A Complete Analysis of the Raindrop Cunning Techniques in Fan Kuan's "Traveling in Mountains and Rivers" | Appreciation of Northern Song Dynasty Landscape Paintings

The "Raindrop Texture" in Fan Kuan's "Traveling in Mountains and Rivers": Recreating the Majestic Aura of Northern Song Dynasty Landscapes in Copy

Northern Song Dynasty - Fan Kuan's "Traveling in Mountains and Rivers"

In the halls of Chinese landscape painting, Fan Kuan's "Traveling in Mountains and Streams" from the Northern Song Dynasty is undoubtedly a monument to awe. Not only does it boast a monumental composition, but it also features the unique "raindrop texture" technique, defining the grandeur and ruggedness of Northern Song landscape painting. For both practitioners and collectors, understanding "raindrop texture" is like touching the very soul of this practice.

1. Eternal Stunning: Traveling in Mountains and Rivers and the Landscape Spirit of the Northern Song Dynasty

Before appreciating the techniques, one must understand the aesthetic pursuit behind them. The core of Northern Song Dynasty landscape painting lies in expressing the principles of heaven and earth and the essence of nature. The painters pursued not the delicate beauty of individual plants and trees, but the vast, eternal, and unshakable nature of the universe. "Traveling in Mountains and Rivers" embodies this spirit to its fullest—the main peak towers majestically, encompassing two-thirds of the entire painting, like a giant towering over the heavens, conveying a sense of tranquility, sublimity, and unshakable power.

The physical carrier of this textural power is the texture of the rocks in Fan Kuan's paintings, and the texture that creates this texture is "raindrop texture."

2. Deconstructing "Raindrop Texture": Geology Through Brush and Ink

"Raindrop texture", commonly known as "bean-shaped texture", as the name suggests, its brushstrokes are similar to dense raindrops or bean spots, neatly arranged and falling on the picture.

Its core brushwork features are as follows:

1. Stroke: Vertical stroke from the center
   This is the most crucial point. When practicing calligraphy, hold the brush tip centered, similar to a needle drawing on sand, perpendicular to the paper, making short, sharp strokes . This technique creates strokes that are round, deep, and imbued with a sense of weight.

2. Form: short and dense, bustling and changing
   Raindrops are not straight and uniform. They vary in length, thickness, and intensity . At apparent edges and structural transitions, the dots are often dense and intense; on illuminated surfaces or raised areas, they can be lighter and more sparse. This variation simulates the weathering of natural rock without appearing rigid.

3. Reproduction: Reproduce the solidity and heaviness of stone bones
   Countless such touches, layered visually and repeatedly applied, create the solid, rough texture of the rocks. They not only depict the rocks' individuality but also sculpt their volume and mass, seemingly impacting the rock's coldness and hardness. This is the realistic foundation for the Northern Song Dynasty landscape's "visitability and habitability."

Insights from Jiumozhouge Copying Practice : In our [Song Dynasty Landscape Copying Series], the artist places great emphasis on wrist control and ink gradation when recreating the raindrop texture. A common mistake made by beginners is overly light or even strokes. Experts, however, use this accumulation of dots to create a three-dimensional effect, giving the mountains and rocks the appearance of "growing" from the paper.

3. Practice: How to master this key to carving rocks?

For those who wish to study or collect copied works, the following points can be used to judge their level:

• Observe the "stroke sequence" of an original painting : Copying is not mechanical reproduction. A skilled artist understands the structural direction of the rocks and follows their grain and veins , structuring their strokes to blend the brushstrokes with the structure.

• Ink Rhythm : The ink tones of raindrop textures in a copied work are inherently vibrant and layered . By varying the thickness of the ink and controlling the weight of the brushstrokes, a rich variation of dry, wet, thick, and thin tones is created, recreating the realistic feel of the mountains, rocks, air, and light.

• Grasping the "whole and the details" : Raindrop texture serves the overall atmosphere. Overly detailed strokes will disrupt the overall sense of the painting; overly simple strokes will fail to convey the weight of the rocks. Excellent examples of copying, with their dense and impenetrable brushstrokes, still maintain the majestic and complete character of the mountains.

4. The Symbiotic Relationship between "Raindrop Texture" and "Monumental" Composition

Technique and composition complement each other here, together creating this great work.

• The raindrop texture gives the "monument" gravity and : if the raindrop texture creates a concave, rough, and spasmodic muscle texture, the central peak will just be a huge, smooth fat, unable to produce the kind of sublime, credible sense of oppression and height.

• The "monumental" composition provides a stage for the raindrop texture technique : because of this grand scale that reaches the sky and the earth, the raindrop texture technique can be spread across the entire mountain with an almost repetitive, ritualistic brushstroke, forming a visual rhythm and cadence similar to the grandeur of billions of years of geological movement.

5. Why is it worth collecting in modern times? Introducing the majestic spirit of Northern Song Dynasty landscapes into the space

Owning a precise reproduction of "Traveling in Mountains and Rivers" or a copy in the style of Fan Kuan is far more significant than just ordinary decoration.

• Creating an aura : Hanging this kind of work in a living room, study, or office can instantly establish a calm, peaceful, and stable tone in the space. It is a silent expression of the owner's customs and patterns.

• Timeless Aesthetic Value : The sense of permanence and order pursued in Northern Song Dynasty landscape painting aligns perfectly with the pursuit of bronze and permanence in modern minimalist and wabi-sabi aesthetics. It is an artistic asset that will never fade.

• Deep cultural dialogue : This is more than just a work of art; it's a starting point for a deep cultural conversation with your guests. The stories of history, philosophy, and techniques it carries imbue your space with cultural depth.

Conclusion
Fan Kuan's "Raindrop Texture" is a magnificent collision of brush and ink with the forces of nature. Using the simplest, most repetitive dots, he constructs the most complex and magnificent surfaces. At Jiuzhou Moge, we understand that every imitation of a classic is a dialogue with the ancients. The majestic aura that has endured through the millennia can continue to resonate in your life.