12. Starting around 4, 000 BC (公元前), traditional Chinese painting has developed over a period of more than six thousand years. Ink (墨水) and wash painting, also called brush painting, was said to be liked by Wang Wei, a famous writer and painter. during the Tang Dynasty.
The paintings are created with only water and ink, but people can enjoy wonderful works of art. Ink can make different colors. Dark ink takes on (呈现) a deep black color, while light ink takes on a grey color on the white rice paper.
Traditional Chinese ink and wash paintings enjoy great popularity even in the modern world. People love them for their simple lines, black, grey and white colors, 28 well as empty space in different shapes. The paintings show a peaceful world with high mountains, great rivers, lovely birds, flowers and grass, etc.
Ancient painters chose to leave their drawings blank (空白的) and used a few lines to show that no form was better than any form. In their opinion, silence could speak much more than speech. The well-known paintings Along the River During Qingming Festival and Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains are two wonderful examples of ink and wash paintings.