Art should express the rhythm and rhythm of the human heart, and the so-called concept that lacks artistic characteristics cannot replace the laws of art. The simple pursuit of the new at the expense of beauty can only be a freak of inferior and inexpensive non-donkey and non-horse. In order to cultivate thematic art creation talents centered on Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Professor Wang Tieniu was specially invited to give a lecture entitled "On the Basic Elements of Thematic Creation" in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Thematic Art Creation Talent Training Course of the National Thematic Art Creation Research Center of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in the New Era.
—Editor's note
At the beginning of the lecture, Professor Wang Tieniu used his study and work experience in the first half of his life as a clue to tell the whole process of his artistic exploration, from the educated youth to the countryside to the later admission to the Academy of Fine Arts, and then to the army and enlistment, his rich experience is interspersed with his own creative process. Professor Wang Tieniu said: Art should express the rhythm and rhythm of the human soul, and the so-called concept that lacks artistic characteristics cannot replace the laws of art. The simple pursuit of the new at the expense of beauty can only be a freak of inferior and inexpensive non-donkey and non-horse.
The scene of the painting of "The Battle of Red Cliffs".
"Conquering Jinzhou" part 1
"The Battle of Red Cliffs" Part 2
"Conquering Jinzhou" drawing scene
Afterwards, Professor Wang Tieniu showed a number of huge panoramic paintings that he had participated in, including "The Battle of Red Cliffs" and "Conquering Jinzhou", the large-size canvas produced a huge contrast with people and the magnificent war scenes in the picture, which made the students present feel a huge impact on the vision and soul, and also had a new understanding and thinking about the theme of art creation. Among them, Professor Wang Tieniu elaborated on the panoramic painting of "The Battle of Red Cliffs" that he participated in drawing, the "Battle of Red Cliffs" panoramic gallery was built on the Turtle Mountain in Wuhan, and the ancient battlefield in the painting was very magnificent and spectacular, and the scene was also the most typical. The panorama of "The Battle of Red Cliffs" is a magnificent scene, with the bright moon in the sky, the firelight soaring into the sky, the sparkling waves, the blending of light and shadow, the sky is a faint sky, and the clouds are gray clouds. The people, horses and warships on the ground are vividly visible, and the overall artistic rendering of the painting allows the viewer to clearly feel the grandeur and grandeur of this battle. It is the truth of art that the Chinese demand and identify with in their aesthetic consciousness. The quaint tones in the picture make people intuitively feel away from the modern era, so that the panorama painting of "The Battle of Red Cliffs" has gained national charm, and has achieved the unique artistic character of this panorama painting in the art forest of the world's panoramic paintings.
Professor Wang Tieniu said that the beauty of theme creation has its own standards, which is inseparable from the basic requirements of composition, color and image structure, which is also the threshold that artists must pass before the theme creation. Solid basic painting skills are the necessary conditions and basic guarantees for engaging in thematic art creation.
"Beidaying Breakout Battle" oil painting 280X420cm
"Crossing the Red Water River" oil painting, 250X350cm
The Death of the First Sino-Japanese War, oil on canvas, 200X380cm, 2014
"The Boxers United with the Qing Army to Attack Laolongtou Railway Station"
Oil on canvas 180X320cm
For thematic creation, artists should find their own foothold in real life, and give full play to their potential ability as a self-subject on the basis of going deep into life. Create an artistic appeal through individual artworks.
The ultimate criterion for judging the quality of a work of art is its appeal, and only works that can touch people's hearts are good works.
"Mao Zedong's Meaning: Remembering Qin'e. Loushan Pass - The mountains are like the sea, and the remnant sun is like blood》
Oil on canvas 200X350cm
Sketch of the Battle of Yuncheng
1999 "Battle of Yuncheng" Hezelu Southwest Battle Memorial Hall
First, the truth of reality
Artists should remove the superficial phenomena from real life to comprehend the truth of the essence of life, and excavate and express it, not the realism of superficial paintings, but the verisimilitude of paintings are specific means and methods. It is only a choice of linguistic expression, and cannot be misinterpreted as artistic truth. In terms of form and language, realism should not exclude freehand, deformed, expressive, abstract and decorative artistic expressions.
