Three Strokes and a Stalk of Bamboo

Bamboo is where every Chinese brush painter begins, and for very good reason. You will learn to load the brush, then press, lift and flick, building a stalk segment by segment and finishing with those sharp, elegant leaves. The whole painting comes down to a handful of confident strokes.

Get bamboo right and everything else this term becomes easier. It is a wonderfully calming way to start.

Soft Pink Blossom on a Dark Branch

Cherry blossom is all about contrast: dark, twisting branches against soft petals of pink. You will paint the branch first with a dry, rough brush, then press in the blossoms so the colour blooms outward on its own. It is a lovely lesson in letting the paint do half the work.

A bare branch and a few flowers say everything that needs saying. Restraint is the real skill here.

A Panda in Ink and Bamboo

Pandas are perfect for ink painting because they are already black and white. You will build one from big soft blobs of wash, letting the shapes suggest a rounded, contented bear working through a bamboo stem. Two dark ears and a pair of eye patches do the rest.

It is far easier than it looks, which is a good part of the fun. Yours will end up with a personality all of its own.

Flowers and Broad Green Pads

The lotus stands for peace, purity and enlightenment, and it is one of the great subjects of Chinese painting. You will paint an open pink bloom rising above wide green lily pads, working wet so the colours melt softly into one another. A dragonfly hovering above is optional, and hard to resist.

The pads go on in loose, generous sweeps, then the flower sits quietly on top. Simple, balanced, and very pretty on a wall.

Koi Circling in Loose Grey Ink

Koi are made for brushwork because they never stop moving. You will paint each fish in a few flowing strokes, letting the tail trail off into pale grey while the body stays dark and solid. Arrange three of them circling and the whole page starts to swim.

Koi carry meanings of luck, courage and persistence. One red disc behind them is all the colour this painting needs.

Mountains Fading Into the Mist

This is the classic landscape: layered peaks, drifting cloud, and a lone pine clinging to a rock. You will build depth using nothing but the strength of your ink, dark and crisp at the front, pale and hazy behind. The mist is simply the paper you leave alone.

Learning what to leave out is the whole lesson here. It is a peaceful, absorbing class.

Two Cranes Coming In to Land

Cranes are a symbol of long life, and they are a joy to paint. You will use the side of the brush for those long sweeping wing feathers, then a fine tip for the legs, the beak and a flash of red on the head. Getting the angle of the wings right is what makes them look properly in flight.

Add a few reeds below and the scene tells itself. Elegant, spare, and very satisfying to finish.

A Dragon Made of Ink and Movement

Dragons in Chinese art stand for strength, luck and good fortune, and they are gloriously loose to paint. You will sweep the body round in one long curving motion, then build the head from spiky, energetic strokes and a scatter of flicked ink. Speed matters far more than neatness.

It is the boldest painting of the term and the most fun to let rip on. Expect ink in places you did not plan.

Paint Your Own Folding Fan

This week your painting becomes an object you can actually use. You will work on a fan, fitting your composition to that tricky curved shape, then watch it open out into something rather beautiful. Bamboo and blossom both suit the format perfectly.

Fan painting is a centuries old tradition and a lovely thing to own. It also makes a very good gift.

Cheeky Frogs and Busy Little Bugs

We finish the term on the lighter side of ink painting. You will paint frogs with big surprised eyes, plus crickets, dragonflies and whatever else takes your fancy, all in quick playful strokes. These little creatures have a long history in Chinese painting and they are always full of character.

It is a relaxed, happy last class. Bring everything you have learnt and enjoy yourself.