nature-ish colors?. (( sorry if i double post, theres something wrong with my computer and i dont know if it goes through or not>.<

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Inkmo [2005-07-05 16:10:02 +0000 UTC]

Thankyew. I'll be posting more of my paintings.

I was really lucky to have a teacher in Japan who was the real deal in regards to sumi-e (studied under Chinese and Japanese masters for the past 30 years) and also a native English speaker.

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citrus3d [2005-07-05 15:46:34 +0000 UTC]

i find sumi-e to be very inspirational, the quick expressive strokes, the simplicity of subject, and balance of composition.

real nice job on this one, the blue and gold are very lovely.

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