Isabella Flores
The giant panda is a beloved symbol of China, but its presence in traditional art is a relatively recent phenomenon. While pandas have become popular subjects for Chinese brush painting and pencil sketches, there is a notable absence of this distinctive creature in ancient Chinese art. The panda's unique black-and-white markings, or in some cases, brown and light brown fur, make it easily distinguishable from other bears. Artists like Andrew Ludlow and Xiaoyong Liu have created captivating paintings of pandas, often incorporating watercolours, charcoal grey, and pencils of varying hardness to capture the tonal variations in the panda's fur.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Andrew Ludlow |
| Painting Title | "Giant Panda Feeding 3" |
| Medium | Pencil |
| Colours Used | 2H, 4H, HB, 2B, 5B-9B pencils |
| Painting Title | "Giant Panda Feeding 4" |
| Medium | Watercolour |
| Colours Used | Charcoal Grey, English Red, Ivory Black |
| Artist | Xiaoyong Liu |
| Medium | Chinese brush painting |
| Colours Used | Marie's 12 colour Chinese watercolour paint set |
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What You'll Learn
Painting the background
When painting the background of a Chinese panda painting, it is important to keep in mind that the background should not distract the viewer from the panda itself. The background should complement the panda and create a sense of atmosphere that enhances the overall composition. Here is a step-by-step guide to painting the background of a Chinese panda painting:
Start by choosing the right colours for your background. In many panda paintings, the background colours are often kept quite subdued and natural, featuring shades of green, brown, and grey to represent the panda's natural habitat. If you wish to depict a panda in a more stylized setting, you can experiment with different colour palettes to create a specific mood or theme.
Prepare your paints and materials. For a traditional look, watercolours are often used, as they offer a wide range of shades and allow for delicate details. However, you can also use other media such as acrylics or oils, depending on your personal preference and the style you want to achieve. Ensure you have the necessary brushes, paper, or canvas prepared as well.
Begin by sketching out the composition of your background. This can include elements such as bamboo shoots and leaves, as well as suggesting the ground or other features of the environment. Keep your sketch light and loose, as you will be adding more detail with paint.
Using your chosen colours, start painting the background elements. For bamboo shoots and leaves, a combination of green shades can be used, such as Azomethine Green mixed with Phthalocyanine Green (Yellow Shade) for a vibrant effect. You can also add in other colours, such as Charcoal Grey for highlights or English Red for any reddish discolouration present in the scene.
Once your background elements are painted in, allow the painting to dry completely. This is an important step, as it ensures that the subsequent layers of paint will not blend unintentionally with the previous layers.
After the paint has dried, you can add further details and adjustments. For example, you can use Ivory Black to darken areas and create shadows, or use a long-haired brush to paint hairlines and add texture to the background elements. Remember to step back and assess your painting as a whole, ensuring that the background complements the panda and does not overwhelm it.
By following these steps and allowing your creativity to guide you, you can create a beautiful and captivating background for your Chinese panda painting.
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Painting the panda's fur coat
When painting the panda's black fur, it is important to consider the texture. The thick and coarse fur of a panda will absorb much more light than smooth fur, so the reflected colours will be quite subtle. To add dimension to the black fur, you can add grey highlights using a combination of titanium white and ivory black. For a subtle blue hint to the shadows, add a small amount of cerulean and ultramarine blue to the grey mixture. You can also add finer details with a size 2 round brush and brighter highlights around the eyes and muzzle.
For the lighter fur, use an off-white colour rather than a pure white, as the latter may appear artificial. You can create an off-white by mixing a small amount of buff titanium into white paint. Use an angle brush to build up layers following the direction of the fur strands, ensuring each strand is a little different from the last to create a realistic texture. Leave some of the darker colours of the underlying layers showing through to give the fur depth.
When painting the white areas of the panda, it is okay to go outside the lines a bit, as this can be fixed when you paint the black areas. Use a #12 flat brush for the legs and feet and a #4 round brush for the area around the eyes, ears, and nose. You can also use a 10/0 liner to paint the mouth under the nose and to add fur texture sticking out from the ears and other parts of the body.
To darken the area around the mouth and snout, you can use layers of dilute charcoal grey.
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Using pencils with different hardness to capture tonal changes
When creating a Chinese panda painting, using pencils with different hardnesses can help capture the tonal changes in the panda's fur. The hardness of a pencil's lead is divided into two categories: H and B. H stands for hard and indicates that the pencil contains more filler, resulting in lighter lines. On the other hand, B stands for blackness, and these pencils produce darker lines due to their softer lead and higher graphite content.
