Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting, Vol. 3

十二 page twelve

...are also similar to the petals. Where the petals are pointed, the calyx di: the protective outer part of a flower, often green, that supports the petals should be pointed; where they are rounded, the calyx should be rounded. For the "iron-stemmed" varieties, the calyx is joined directly to the stem. In the "drooping-silk" crabapple, the calyx hangs from a delicate red filament. The camellia original: shancha (山茶) has layered calyxes that rise like scales. The pomegranate original: shiliu (石榴) has a long calyx with many divisions. The color of the plum blossom's calyx follows the red or green of the flower itself. Peach calyxes are both red and green. Apricot calyxes are red and black. Crabapple calyxes are deep crimson. Each has its front and back orientation, and there is a distinction between when the "whiskers" the stamens are visible and when the calyx is visible. The buds of the magnolia original: yulan (玉蘭) and mubi (木筆, literally "wood-pen," referring to the brush-like shape of the buds) are a pale brownish-grey. Rose calyxes are green and long, with red tips. These are the distinctions that must be made among flower calyxes.

Method for Painting the Hearts and Stamens

The heart of every woody flower grows from the calyx. In species like the plum and apricot, although the calyx is not visible from the front, the central point of the flower corresponds to the calyx on the reverse; this is the "root" where the fruit will form. One should also cluster five small dots there, from which the "whiskers" original: xu (鬚), referring to the filaments of the stamens emerge. Yellow "buds" original: rui (蕊), referring to the pollen-bearing anthers grow at the tips of these whiskers. The stamens of the plum, apricot, and crabapple each have their own distinctions. The plum should be elegant and lean, while the peach and apricot should be plump and full original: fengman (豐滿), as their blooming seasons differ. Furthermore, white plums and red plums are distinct: the white plum should be even more slender, while the red plum may be slightly fuller—yet it should not resemble the red apricot. The differences between flowers are first seen in their hearts.

Method for Painting Roots and Bark

Woody flowers differ from herbaceous ones in that they have distinct roots and bark. The texture strokes cunfa: a fundamental brush technique in Chinese painting used to depict the surface texture of rocks or tree bark for the bark of peach and tung trees should be horizontal. The bark of old pines should resemble scales. Cypress bark should appear twisted. Plum bark should be "aged yet moist" original: cangrun (蒼潤), a quality of being both weathered and full of life. Apricot bark should be reddish. The bark of the crape myrtle original: ziwei (紫薇) should be smooth and slick. Pomegranate bark should appear weathered and lean. Camellia bark should be green and moist. Wintersweet bark should be aged and moist. By depicting the roots and trunks and capturing the correct bark texture, the entire essence of the woody flower is achieved.