Getting familiar with the Forbidden City
The Forbidden City is the largest palace complex ever built in the world, and was the former Chinese imperial palace and home of the emperors for almost 500 years. It is situated in the very heart of China’s capital, Beijing, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest ancient achievements of traditional Chinese architecture. The Forbidden City contains the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world, together with countless imperial treasures and artifacts.
The city is divided into two parts, the Outer Court and the Inner Court. The Outer Court is where the emperor handled state affairs and large structures like the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony are located. The Inner Court is where the emperor resided, surrounded by numerous gardens, residences and towers. The Forbidden City covers a total of 72 hectares and was built with a base of 920 000 square meters.
Before diving into the instructions on how to draw the Forbidden City, it is essential to gain a basic understanding of its architectural elements, such as its layouts and its most significant features. After that, researching the various sources such as books, websites and art galleries will help to gain a comprehensive understanding of the city. Taking a walk around the city itself is also a great way to get to know the Forbidden City better.
Tools and Materials
Before starting to draw the Forbidden City, it is necessary to prepare the tools and materials. This includes pencils or traditional painting utensils such as brushes, watercolors, pink and gold powders, and pigment paper.
Pencils will be used for drawing the basics of the Forbidden City, such as the wall, palace complex, and other structures. For an alternative process, the use of brushes, watercolors and pigment paper really help to bring the details of the Forbidden City to life in the painting, making it possible to accurately portray the shape and visuals of the city.
A ruler is also helpful for drawing straight lines and ensure symmetry between the left and right parts and to facilitate the drawing process.
When it comes to getting inspiration and references for the painting, there are a number of sources to check. A good starting point is to look up some photos or paintings of the Forbidden City, and even better to take a look at the actual Forbidden City itself.
Drawing Guidelines
Once all of the necessary tools and materials have been prepared and the references have been collected, it is possible to start the drawing process. To begin, start by drawing a vertical line to serve as a guideline all the way through the city.
From the outside walls towards the inner core, sketch each of the major sections on the vertical line, taking note of the different structures and their proportions. Give special attention to a few of the more significant parts, such as the front gates and the major halls, along with the lesser known parts like pavilions, towers and towers.
This plan should be sufficiently detailed to be used in the painting process. For the more detailed work, such as painting the structures, use the reference pictures for colors, shapes and detailing.
In addition, it is important to give attention to the surrounding scenery as well, incorporating the greenery, trees, rocks and other elements that bring additional beauty to the Forbidden City.
Advice from Experts and Final Touches
The Forbidden City encompasses a variety of intricate details and extraordinary complexities, making it a challenge even for experienced artists when attempting to replicate the beauty of the city on canvas. With respect to offering tips and advice on drawing the Forbidden City, expert opinion is divided.
Some advice to draw the Forbidden City includes observing the changing colors of the light to replicate the landscape, making the drawing special and unique. While others advise to draw the Forbidden City from the emperor’s point of view, to capture the life of the palace.
When the painting is almost completely finished, the last step should be to adjust the colors, make corrections and blend in some of the colors for a perfect finish. It can also be a good idea to examine the painting from far away so that the flaws and mistakes can be spotted easier.
The Significance of the Forbidden City
The Forbidden City is not only a great example of traditional Chinese architectural style and design, but it is also a symbol of China- its culture, its history, and its people. Over the years, the Forbidden City has slowly revealed its deep treasures and rich contents to people around the world, offering great insight into the development of Chinese history and culture.
The Forbidden City has inspired numerous painters, film-makers and photographers from all over the world, conveying its beauty and significance, and igniting greater interest in Chinese history and culture. To this day, the Forbidden City continues to captivate the minds of many and remains one of the most iconic tourist sights in the world.
Sharing and Groundbreaking Technique
As one has become familiar with the Forbidden City, the tools and material required, the references and the drawing procedures, one added step is to challenge one’s creativity in drawing. By making use of simple lines, larger shapes and movement, one can explore a more dynamic approach when drawing the city.
Embracing the idea of interspersing one’s own imagination and expression into the painting is the most effective way to truly find one’s own style and to bring one’s own uniqueness to the drawing. This can be done by experimenting with color palettes, technique and imagination, and eventually finding the perfect balance between reality and imagination.
Drawing and painting the Forbidden City can be a great way to communicate and share one’s vision and appreciation for such a magnificent piece of Chinese culture. After the first painting is done, it is possible to hone in on the finer details of the Forbidden City, or even to use a different approach entirely.
The Benefits and Challenges of Drawing the Forbidden City
Drawing and painting the Forbidden City has numerous benefits, ranging from developing artistic skills to learning more about Chinese history and culture, and generally exploring an entirely new subject matter. It is also a great way to express oneself, to express one’s love for the Forbidden City and to share one’s individual interpretation of it.
Despite the great range of benefits, drawing the Forbidden City is no easy feat, requiring patience, dexterity and precision. The slightest mistake can be hard to detect and can ruin the entire painting, so accuracy and attention to detail is highly important when drawing the Forbidden City.
Therefore, it is best to invest adequate time in understanding the Forbidden City and accumulating plentiful reference sources before starting the drawing. This would allow one to explore the city and its parts in greater detail and paint the masterpiece with greater accuracy and certainty.
Reach Above and Beyond
Drawing and painting the Forbidden City offers an opportunity to learn more about the Chinese imperial past, and to develop and refine one’s artistic skills. While it is possible to simply replicate some of the more popular scenes, more amazing results can arise from our exploration and through combining our own imagination with inspiration from existing works, as well as direct observation of the actual physical landscape.
By following the instructions provided, researching the materials and references, and exercising one’s creativity, it is possible to truly capture the beauty of the Forbidden City on canvas.
