A Study of Techniques in Using Colors of Ancient Chinese People

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Kamolwan Saengprom

Abstract

Chinese art is associated with a long history and Chinese culture. Chinese ancestors have expertise in using colors from mineral stones, plants, and animals for artistic creation. The colors that Chinese people use come from natural materials that can be found in the area that makes each area use different colors. Creating a unique local identity, so “color” is directly linked to Chinese culture. The study of art history of China can see the development of color in Chinese art continuously. The Chinese have a meticulous preparation process including the selection of natural raw materials. And the use of medium, which is an important step in producing color before bringing to create quality art work. The color preparation process is an interesting body of knowledge to be studied and disseminated further.


The objectives of this study were to (1) Study the development of color in Chinese art work. (2) Study the methods of and techniques of color usage in daily life of the ancient Chinese. (3) Disseminate knowledge of the wisdom of using color of ancient Chinese people by studying from documents and research related to the use of Chinese colors use data synthesis methods by collecting data and analyze content with the method of descriptive analysis.


The results of the study are divided into 2 aspects: (1) The color development in Chinese art, it was found that the use of color started from the old stone age, which found the use of red stone minerals for decorating various appliances. The use of color has developed continuously, such as the Xia Dynasty, the Shang Dynasty and the Zhou Dynasty found a record of the use of colors in all 5 directions, showing the skills and knowledge of using colors to connect with various things in daily life. Until leading to the terms that were widely used in those days. The use of color in the Chinese has been continuously developed. Until the middle ages of the Qing Dynasty was influenced by Western people. There was more imports of synthetic dyes into China. (2) The technique of using color in Chinese arts, it is found that the Chinese classify colors into 6 categories which are 1) color from mineral stone 2) color from plant 3) color from animal 4) synthetic color 5) mixed color 6) color from metals. The Chinese prefer to use paints from mineral stones, and plants that are most locally found. All six types of paints have techniques, methods of use and different properties.

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References

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