The Book of Chrysanthemum

The Book of Chrysanthemum captures the step-by-step brush painting lessons that have been especially designed by the masters to introduce fundamental methods of brush painting in a progressive and interactive manner. This instructional book for Chinese brush painting on Chrysanthemum includes an introductory of and appreciation for the Symbolism in Chinese Art, discussion on the ways of holding brush and using ink, the basic exercise on painting Chrysanthemum Flowers stems, branches, veins and leaves. It gives step by step procedures for making the strokes, lines, contours and shapes in a Chrysanthemum painting. The illustrations and instructions in the book work together side by side for general readers as well as painting students.

The first step in Chinese brush painting is learning the technique. The Book of Chrysanthemum is designed as a step by step procedure to enable the student to learn the technique in a more detailed and organized manner. It is a practical handbook for the student of Chinese brush painting and is one of the four books in Prof. I-Hsiung Ju's "Four Gentlemen" - Bamboo, Orchid, Chrysanthemum, and Plum - series. This instructional book for Chinese brush painting on Chrysanthemum includes an introductory of and appreciation for the Symbolism in Chinese Art, discussion on the ways of holding brush and using ink, the basic exercise on painting Chrysanthemum Flowers stems, branches, veins and leaves. It gives step by step procedures for making the strokes, lines, contours and shapes in a Chrysanthemum painting. The illustrations and instructions in the book work together side by side for general readers as well as painting students. Prof. I-Hsiung Ju, in this instructional book for Chinese brush painting on chrysanthemum, first gives a talk on symbolism in Chinese art, then on the proper way of holding the brush and using the ink. In Part I, he gives detailed lessons on strokes and on the ways of holding brush and using ink. Next in Part II, you get the basic exercises on painting a Spider Chrysanthemum, learn the importance of the Blossom, and steps in painting outlined Chrysanthemum Flower. In Parts III – V, the author instructs how to paint Chrysanthemum leaves, stems and branches, as well as veins in both roundness and perspective outlined styles. The illustrations and diagrams are carefully arranged throughout the entire book. The Book of Chrysanthemum captures the step-by-step brush painting lessons that have been especially designed by the masters to introduce fundamental methods of brush painting in a progressive and interactive manner. It further develops basic methods, like the painting of the "horn of the deer" of the bamboo, into the method of painting the stems and branches of the chrysanthemum. New aspects are developed from the old. And after the mastery of the old, newer aspects will be introduced. The process of Chinese painting is evolutionary. But, it is important to know that a complete dedication in mastering each stage is required before a student of Chinese painting can smoothly move on to the next stage.

Prof. I-Hsiung Ju was born in Kiangyin, Kiangsu, China, in 1923. He graduated from the National University of Amoy in 1947 and received his A. B. degree in Chinese Art and Literature. Because of the war in China, he went to the Philippines to teach and at the same time to continue his studies. He graduated from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila and received his B. F. A. and M. A. in History. He has been considered as one of few Chinese artists able to blend two worlds of style, technique, and idiom to produce a unique form of painting which is both modern and traditionally Oriental. According to him, "a Chinese artist is not only a painter, but also a poet and a philosopher." A prize winner in graphic art, oil painting, and Nanga works in various countries, a writer and a lecturer on art, he has held many one-man shows in Australia, Canada, China, England, Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States. He is the author of many books and numerous papers on Chinese art. As an Artist-in-Residence and Professor of Art at Washington and Lee University, he was selected Professor of the Year for 1971 by the Ringtum Phi, the Washington and Lee University newspaper, and was awarded the Best Art Educator of the Year for 1974 by the Chinese National Writers and Artists' Association in Taipei, Taiwan, the Republic of China.