The so-called truth is the truth of life, and goodness is the highest moral goodness. Beauty is the beauty of form. It is the spiritual orientation of realism.
Positive representation of truth, goodness, and beauty is the main perspective and aesthetic characteristic of general art, which is the reason why art is where art lies.
The artist cannot refuse the tragic expression, but behind the tragedy is still the sublime. When it is false, evil, and ugly, and when it destroys the most valuable things in life for others to see, what is affirmed is still truth, goodness, and beauty. The most basic character of the spirit of realism lies in paying attention to reality and participating in reality.
Cloudy Afternoon, oil on canvas, 32X23cm
Second, there is a feeling
Artists should be good at perceiving the beauty of life, be good at summarizing and selecting life materials, and extract the materials for artistic creation.
Artistic creation is the result of associations and imaginations, and has nothing in common with mere imitation. The image and life given by poetic emotion. Painting is the art of choice, don't say everything, and don't show everything.
Art is to use innovative methods to awaken the true and beautiful emotions that already exist or are hidden in people's consciousness or subconscious. Plot, story, literature, and reproducibility are important characteristics of thematic creation, which requires the essential judgment and understanding of the things expressed, the grasp of the characteristics of the externalized expression of things, and the refinement of a certain angle suitable for artistic expression in line with the laws of artistic modeling, which requires the artist's keen insight, multi-faceted creative experience and cultivation, and accurate grasp ability. Such works shine in the 19th century critical realism school in 19th-century Russia. In modern times, thematic creation has developed towards decorative and symbolic characteristics.
Specifically, the creative method of realist art is to make typical treatment of life materials, including typical images, typical environments and typical events.
"Afternoon Sunset", oil on canvas, 40X30cm
3. Creative composition
Composition is also called chapter law. The location or layout of the business. Composition mainly solves the relationship between the part and the whole, is a means to solve the contradictions in art, and is a concrete expression of the principle of change and unity.
Composition is the structure of a painting, using the law of form to intersperse and arrange various scenes on the picture to form a perfect and satisfying form, and this combination and perfect whole becomes a work.
Image, color, and picture are several elements of composition. Composition – second nature. There are many things in the world, and the artist should be good at organizing these complex things, arranging the main objects or a group of individuals to make them organized, so that the chaotic things can be prioritized and secondary, and guide the audience to see what to see first, and what to see later.
The meaning of composition refers to the different objects in the picture. According to the rhythm of beauty (sense of form beauty, visual comfort, visual impact, etc.). Techniques to compose an organic and harmonious whole.
The composition skills are mainly embodied in: contrast and echo, virtual and real are born together; rhythmic rhythm, staggered; Roundabout and empty, in order to generalize ten thousand; Concealed, implicit but not revealed, euphemistic and tortuous; Concealment is vague, implicit and implicit; Overall linkage, proportional coordination; Build the skeleton and compose the center. The principles of balance, variety, diversity and unity in the composition are in line with people's aesthetic and psychological needs.
Fourth, the relationship of contrast
Use contrasting changes to balance the relationship, choose a good position for the subject in the picture, handle the relationship between the subject and the object, and distinguish the main and secondary. The main image should choose an image of beauty and clear nature, and strive to be clear and moving, and clear at a glance. Choose shades that are dramatic and have the right contrast.
Compositions are often built with lines. Lines are visible and hidden. The lines of composition are hinted at by the intrinsically connected features of the picture.
"Character Sketching" 1
"Character Sketching" 2
"Character Sketch" 3
5. Spatial relations
Various combinations of points, lines, and planes can create a kaleidoscopic and colorful world. The layout of black, white and gray in the creation of paintings, the color structure, the use of viewpoint positions, and the size and depth of the space blocks should be just right.
Talented artists should be good at connecting the secondary and scattered individuals with the whole perfectly, and the guest and the host should be in their place, and they should be good at grasping the proportions of change, using rhythm and rhyme, and emphasizing the tones, lines, forms, etc., or with coherence, or systematic repetition, etc. Therefore, to make people love to look at the works they want to see, they are also one of the important factors. A vibrant and interesting work is reflected through the image, color, line, and spatial position of the picture.
