Introduction to Sumi-e Painting
A course by Koshu
, Artist and Teacher
Connect with Japanese zen philosophy and let your energy flow through expressive ink brush strokes
- Best seller
- 100% positive reviews (371)
- 9713 students
- Audio: English
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch
Connect with Japanese zen philosophy and let your energy flow through expressive ink brush strokes
- 100% positive reviews (371)
- 9713 students
- 23 lessons (4h 44m)
- 18 additional resources (9 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Step into a journey of self-discovery through the ancient art of Sumi-e painting. Japanese artist Koshu guides you through this ancestral art form using ink brush strokes and a meditative practice to create deeply expressive artwork.
Discover a thousand-year-old practice that is both a form of expression and a way of setting the mind. Delve into the history of Sumi-e painting and its intrinsic connection to nature and Zen philosophy. Explore the brushstroke techniques to create all four Shikunshi: an orchid, bamboo, a chrysanthemum, and a plum blossom.
What will you learn in this online course?
Course table of contents
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U1U1. Introduction
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U2U2. Theory of Sumi Painting and Materials
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U3U3. Basic Techniques
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U4U4. Shikunshi
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U5U5. Details and After Care
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FPFP Final project
Meet Koshu, learn about her journey as a Sumi-e painter and calligraphy artist, and see how these ancient art forms have transpired into her personal life. Discover the calligraphy masters that have influenced her work and see some of the books Koshu recommends on Japanese art.
Learn about the history of Sumi-e painting and explore Shikunshi, its intrinsic connection with nature and Zen philosophy. Get familiarized with the materials you need and discover Koshu’s meditative painting practice for expressing yourself and focusing on your brush strokes.
Follow Koshu’s advice on how to choose the right paper and ink for your paintings. Then, learn about ink densities and explore basic brush techniques and movements. Learn how to create some basic ink effects while discovering the meaning of each technique in Japanese.
Begin painting an orchid, your first step of Shikunshi, and see its corresponding brush movements. Continue with the second and third steps of Shikunshi by painting bamboo and a chrysanthemum. Move on to the fourth step by painting a plum blossom.
Give the final touches to your plum blossom Sumi-e painting by learning two types of Bokashi techniques. Conclude the course by learning how to prepare your artwork for framing.
What is this course's project?
Create a Sumi-e painting of plum blossoms in moonlight.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone interested in discovering the art of Sumi-e painting.
Requirements and materials
You don’t need any previous experience to take this course; just a desire to explore Sumi-e painting.
As for materials, you’ll need felt cloth, a paperweight, an inkstone, an ink stick or liquid ink, 2 water jars, 4 small plates, paintbrushes of various sizes, different types of paper, paper towels, a thick piece of paper cut into a circle, an old toothbrush, and a sieve or metal mesh.
Reviews
Koshu is an artist with a deep connection to the Zen philosophy related to Japanese calligraphy and Sumi-e painting. She became a qualified calligraphy teacher at 24 and had her own calligraphy school with over 250 students until she relocated to the UK. She continues to share her passion with others through workshops and courses across the country.
Koshu creates commissions for a wide range of international clients. Her latest work can be seen on labels for KokoroGin, the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and in advertising campaigns related to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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What Will We Do in This Course?
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U2
Theory of Sumi Painting and Materials
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What Is Sumi Painting?
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What is Shikunshi?
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Materials and How to Set Up for Sumi Painting
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U3
Basic Techniques
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How to Choose Paper and Ink
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Ink Density
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Basic Techniques
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Basic Ink Effects
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U4
Shikunshi
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Basic Brush Practice Movements for Orchid 1
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Basic Brush Practice Movements for Orchid 2
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Basic Brush Practice Movement for Bamboo 1
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Basic Brush Practice Movement for Bamboo 2
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Basic Brush Practice Movement for Chrysanthemum 1
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Basic Brush Practice Movement for Chrysanthemum 2
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Basic Brush Practice Movement for Plum Blossom 1
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Basic Brush Practice Movement for Plum Blossom 2
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Basic Brush Practice Movement for Plum Blossom 3
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Basic Brush Practice Movement for Plum Blossom 4
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Basic Brush Practice Movement for Plum Blossom 5
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U5
Details and After Care
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How to Include the Moonlight
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How to Prepare Your Artwork for Framing
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FP
Final project
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Introduction to Sumi-e Painting
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
dreamstory
The teacher is very relaxing. Introduces well the cultural specifics behind the art. The course is very basic, but it's an introduction so ... I can recommend a a mindfulness practice also :)
arimilton
Meus mais sinceros agradecimentos a empresa DOMESTIKA, a fabulosa Artista e professora Koshu e a este curso maravilhoso e empolgante. Este curso está sendo a realização de um desejo antigo, que apesar de ser On Line, ultrapassou todas as minhas expectativas. Com certeza farei muitos outros cursos. Parabéns a todos pelos esforços em disseminar todos esses conhecimentos.
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jennybonto
This was a very encouraging teacher, indeed! Lessons brought about many 'aha' moments. I definitely was able to draw the items on my watercolor bucket list with teacher.
mirjame
This is a wonderful course. Teaches not only skills but also inner peace.
pampeon
To learn from a master is an enlightening experience. Koshu teaches with knowledge and skill, prompting the student to attempt the strokes with attention to every detail. A new door is opened for me. Thank you!