3. Materials

 Japanese painting has a lot of materials. I introduced history of Japanese painting last week. Materials of Japanese painting were used from of old. So I would like to introduce them in this week.









Colors

 （http://www.art-maruni.com/gazai/gansai/
kishoiwa/jpg/kissyou12set.jpg) ↓

 Colors that is used on Japanese painting is original colors of Japan. So they aren’t used other country. I take up representative colors.

 First, I explain mineral pigments. It is grains of rock and has from fine pigments to coarse pigments. Fine pigments are pale-colored, but coarse pigments are deep in color.

 Mineral pigments don’t fix without fixative. So when we use it, we have to use glue as fixative.
 Second, I explain dyed mud pigments(水干絵具). It has no grains and has thin board. It is used for undercoat. Comparing with mineral pigments, it is easy to fix on picture. How to use is the same as mineral pigments.
 Finally, I explain gohun(胡粉). Ingredients of it are shells. And it is kind of dyed mud pigments. Gohun is important on Japanese painting. It is used for undercoat and coloring. 

Papers


 Mashi (麻紙) is commonly used on Japanese painting. It is the paper that is made from making fiber of hemp. Especially, kumohada mashi(雲肌麻紙) is strong. So it is easy to paint thickly.

Paint brush

(http://item.shopping.c.yimg.jp/i/j/hakuoh_efd0020)

　Brushes of Japanese painting have all kinds of it. I introduce typical brushes.
 Fine-point brush(面相筆)
 This is the brush to paint fine line. It is use when we do kotsugaki(骨描き). Kotsugaki is work that paint no strength and weakness line.(I will introduce this detail on week 5.) This is the brush to paint mainly ink.
Color brush(彩色筆)
This is used frequent. And it is used to paint. Raw materials are mainly wool. So it is easy to absorb water
 Sokumyo(則妙) brush
 This brush can draw soft line because it has long tip.Raw materials mainly wool and hair of cat.

Other

Japanese painting has lot of some other materials.
 Sumi
There are work of kotsugaki on Japanese painting. Sumi is used for the work. It has an ink stick made from lamp soot and a torch smoke sumi. An ink stick made from lamp soot is made in Japan.
Glue
 We use glue to fix mineral pigments and dyed mud pigments. What is particularly commmon is sanzenbon nikawa(三千本膠three thousand glue). A component is protein. Bones and hides of animal contains collagen. Glue is made by boiling them to bring out the collagen and processing it. Mineral pigments and dyed mud pigments are used by dissolving glue in water.
  Decorative plate(絵皿)
 Mineral pigments and dyed mud pigments are dissolved on decorative plate. Size is various.
 Mortar and pestle
 Mineral pigments don’t have to grind however gohun and dyed mud pigments has to grind because they are thin board. A mortar and pestle use for the work.


There are a lot of other materials of Japanese painting. I introduced some of them I’m going to explain how to use them on week 5. Next week, I explain differences between Japanese painting and Western painting. Please look forward to next week.


reference date: (http://nihonga-style.com/gazaitotsukaikata.html)

2. Hstory

I would like to explain the history of Japanese painting in this week.
I will introduce about change and establishment of works of Japanese painting today. So let’s see them from the Heian period to Modern period.

Heian Period / Yamato-e(大和絵)

scroll picture of The Tale of Genji (源氏物語絵巻（東屋）)

In 894, Japan has cut off diplomatic relations with China. Japan has created original culture. Japanese Painting left the influence of China has made original developments. Yamato-e that draw landscapes and customs of Japan was established for as against Kara-e(Chinese painting). Yamato-e has fine lines and delicate expression. It is characteristic of Yamato-e.

Kamakura Period / Portrait

painting attributed toYoritomo Minamoto

 (伝源頼朝像)

  In Kamakura period, realistic portrait appeared. During this period, the samurai class has emerged in Japan. They demonstrated their own sense of beauty and they have made culture of the samurai class. (It was the nobility culture until then.) What is particularly portrait will also say to symbolize the Kamakura period. Of course, Japanese artist draw portrait until then, but the portrait of Kamakura period was more realistic. So it was seen differences of consciousness for human.

  

Muromachi Period / Ink painting

Landscape (autumn and winter)/Sesshu
(「秋冬山水図」/雪舟)

Politics and society has remarkable change in Muromachi period. There were changes as art too. Culture of the samurai class and the nobility has united. And Japan began to incorporate the Chinese art again. Ink painting became prime was heyday. Flowers and birds painting and portrait were drawn on Japanese ink painting of the 14th century. Landscape paintings were drawn in earnest in Japan in the 15th century. As the center of art in Japan was dilapidated, artists who played an active part in the provinces were to expand the possibilities of Japanese ink painting.

