A Rediscovery of Art Love Through a Single Ink Painting Course
Allow the black ink to blossom into an infinite variety of tints by dipping a brush and dragging it over rough rice paper. The mesmerizing interplay of light and shadow can easily transport you to another world. Learning The Tingology ink painting is more than just taking an art class; it’s like giving your imagination a fresh start.
Envision yourself seated with a fine black dust on your hands. As a joke, the veteran teacher says that even Picasso stained his sleeves sometimes. You experience a sense of relaxation, even if you smirk. Nothing here needs to be flawless; the focus is on capturing energy, not accuracy.
There is noise in the classroom. Ink trails that veer off course, paper that soaks up pigment in bizarre and wonderful ways—these are all examples of happy accidents that can make you giggle. “Just let the ink do its thing,” instructor Mei advises. She occasionally splashes water onto the sheet to demonstrate how random splotchy shapes can transform into things like trees, waves, and even dragon whiskers.
Expectations are exchanged for experiments every session. Try painting exclusively with sticks for a week. Following that, perhaps a feather. Through the whirls and blotches, narratives begin to take shape. A mist-engulfed mountain trail and what might be a swarm of birds swooping down at sunset are two of the possible depictions. The teacher takes pleasure in your assumptions and adapts ancient tales to suit whatever comes up.
You feel yourself becoming more relaxed. Now color isn’t lost; it doesn’t matter. Because of ink’s profound patience, you can take your time and enjoy the blank space. Somehow, it has a calming effect. You learn to control your frustration with “bad” outcomes and eventually stop biting your nails. The paper never fails to amaze; occasionally, a catastrophe turns out to be your favorite. As luck would have it, your creative faculties are very much intact.
Someone in the class complains about how shaky their lines are. Unsteady lines are dynamic, according to Mei. Robots don’t care about deadlines. Everybody in the class starts laughing. To be completely honest? You begin to perceive power with every slide of the wrist. Letting go is the key to creating.
Even if you haven’t painted since elementary school, you should have no trouble following along. Try, fail, laugh, repeat; that’s all there is to it. Although advice is freely exchanged, the outcomes are not evaluated. Even seasoned pros shake things up a bit. Every time, you’ll walk away with a wide smile and bloodshot fingers. Why bother with therapy when you can just spray ink all over the place?
Is the fire burning again? As this class has shown, there’s no need to prepare yourself for the chaotic, spontaneous, and incredibly enjoyable process of falling in love with art.