In the second half of the lecture, Professor Wang Tieniu focused on the process, experience and experience of several theme creations, such as "The Battle of Daqing Oil", "The Battle of Shangganling", "Marx at the International Workers' Congress in The Hague", "Rape Flowers Bloom into the Painting" and so on.
Oil painting of "Rape Flowers Bloom into the Painting".
200X350cm 2022
Professor Wang Tieniu said that painting large-scale theme creations, including history paintings, panoramic paintings, etc., not only requires the painter to have complete professional knowledge, but also to be familiar with a variety of knowledge related to the theme. In the lecture, Professor Wang Tieniu explained how he refines the typical events, typical characters, and how to shape the typical environment and image in the creation of propositions.
《上甘岭战役》300X675cm Local
"The Battle of Shangganling" drawing scene 1
"The Battle of Shangganling" drawing scene 2
Please enjoy it in landscape mode
"The Role of Kami Ganyu" oil painting, 300cm×675cm
Exhibition view of "The Battle of Shangganling".
The battle of "Shangganling Campaign" depicts the most representative war scene in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and Professor Wang Tieniu said that in addition to the ability to write realistically, the creator must also have knowledge of various disciplines such as military, geological exploration, and climate, so as to refine and sublimate on the basis of the existing objective. And on the basis of the accumulation of original knowledge, he avoids the old ways of others, starts from a new perspective, and goes to the next level in artistic innovation.
The dynamics of the characters in the picture are vividly restored to the fierce scene of the Shangganling Battle through the layout and design of Professor Wang Tieniu, and after field exploration and material sorting, Professor Wang Tieniu has selected the typical environment and typical characters and the most representative typical war situation in the Shangganling Battle.
The understanding of typification in the picture, such as the mountainous landform of Shangganling, is recognized through historical materials, and at the same time, with the accumulation of various image materials and experience, the artistic imagination is mobilized to create a visual effect close to the real battlefield, so that the whole work makes the viewer immersive.
"Daqing Oil Battle" part 1
"Daqing Oil Battle" part 2
"Daqing Petroleum Battle" 300X680cm
"Daqing Oil Battle" is a selected work of the "Large-scale Art Creation Project to Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China", which is displayed in the History Exhibition Hall of the Communist Party of China. This work is Professor Wang Tieniu's hard work in recent decades and the deepening of his understanding of Daqing petroleum themes, and finally using exquisite painting skills to reproduce this unforgettable historical memory.
In order to create this theme, Professor Wang Tieniu visited the Daqing Oilfield and systematically studied the history of the development and entrepreneurship of the Daqing Oilfield. He came into contact with the oil workers first-hand, learned about the touching deeds of those difficult years in the past, and collected as much first-hand images and objects as possible of the people, environments, and props needed for the creation. New creative ideas were quickly formed in my mind, and gradually matured, and successfully completed from sketch to color within the specified time during the special period of epidemic prevention and control. Professor Wang Tieniu carefully laid out every detail, so that the sky, earth, people and things were properly arranged, harmonious, real and natural.
Marx at the International Workers' Conference in The Hague, Part 1
Marx at the International Workers' Conference in The Hague, Part 2
Marx at the International Workers' Conference in The Hague
In the explanation of the creation of "Marx at the International Workers' Congress in The Hague", Professor Wang Tieniu said that in the creation of thematic historical paintings, there are also many historical paintings that express the themes of important conferences. In the creation of "Marx at the International Workers' Congress in The Hague", on the one hand, it is necessary to do its homework on historical materials, and in terms of composition and layout, it is necessary to avoid those familiar scenes, so that the picture can reflect some new styles. The space of the meeting is inseparable from the table and chairs, and these necessary image elements should be arranged and represented on the premise of logic and historical common sense. The horizontal figures are divided into three spatial levels, with Marx in the first row, behind the table a second row of seated people, and the last row standing. The picture uses the characteristics and rules of indoor light to design the changes of light and shade, strength and weakness, virtual and real in the crowd. The biggest difficulty in the creative process is the characters in the horizontal column, the design of each person from identity to image, seeking unity in change, seeking change in unity, and striving to make the stereotypical and bland conference theme appear more vivid and active.