Azuchi-Momoyama Period / Wall painting

The Lions / Eitoku Kano

(唐獅子図屏風/狩野永徳)

Azuchi Momoyama period was period of extreme change of government. In such a time, people who ruled over the whole Japan decorated the interior of the castle as a symbol of power. Their representative pictures were wall paintings. The image is “The Lions(Karajishi-zu byobu).” It was painted by Eitoku Kano. His large-minded touch and bold composition is different from Yamato-e.

Edo Period / Ukiyo-e

fifty-three stages on the Tokaido Urahara / Hiroshige Utagawa
(東海道五十三次　浦原 / 歌川広重)

During the Edo period, prints that were illustrations of the novel became the piece of picture and ukiyo-e. They were originally one color ink printing, but it changed multicolor printing. Ukiyo-e has replaced the media of the masses of Edo. Landscape painting and news painting. And many portraits have been drawn.

Modern Meiji-era / Japanese painting

You / Yasushi Sugiyama

(曜 / 杉山寧)

Please see the blog “1. Introduction Japanese painting” It has more details about how Japanese paintings have been established.
Young artists who valued individuality and freedom in Japanese painting appeared in Meiji period.They began to draw their inner. A new Japanese painting that was not bound by traditional painting came into existence.






I introduced rough history of Japanese painting. Japanese painting has characteristic in each period. It is very attractive. Traditional technologies that came into existence in long history were taken over today, which support modern Japanese painting.

Did you understand history of Japanese history? Please ask me if there is something that you didn’t understand.
Next week, I’m going to write about original materials of Japanese painting. Japanese painting has a lot of them. It is very interesting. Also, I would like to introduce name of them and simple explanation of how to use. Please look forward to next week. See you (^ω^)!


reference data: 「すぐわかる日本の美術」田中日佐夫

1.Introduction Japanese painting

“The Great Wave off Kanagawa”Hokusai Katsushika

Do you know the Japanese paintings? If I asked you Japanese painting, most people would think Japanese painting is only Ukiyo-e. (like this picture)
 Japanese painting is rarely taught in the ordinary art classes up to high school level, apart from in specialized art schools. This is because the painting materials are expensive and it is difficult to employ specialized teachers. It is the present conditions that the Japanese painting is not known by such a reason though it has long history.
 In 77 years from the Meiji Restoration to World War II end, and While oil painting, which was introduced to Japan in the Meiji period, is called Yo-ga (foreign style painting), Japanese painting refers to paintings which utilize traditional Japanese techniques and styles and rather than being reliant on oil paint. Japanese paintings use mineral pigments. It is unique to Japan. It doesn’t fix on the screen only pigment. So we have to use glue. I’ll go into detail of materials in Week 3.

 “the Milky Way”Chiori Miyakita ( 「天の川」　宮北千織 )

 This is the work of Chiori Miyakita. She is modern Japanese painting artist and one of my favorite artist. (I’ll introduce detail of other modern artist in Week 8.) Her work is totally different from Ukiyo-e. In this way, Japanese painting is not limited to Ukiyo-e. Japanese painting is developing and expanding now as one of the style of abundant art.

 Well, how Japanese painting was established? Two people are involved in it. They are important persons in establishment of Japanese painting. And that person is Fenollosa and Tenshin Okakura. Fenollosa came to Japan from the United States in 1878. He was impressed with Japanese art, and he was involved in reconstruction of Japanese painting.
After coming to Japan, Fenollosa was shocked. Japanese didn't cherish Japanese art. Japan after the Meiji Restoration blindly worshiped Western culture, and the "art" Japanese thought was foreign paintings and sculptures. So traditional folding screens and Ukiyo-e were treated for a song. Japanese have not thought that there is artistic value in paintings. Sharaku, Hokusai, Utamaro's. Kano and Tosa former typical school of Japanese art world had been completely forgotten by the pablic.
 1881, Fenollosa was decided to reconstruct Japanese painting on the verge of perish. And he was lectured to seek awakening to our Japanese painting artist. He said the "beauty" of Japanese painting was simplicity itself and it was better than the chaos of Western painting depended on finesse of the hand. He insisted that there were original art in Japan. Japanese had been dominated by complex to Western culture were surprised. Encouraged with the first-class power by him, the new government has distributed all over Japan to print the address of Fenollosa.
Fenollosa mentions the following points as a feature of a Japanese painting, and appreciated as good points in the lecture. 

 1. Do not follow the graphic, such as a photo.
 2. There is no shadow.
 3. There are outline.
 4. Color is not thick
 5. Expression is simple. 

They also say differs from Western.

Tenshin Okakura was Fenollosa’s assistant and interpreter. They have founded a school of art or in cooperation. When they open the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (later Tokyo National University of Fine Arts) in 1889, eliminated the education of Western painting and provided only Japanese painting as painting.

I think we can say thanks to the activities of Fenollosa and Okakura Tenshin, Japanese paintings and remained until today.


Next Week, I'm going to write about history of Japanese painting from Heian period to modern period. I'll add a lot of picture. (^ω^)see you!



(reference data:  Wikipedia  http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E7%94%BB )