Ever considered a career in ink-painting? I’ll tell you what, it is a wild ride. As I began my Jiu Jing Mo Shui Hua Ke Cheng training, I had no clue what I would be getting myself into. The journey to becoming a confident artist from clumsy novice is full of twists, turns and surprises. For more information about the pastel course, read on https://www.thetingology.com/class.

I still remember vividly my first day. I was a toddler with a pen and brush, trying to learn how to walk. My strokes looked shaky and my paper was more of a mess than an art. Rome wasn’t constructed in a day.

The patience that ink paintings teach is fascinating. Imagine capturing a tree’s essence with just a couple of brushstrokes. You could try to write an entire book with just ten words. Each stroke is unique and has its own personality.

In one of our classes, the instructor asked us to do an exercise which at first seemed very simple: Paint bamboo leaves. It sounds easy, right? But wait! It’s all about the angle and pressure of your brush. If you apply too much or too little pressure, the result will be a blob.

You can only create magic when you experiment. I tried different types of papers, rice paper and regular sketching paper. The results were stunning! Rice paper absorbed ink differently creating beautiful textures which made my artwork pop.

Ink painting is a meditative art form. Imagine: soft music is playing in the backround, and your brush is gliding across the paper. Each stroke calms your mind.

Remember that mistakes are a part of every process. Once I accidentally sprayed water onto a piece that was almost finished. Initially, I panicked. Then I realized that the water had created some interesting patterns when it spread throughout the ink.