For the lighter tones and white fur of the panda, artists often use 2H and 4H pencils, which create very light marks and are ideal for sketching outlines and guidelines. These pencils are perfect for preliminary sketches and can be easily erased if needed. For the intermediate tones, HB and 2B pencils are suitable, with HB being a versatile option for both writing and drawing.
When it comes to the darker tones and details in the panda's black fur, artists typically opt for softer B-grade pencils like 5B to 9B. These pencils provide darker marks and are excellent for shading and tonal modelling. The higher B pencils also allow for blending and smudging, adding depth and dimension to the fur.
Additionally, artists can use a variety of pencils to capture the light, volume, and depth of the panda's fur. By experimenting with different grades, artists can discover the unique effects of each pencil hardness and find the combination that best suits their drawing style. While standard drawing sets typically include grades from 2H to 6B, artists can further expand their range by investing in individual pencils of varying hardness.
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Painting the fine details of the panda's face
Step 1: Creating the Base
Use a glycerin-based white paint and a high-density sponge to create the base layer of the panda's face. Form a rounded shape on the forehead, with the centre being the highest point. Fill in the inner corners of the eyes, the nose, the muzzle, and the cheeks with white paint. This step is crucial in establishing the foundation for the subsequent details.
Step 2: Adding the Eyes and Ears
Create eyes that are spaced apart and rounded, using a rounded sponge to achieve this shape. Paint the eyes with black face paint, forming large circles around and underneath the eyes. For a unique touch, consider adding dots, starbursts, or highlights with a smaller brush. Next, paint the ears black, pointing them towards the inner corners of the eyes.
Step 3: Defining the Nose and Muzzle
Using a #2 round brush, load it with black paint and carefully paint the panda's nose and muzzle. This helps to bring depth and definition to the face.
Step 4: Adding "Fur" Strokes
Continue using the #2 round brush with black paint to add quotation fur" strokes to the ears and the eye area. This technique enhances the texture and realism of the panda's coat.
Step 5: Darkening the Mouth Area
To add depth and dimension to the panda's face, use layers of diluted Charcoal Grey paint to darken the area around the mouth and snout. This step brings out the finer details of the panda's facial features.
Additional Tips:
For the lighter tones and white fur, consider using harder pencils like 2H and 4H. For intermediate tones, HB and 2B pencils can be used. The darker tones and details in the black fur can be accentuated with softer pencils ranging from 5B to 9B. Additionally, you can use Ivory Black to further darken specific areas and create hairlines in the fur for added texture.
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Using charcoal grey to darken the area around the mouth and snout
When painting a Chinese panda, one of the final steps is to add detail to the panda's face, focusing on the area around the mouth and snout. To achieve this, you can use layers of dilute charcoal grey to darken the area. This technique adds depth and intensity to the painting.
It is important to work with layers because it allows for better control over the darkness of the area. By building up thin layers, you can gradually achieve the desired shade. This method also helps to maintain a smooth transition between the light and dark areas of the painting, creating a seamless finish.
The charcoal grey colour is a crucial choice for this step. It enhances the overall intensity of the painting by adding depth and shadow to the panda's face. This shade complements the other colours used in the painting, such as the reddish discolouration around the panda's left ear, the creamy coloured lines in the panda's white fur, and the shadow and leaf patterns in the background.
Additionally, the use of charcoal grey in the highlighted areas of the panda's black fur, ears, and eyes ties the composition together. It creates a cohesive and visually appealing contrast between the light and dark elements of the painting.
By carefully applying layers of dilute charcoal grey to the area around the mouth and snout, you can achieve a realistic and captivating representation of a panda's face in your Chinese panda painting. This technique showcases the beauty and expressiveness of the animal, making it a rewarding subject for artists to explore and admire.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need a Chinese calligraphy brush (size 6), Chinese calligraphy black ink or Japanese Sumi ink, calligraphy rice paper, and a 12-colour Chinese watercolour paint set.
For lighter tones and white fur, use 2H and 4H pencils. For intermediate tones, use HB and 2B pencils. For darker tones and details in the black fur, use 5B to 9B pencils.
To add detail to the panda's black fur coat, use Charcoal Grey in highlighted areas and Ivory Black to darken. Use a long-haired brush to paint the hair lines in the fur.
The giant panda only began appearing in "traditional" Chinese art in the last 40 to 50 years. Unlike other animals in Chinese art, the panda does not hold metaphorical meanings or ancient symbolic importance.
Artist Andrew Ludlow created a series of paintings titled Giant Panda Feeding that feature Chinese pandas.
