Intro to Chinese Landscape

Learn the tools, brushwork, and composition skills to create expressive Chinese ink landscape paintings.

Created byHsu Wei Hua

Last updated 10/2025

English

What you'll learn

Understand the basic tools and materials of ink painting
Practice line work, texture strokes (cunfa), and ink tone gradations.
Learn how to depict mountains, rocks, trees, clouds, and water.
Explore spatial arrangement, contrast between fullness and emptiness, and the use of negative space.
Apply learned techniques and creativity to finish your own ink landscape artwork.

Course content

1 section • 6 lectures • 2h 4m total length

Introduce3:59
Hello everyone, and welcome to “Introduction to Chinese Landscape Painting.”
This course is specially designed for beginners.
If you have never tried Chinese ink landscape painting before,
or if you are completely unfamiliar with the tools and techniques — don’t worry.
This class will guide you step by step, starting from the very basics,
to help you gradually enter the world of landscape painting.
Lesson 1 & Lesson 216:35
First, we will get to know the basic tools needed for ink painting.
This includes the different types of brushes — such as wolf hair, goat hair, and mixed hair brushes —
each with its own purpose for line work or shading.
We’ll also look at the different types of xuan paper,
the use of ink tones, and how to add subtle color to a landscape painting.
Lesson 3 & Lesson 438:08
Lesson 3: Basic Texturing Techniques for Rocks and Mountains
Rocks and mountains are the backbone of any landscape painting.
To paint them well, you must first master the art of “cun” (texturing strokes).
“Cun” refers to the brush techniques used to express the texture and structure of mountains and rocks.
We will start with the most basic ones — such as axe-cut strokes (Fu Pi Cun)
and hemp-fiber strokes (Pi Ma Cun).
Through practicing these different techniques,
you will learn how to portray mountains and rocks with character — whether majestic or graceful.
This lesson is the core foundation of landscape painting.
Final lesson: Create a complete landscape painting using all learned skills-120:14
This work will include mountains, rocks, trees, and water,
while applying the techniques of composition, ink tones, and blank space.
This is not just a technical exercise — it is the process of bringing a painting to life from nothing.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to start painting your own landscapes with confidence.

The purpose of this course is to help students easily master the fundamentals of ink painting.
Before we begin, I want to remind you:
Chinese landscape painting is not just a form of art — it is also a reflection of culture and personal cultivation.
Through the brush, ink, and paper, we are not merely depicting the appearance of nature,
but expressing our inner feelings about the world,
bringing the beauty in our heart onto the paper.
Final lesson: Create a complete landscape painting using all learned skills-219:59
This work will include mountains, rocks, trees, and water,
while applying the techniques of composition, ink tones, and blank space.
This is not just a technical exercise — it is the process of bringing a painting to life from nothing.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to start painting your own landscapes with confidence.

The purpose of this course is to help students easily master the fundamentals of ink painting.
Before we begin, I want to remind you:
Chinese landscape painting is not just a form of art — it is also a reflection of culture and personal cultivation.
Through the brush, ink, and paper, we are not merely depicting the appearance of nature,
but expressing our inner feelings about the world,
bringing the beauty in our heart onto the paper.
Final lesson: Create a complete landscape painting using all learned skills-325:27
This work will include mountains, rocks, trees, and water,
while applying the techniques of composition, ink tones, and blank space.
This is not just a technical exercise — it is the process of bringing a painting to life from nothing.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to start painting your own landscapes with confidence.

The purpose of this course is to help students easily master the fundamentals of ink painting.
Before we begin, I want to remind you:
Chinese landscape painting is not just a form of art — it is also a reflection of culture and personal cultivation.
Through the brush, ink, and paper, we are not merely depicting the appearance of nature,
but expressing our inner feelings about the world,
bringing the beauty in our heart onto the paper.

Requirements

You don't need any experience. You can learn the basics of Chinese ink painting here.

Description

Introduction to Chinese Landscape Painting

Introduction to Chinese Landscape Painting is a course specifically designed for beginners with no prior experience, guiding you step-by-step into the world of ink wash painting. Even if you've never held a brush before, this course will enable you to establish a solid foundation.

The curriculum is divided into five progressive core units:

Foundation and Ink Control: First, you'll become familiar with the characteristics of the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, mastering the control of ink tonality and layering.
Composition and Intent: Next, you'll learn the unique compositional rules of landscape painting, understanding how to create a serene and ethereal atmosphere through the arrangement of mountains, rocks, trees, flowing water, and negative space (留白).
Mastering Texture Strokes: You'll then specialize in the essence of "Cun Fa" (皴法 - texture strokes), using varied brushwork to depict the texture and three-dimensionality of mountains and rocks.
Detailing and Atmosphere: Following that, you'll delve into depicting the morphological changes of tree branches and leaves, and practice the rendering techniques for mist, clouds, and flowing water, appreciating the poetic expression of ink's diffusive quality.
Final Creation: Finally, you will integrate everything you've learned to independently complete a full landscape painting.

Beyond technique instruction, the course emphasizes guiding you in the creative philosophy of "Emulating nature externally, achieving realization internally" (外师造化，中得心源). We stress that while observing the external appearance of nature, one must also explore one's own authentic inner feelings.

By the end of the course, you will not only have mastered the basic techniques of landscape painting but also gained a profound appreciation for the cultural heritage and the contemplative, aesthetic experience embodied by this ancient art form, successfully launching your journey into traditional Chinese art.

Who this course is for:

Everyone