“I do sumi-e”

concentration and expression. Attention and freedom of expression of feelings. All this is sumi-e, Japanese traditional ink drawing, otherwise called suibokuga. For me, it looked like a miracle: just a few strokes gave birth to a fragrant hydrangea or bamboo fluttering in the wind on paper. When I first saw how this drawing was created, I immediately decided that I wanted to try it.

It turned out that everything here is not the same as in European painting. Inside-out perspective: what is farther should be lighter. A special brush with a soft long pile 4–5 cm long should be held vertically, like chopsticks: thanks to its shape, it can draw the finest lines and massive strokes. Chiaroscuro transitions are achieved by dipping different parts of the brush into ink diluted with water. This is a jeweler’s work – to apply strokes, then folding a plastic brush with a wedge, then with a spatula, then dipping its most pointed tip into the ink. Or, on the contrary, use a disheveled, almost dry brush. All these techniques require concentration and practice. And they do not require any art education – on the contrary, the less rules of academic drawing and painting you know, the easier it will be to master these new techniques.

Find a teacher

“Sumi-e” means “ink and water”. Sumi, hard ink in bars, is made from the soot of coniferous trees – before class, it is rubbed with water until a uniform jet black color is obtained. In addition to it, you will need thin rice paper, brushes, a stone ink pot made of slate or jade. And direct contact with the teacher, who teaches, guided by the principle of “look and do as I do.” The sensei may not say a word, only show the brush movement over and over again to an insufficiently attentive student.

This is how the principle of direct transfer of knowledge from teacher to student is implemented, which is used in all types of traditional oriental arts – from the tea ceremony to martial arts. Continuity is ensured by the institute of seals: each master has his own seal, on which two hieroglyphs are carved. The first hieroglyph is part of the teacher’s name, the second is the personal name of the artist. Thanks to such a system, a kind of genealogical tree of mastery is formed: according to the surviving works, you can trace who studied with whom – literally look into the depths of centuries. The system of seals increases the personal responsibility of the teacher to the student – after all, his name will be on the student’s work. The red seal that replaces the signature is an integral, traditional element of the painting.

The language of images

The tradition of contemplation, admiring nature is reflected in the classic stories of sumi-e. “Four noble gentlemen” symbolize the four seasons.

Feel the roots

Sumi-e is considered by the Japanese to be a relatively young art – unlike the thousand-year history of ikebana, it is only a few hundred years old. The meditative nature of this activity is quite understandable: sumi-e has Zen roots. Such traditional Japanese arts as calligraphy, drawing, and ikebana were at first only part of the Buddhist monastic ritual. The tea ceremony and its accompanying ikebana and calligraphic scrolls were brought to Japan from China by Buddhist monks. The drawings and calligraphic inscriptions on the scrolls had a religious theme. But in the Edo era, plots characteristic of Japan develop: the image of nature, plants, symbolizing the seasons. Perhaps the influence of Shintoism, a Japanese religion that deifies the forces of nature, is affecting here. The scrolls usually had Japanese three-line haiku written on them, accompanied by a small drawing, the haiga. As the Japanese say, haiga is a premonition of haiku. And sumi-e is a haiga without words, because they are superfluous here: when you look at such a drawing, the verses seem to take shape in your head.

Try in practice

Observation, concentration and inspiration are the three keys to mastering this art. Features of the materials (loose paper and ink diluted with water) require a quick and precise stroke: the ink instantly spreads, making the line unpredictable, it cannot be erased or corrected. Therefore, the practice of sumi-e is a stay in spontaneity and at the same time focus on one’s actions, on one’s own plan.

Two hours of classes a week can completely change the taste of life. Whenever I come to class, my head is still full of the daily hustle and bustle and I need time to catch my breath. But I take the brush, and the cloud of stress enveloping me gradually dissipates. I rub the ink – exactly two hundred strokes on the stone surface – and thoughts stop their crazy run. It’s like I’m turning into a blank sheet of paper in front of me. The breath evens out, and the first stroke appears on the paper. These are two hours of calmness, contemplation and concentration. The time that people gathered in our group – managers, lawyers, computer scientists and housewives – value it for the process, not for the result. Many of them complain that they cannot draw at home due to the daily routine. This time becomes for them a breath of air, meditation, immersion in themselves and in the flow of creative energy. In a special world where you can find many shades between black and white.