At the end of the lecture, Professor Wang Tieniu showed his sketches from different regions around the world in recent years, and sketching is still the most powerful creative method for Professor Wang Tieniu.
"One of the most important traditions of realist oil painting is sketching. The artist can only obtain the real visual effect of the light in nature through sketching, the light in nature is flowing and constantly changing, and the relationship between color and light and shadow is not static, so it is fascinating to observe and explore this ever-changing scene. ”
"The artist's vision should be more keen, the world seen in the eyes should have some special features compared with ordinary people, be better at perceiving the mysteries of life and nature, and give the connotation of art, from the chaotic objective nature in accordance with the law of beauty to quickly find, summarize and refine the ability to quickly find, summarize and refine the picture, to discover the essence through the surface phenomenon, to find the elegance in the ordinary, and to find the beauty in the ordinary. Grasping the fleeting beauty is the goal pursued by sketching, which is the basic skill of sketching, which is honed by the painter in the long-term practice of sketching. ”
"In the painter's observation and depiction of the scene, the subjective factors, personal emotions and thoughts are brought in, which flow out completely unconsciously."
Under the River in the Sunshine, oil on canvas, 60X50cm
"Sketching accompanies my own artistic career, and the beginning of learning painting begins with sketching. His sketches are his own perspective and expression of the objective world, and they are a portrayal of his own spiritual world. I have also been puzzled that an open country brought a variety of ideas and schools, and it was an era of contention. Looking back on it so far, the most gratifying thing is that the persistence back then was right. ”
"I love sketching because of my love for art, no matter where I go, I paint where, landscape sketching not only records the places I have walked, but also becomes a link and bridge between me and the world, with the soul and nature dialogue, I often revel in the scenery I see, touch the scene, the scene blends, different periods have different encounters, different landscapes inspire different life perceptions, enrich different emotional experiences, I experience the scenery of life, with a frame of pictures recorded, This painting carries my perception of the world, my emotions, my loves, my ideals and pursuits. ”
"Twelve years ago, I left the teaching position I loved, and I stepped into retirement refreshed. A broader external world is unfolding in front of me, after retirement, sketching gives me a more noble value of life, a better time of life, immersed in the harmonious coexistence of man and nature in sketching, and the selfless experience of integrating with nature to obtain spiritual baptism and sublimation, to the truth, to the good, to the beauty. ”
"I have traveled all over the country with a painting box on my back, and I have also set foot in many places in the world, recording the colorful world in my eyes with my brush. In my sketching, I experience the beauty of nature in the world with devotion and awe, and record the beautiful and moving moments in the passage of time. In sketching, I have retained time, years, life, my pursuit, my thoughts, my feelings, and my love are all integrated into these paintings, which is the realm of the unity of nature and man. ”
Marino Manor, oil on canvas, 50X35cm
"When the scenery around you becomes a memory. I suddenly found that the scenery was still there, and the person was no longer a teenager. Decades of such a continuation, never stopped, so many memories and experiences along the way of life, so many roadside scenery are preserved in these sketches, the scenery of life, the scenery of life, there is romance, beauty, of course, there is sadness and compassion, bringing together a symphony of life. ”
(Text: Chen Guokey, master's student, Central Academy of Fine Arts, July 27, 2024)
(Source: Central United States National Research Center for Thematic Art Creation)
Artist Profile
Wang Tieniu, professor of the Academy of Fine Arts of Tsinghua University, member of the National Major Theme Art Creation Art Committee of the China Artists Association, winner of the honorary title of the most beautiful volunteer in China, honorary member of the China Literary and Art Volunteer Association, director of the China-Russia Friendship Association, president of the Alumni Association of the Academy of Fine Arts in Russia (Soviet), honorary academician of the Russia Academy of Arts, honorary professor and honorary doctor of the Repin Academy of Fine Arts in Russia, honorary professor of the Surikov Academy of Fine Arts in Russia.