A Beginner's Guide to Chinese Brush Painting teaches this ancient art form in an easy-to-understand way--no prior experience necessary!

As one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world, Chinese brush painting has been used for thousands of years to create images that harness the imagination, and capture the inner spirit of a subject--be it an animal, landscape or tree. All you need for this simple, but beautiful, art form is black watercolor paint, white paper, a brush and some creativity!

An introduction tells you about the history of brush painting, and also gives tips for holding your brush, achieving different shades and collecting your materials. After that, the book takes you step-by-step through more than 35 hands-on activities--including basic strokes, putting them together to create an object or scene, the importance of leaving open space and even writing some Chinese calligraphy.

With the help of this book, artists of all ages can learn to paint:
- Bamboo stalks, branches and leaf clusters
- A knotted pine tree and its delicate needles
- A snail with a spiral shell and little body peeking out from underneath
- A waterfall gliding down the side of a mountain
And much more!

You'll find that this activity will help you learn to center your mind and thoughts, and your masterpieces will be inspiring decorations or great gifts for friends and family. Get started learning this "soft martial art!"

About the Author:
Caroline Self has studied Asian brush painting for over thirty years. She holds a B. A. in bacteriology and public health, a teaching credential in art from UC Berkeley and a master's degree in art education and sculpture from San Diego State University. She taught art in the San Diego City Schools for twenty-five years and taught Asian brush painting to children for six years at the San Diego Museum of Art. She has studied traditional brush painting with teachers in Southern California, Japan, China, and Taiwan. She also paints and exhibits her colorful watercolor and acrylic paintings.

Susan Self studied art in college and on trips to Europe and Asia, often accompanying her mother. She has a Ph.D. in comparative literature from UC San Diego, where she taught in writing programs. She worked as a technical writer documenting software development tools before transitioning into the wireless telecommunications industry, where she works as a writer and research consultant.