Set up to paint in an area that you can spread out in. You will need a place to lay your paintings as they dry. Cover the table to protect it from paint. Wear old clothes to paint in or cover your clothing with a smock. Tape watercolor paper on to Plexiglas or table or counter. Taping the paper down will help keep it from warping. Fill a plastic container with water and lay the brushes out on a paper towel. Have extra paper towels close by.
Hold the brush by either clasping the brush between the thumb and first two fingers or resting the brush between the first and second finger and grasping it with the thumb. There are two positions: vertical for when you are painting thin lines and slanted for when you are using the side of a broad brush to paint thick lines with the side of the brush. When you are using the vertical position, hold the brush mid-way up the stem of the brush. When you are using the slant position, hold the brush closer to the bristles.
Draw a line by using the vertical position and bringing the brush down slightly to the right and pull up, stop and lift the brush. To correctly make all strokes in the Chinese technique, move the whole arm in the direction of the stroke. Do not bend the wrist.
Practice drawing a series of lines stopping and starting the strokes. Draw the lines to the right and to the left.
To make the thick lines of the bamboo, load the large brush with a light wash and the tip of the brush with a more concentrated wash. This will help give the bamboo a three dimensional effect. Hold the brush in the slanted position and place the brush to the paper and pull to the right. The difference is the thin line uses the tip of the brush instead of the side of the brush. Pull up on the brush, stop and lift. Leave a space and repeat this time making the stroke a little longer. A rough dry brush effect is desired. It gives the bamboo stalk further highlight.
To make bamboo leaves use a medium brush in the slant position. The leaf stoke is pulled down, setting the brush down dragging downward and pulling up. Because the tip of the brush is pointed, you should obtain a pointed tip at the end of the leaf. Practice the leaves in all directions; down to the center, down to the right and then to the left. When you create a leaf composition, the center left is painted first; the secondary leaves are painted around it.
Compose your bamboo by painted three large stems. Start the stems at the left side of the paper and work to the right as you move up the stem. Do not fill the paper. Let the piece dry.
Make the circular joints around the bamboo stalks using the technique you use to make thin straight lines. Let the piece dry.
Make the stem pieces using the using the technique you use to make thin straight lines. Let the piece dry.
Make the leaves in the composition using the medium brush. Group the leaves in groups of three to five leaves. Make three to five leaf groups
