A Dot That Matters

By Ouyang Zhongshi

Mr. Ai Siqi was my philosophy teacher.Once, he stayed behind after class. Knowing that I was acquainted with Mr. Qi Baishi, he asked me,“How does Mr. Qi paint shrimps? Particularly, how does he present the transparency of the shrimp? Have you ever seen him painting?”“Yes, I have.” I told him.

Then he asked me to describe the way Mr. Qi painted shrimp,so I explained how he used light ink and how he painted the head,curved body, and tiny feet of the shrimp.

Mr. Ai kept nodding his head but didn’t say a word.“As for the shrimp head, is that all?” He said at last.“No, Mr. Qi would put a slightly darker ink dot on the shrimp head.” I said.

“Oh,” Mr. Ai said, as if he felt that I finally touched the key point, which was quite comforting.

Yet Mr. Ai continued,“Did you notice how he made the ink dot so exact?”“He did it quite casually,”I said.“He just dipped the brush in the ink and gave a gentle touch on the shrimp head.” Mr. Ai said,“That’s right, because that’s where the dregs stay after the shrimp consumes food. But have you noticed any other details?”

“Not exactly,” I said.

“Just think how the ink dot was painted,” Mr. Ai said.

“Actually, it wasn’t just a smear of ink, but a long stroke, as he slightly dragged his brush on the paper,” I said.

“Anything else?” He asked. But I had no clue.

“You should check it another time.” Mr. Ai said. Back then, I no longer visited Mr. Qi as often as I had before, so it would be difficult for me to see him painting shrimps again on site. However, I had visited and closely observed him painting the ink dot. What had I missed?

Qi Baishi (1864-1957), Chinese painter, noted for thewhimsical, often playful style of his watercolor works

Later, I looked up some of Mr. Qi’s paintings that were available. One day, I happened to see one of his shrimp paintings. I studied it attentively, and to my surprise, I discovered something new. In the black ink of the shrimp head, probably after it dried out or when it was almost dry, Mr. Qi used thick ink, which was so thick that it even glowed, to add a gentle but slightly curved stroke on it. Like magic,the curved stroke vividly presented the bulging head of the shrimp. If you cover it with your hand, the transparency of the shrimp is compromised, but if you take your hand away, the shrimp appears to be transparent again immediately.

齊白石畫作 Painting by Qi Baishi

“Wow.” I sighed. It’s unbelievable that a philosopher looks more accurately into a traditional Chinese painting than us who paint.

Therefore, when learning something new, we should not only learn it in class, but also reflect on it afterwards. Even a tiny discovery like this could make a difference. If it were not for Mr. Ai Siqi, I wouldn’t have looked at the ink dot again, and this ink dot was quite enlightening! To learn a skill from a master, it is not enough to use your eyes, but to use your mind as well. As a result, I am almost scared to paint any more, especially shrimps—but I think I get the hang of it.