The ink-and-wash painting technique is considered to be representative of traditional Chinese painting. Painters use a brush pen dipped in a mixture of ink and water, and paint on traditional paper. The basic ink-and-wash painting uses only water and ink, so there are only two colors, black and white. But more advanced ink-and-wash paintings like fine brushwork and bird-and-flower paintings use many colors. The ink is one of the most special elements in Chinese painting. Using different amounts of water, the ink can be diluted to varying gradations, from black to gray to white, a characteristic known as the “charm of ink”. This series of books portrays well-known Chinese children’s stories in traditional ink-and-wash paintings.
This is the legend of a little bird with brilliant feathers called the winter-cry bird. It is very proud and regards itself as the most beautiful bird in the world. When other animals are busy working and collecting food, the winter-cry bird just flies around and wants to play. But when the winter comes, it doesn’t have a nest or food. The winter-cry bird almost freezes to death. With the help and support of its friends, it stops being so lazy and becomes a beautiful and hard-working bird.
About the Author
CUI YAN, born in Beijing in 1963, graduated from Beijing Normal University with a master’s degree in education. She learned traditional Chinese ink-and-wash painting from He Jinghan, a renowned Chinese landscape painter. Cui has undertaken art education and preschool education for over 30 years and is, therefore, incredibly experienced in these fields.
