Chinese painting has evolved throughout China's long and varied history. Development of fine arts flourished or not depending on the whims and fancies of the ruling dynasties that so heavily influenced Chinese life for centuries. Chinese painting has also been influenced by religious and social input from invaders, traders and immigrants.
Prehistoric
Chinese paintings date back as far as the Neolithic Era, when colored pottery and bronze ware exhibited line patterns that looked like teeth, fishing nets and ripples, and vividly painted frogs, deer, fish and human faces.
Cliff
Ancient cliff paintings and engravings are found throughout China and Inner Mongolia. Main themes in Southern China include daily life, activities and sacrificial rites; whereas, those of North China depict dancing, wars, hunting and animals grazing.
Art Academies
Art Academies were first established during the Five Dynasties (907-960) where portrait paintings depict the daily lives of aristocrats, nobles and emperors. The Imperial Art Academy emerged during the Song Dynasty.
Landscapes
During the Five Dynasties and at the beginning of the Song dynasty, was a time called "The Great Age of Chinese Landscape." There are two basic techniques, one using strong, black lines, ink wash and dotted strokes to create such themes as rivers and mountains, and the other utilizing softer lines and softer brushes to paint peaceful rural landscapes. Both procedures merged over time into the classic Chinese landscape.
The Blue and Green Landscape, popular during the Tang Dynasty, portrays ornamental landscapes done in blue and green tones and outlined in gold, according to Art Realization.com.
Folk
Popular in the Song Dynasty (960-1127) and reaching its height in the Qing (1644-1911), this type of Chinese painting was prolific and targeted the masses. An example is the pictures displayed in windows and on walls and doors of many Chinese homes during Chinese New Year to ward evil spirits and disasters, and to attract blessings from heaven.
Still Life
The History for Kids organization says that during the Song dynasty (960-1279) attention to exquisite detail emerged and the subjects of paintings focus on single items such as a bird, flower or bamboo shoot. During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) paintings were done in oils and often portrayed birds, flowers, people and bamboo.
Common Daily Life
According to the Department of Washington Education, detailed scenes of rural and urban Chinese life, especially during the Song and Yuan dynasties, are highly regarded as social records more than for their artistic prowess.
Guo Hau
Guo Hau, which means "native painting," uses natural ink instead of oils.
This type of Chinese painting, popular until the 20th century, uses the same type of ink, brush and techniques as calligraphy. However, Guo Hau implements the use of colored ink. This form of Chinese painting commonly appears in the meticulous style known as "Gong-Bi," the traditional court painting style.
Shui-mo-hua
Shui-mo-hua, also a calligraphy-based Chinese painting style, utilizes a paint mixture of water and mo (a natural ink made of pine soot which created a water color effect), done on silk or rice paper, uses only black ink. The most popular form, Xie-Yi ("writing the meaning" in Chinese) introduces a freehand approach that incorporates few strokes and simple curves to express emotions.
Shan Shui
Yet another calligraphy-inspired painting style that rose to prominence during the Song Dynasty, Shan Shui (mountain-water-picture), uses brush and various colors of ink to show what the artists thought about nature rather than recreating it.
