Learning Objectives 

Students will: 

• Describe Chinese calligraphy and Chinese ink paintings using art vocabulary.
• Analyze the differences between Chinese landscape paintings and Western landscape paintings.
• Apply accurate proportion skills of Chinese ink painting to make an original composition.
• Demonstrate Chinese ink painting through specific techniques in calligraphy and painting.
• Compare Chinese landscape paintings and Western landscape paintings.
• Create original Chinese calligraphy and landscape art.

Standards Alignment

National Core Arts StandardsNational Core Arts Standards

Common Core State StandardsCommon Core State Standards

Recommended Student Materials

Editable Documents: Before sharing these resources with students, you must first save them to your Google account by opening them, and selecting “Make a copy” from the File menu. Check out Sharing Tips or Instructional Benefits when implementing Google Docs and Google Slides with students.

• Vocabulary: Elements of Art
• Slide: Bamboo Gallery
• Criteria for Success: Chinese Calligraphy and Landscape Art

Videos

• Traditional Chinese Music
• Chinese Brush Painting-Bamboo for Beginners
• Bamboo Lesson 3

Websites

• Chinese Character and Calligraphy Samples
• The Art of Calligraphy in Asia
• Chinese Character for “Fire”
• Chinese Character for “Peace”

Additional Materials

• chart paper
• tempera or watercolor paint 
• art paper
• dry-erase boards
• a black felt pen, calligraphy felt pen or dry-erase marker

Teacher Background

Teachers should review the history of Chinese Calligraphy art. Review the following resources for demonstrating Chinese calligraphy: An Introduction to Chinese Calligraphy, Chinese Character and Calligraphy Samples, and the Chinese Character Tutorial.

Student Prerequisites 

Students should be able to locate China on a map and have experience with painting techniques.

Accessibility Notes

Modify handouts and give preferential seating for visual presentations. Allow extra time for task completion.

Engage

1. Distribute and review the Vocabulary: Elements of Art resource with students. 

2. Share the following web resources: Chinese Character and Calligraphy Samples and The Art of Calligraphy in Asia. Play Traditional Chinese Music in the background while students explore Chinese calligraphy websites. Ask students: What do you notice or wonder about Chinese calligraphy?

3. Display the Landscape Painting in Chinese Art slideshow and continue to play Traditional Chinese Music music. Choose one piece of artwork and ask students to contemplate it for several minutes. As students listen to the music, have them close their eyes and imagine being in the place shown in the artwork. Ask students: What feeling does the artwork give? How does it fit with the rhythms of the music?

4. Engage students in a discussion about the artwork. Encourage students to use the Vocabulary: Elements of Art resource in their descriptions. Record student responses on the board. Ask students: What would you title the artwork? Generate a list of possible titles, then reveal the actual title to students. Have the class discuss their responses to the title and the effect it has on their interpretation of the artwork.

Build

1. Discuss the ideas and philosophy behind Chinese calligraphy and painting by direct instruction. Talk about the meditative quality of these art forms and the fact that the Chinese practice calligraphy to promote inner spiritual growth and personal character. Share this quote on the subject:

“The way to elevate one’s spirit starts from holding the brush; the mind will be enlightened if the operation of the brush is correct. If one’s heart is upright, his calligraphy will inherit the personalities and spirits of the ancient masters and sages. If he practices calligraphy diligently, the spirits of ancient calligraphers will be in the core of the brush with beautiful writings flowing underneath.” -- Liu Shi-Zai, The Concept of Art

2. Discuss the history of Chinese calligraphy. Chinese writing was first done vertically on sticks which were then bound together. When the Chinese began to use paper, they wrote on scrolls, continuing to use vertical columns. Chinese characters used to be read from top to bottom and right to left, rather than from left to right across the page as English is, though now it is read across the page. Many Chinese characters began as pictographs or representational pictures. Over time, they were stylized into symbols. Chinese writing is logosyllabic so that each symbol stands for a syllable (and therefore often a morpheme or a complete word) instead of representing sounds like in the modern English alphabet.

3. Demonstrate calligraphy by painting a Chinese character on chart paper with tempera or watercolor paint. Tell students that before a Chinese calligrapher begins painting, they clear their thoughts through meditation. Sometimes, this includes listening to Chinese meditative music. Emphasize that calligraphy is a process that requires great discipline from the artist.

4. Explain that Chinese calligraphy and painting are characterized by efficient uses of painting strokes. As the artist creates calligraphic writing, they make very definite and careful variations in the painting strokes. The artist uses only the strokes necessary to convey meaning in their work. Since calligraphy requires the artist to develop great discipline and persistence, calligraphy artists were often chosen for government positions in China.

5. Demonstrate the Chinese Character for “Fire” and allow students to practice making the symbol using a black felt pen, a black felt calligraphy pen, or a dry-erase marker. Once the students achieve some control, they may use black watercolor paint to create the Chinese character. Continue to play Traditional Chinese Music in order to foster the meditative mood of a Chinese calligrapher. Allow time for students to practice.

6. Explain that when more than one Chinese character is written in a group, the characters together make a new word. Multiple uses of the same character used in a group can also create a new word. For example, you can add another “fire” symbol to create the new word “blaze.” The character combination of  “mountain” and “fire” creates the word “volcano” when written together. Three characters of the word “tree” make the word “forest.” Point out that these words are like compound words such as “dragonfly” and “housefly” in English. In Chinese, however, one character might be paired with fifty or more other characters to create compound words.

7. Demonstrate on the easel or chart paper the Chinese Character for “Peace.” Point out that this symbol is actually made up of the two separate symbols, “roof” and “woman.” 

8. Tell students to choose a character or a word to practice. Provide students with art materials and paper for this task. Continue to listen to Traditional Chinese Music as students practice and work on the technique of Chinese calligraphy. 

9. Have the students engage in small group discussions about their compositions. Students should use the elements of art vocabulary (line, value, balance, composition, or other related art terms) in their descriptions.

Apply

1. Show students the Slide: Bamboo Gallery. Bamboo is traditionally the first subject painted by artists learning Chinese brush painting. 

2. Demonstrate traditional Chinese bamboo brush painting using the “bamboo stroke” and “leaf stroke” strategies. Model for students the basic steps of painting a bamboo stalk and the technique of painting adjoining leaves. Use the following instructional videos for support: Chinese Brush Painting-Bamboo for Beginners and Bamboo Lesson 3. 

3. Allow students to paint a Bamboo-style Chinese ink painting. They should use the bamboo stalk stroke and leaf stroke techniques as they create their paintings.

Reflect 

1. Show and compare examples of Western landscape painting and traditional Chinese landscape painting. Consider showing works by impressionist painters Claude Monet, Éduoard Manet, and Edgar Degas, or by Western landscape artists such as Nicolas Poussin, Claude Lorrain, Marco Ricci, Francis A. Silva, and Thomas Moran. Then show students examples of Chinese landscape paintings that incorporate calligraphy by ancient master landscape painters Zhao Wei and Tung Panta, or modern landscape masters Li Xiongcai and Huang Binhong. 

2. Have a class discussion comparing Western and Eastern landscape painting. Record student responses on chart paper or an interactive board.

3. Assess students’ knowledge by having them create an original Chinese ink painting. Prior to the task, review the Criteria for Success: Chinese Calligraphy and Landscape Art. 

Extend

1. Explore the different styles of Eastern and Western calligraphy. Research and gather information about different calligraphy styles. Create a presentation with visual examples and facts about the styles of Eastern and Western calligraphy. Encourage students to try a new presentation software like Google Slides, PowerPoint, Glogster, Powtoon, or Prezi for their presentation.