Abstract

It is well-known that Chinese painting style is quite different from the general Western painting style. In addition to the differences in terms of perspective, composition and use of color in these two painting styles, general Western painting uses surfaces to structure its frame, while Chinese painting uses lines. For a long time, there was little research aimed at fully exploring these stylistic differences. Moreover, the available features for stylizing an image in contemporary graphics and animation software have privileged a distinctly Western-style bias. This bias has created difficulties for computer artists who wish to create works using non-Western techniques and visual elements. This research also aims at developing a non-photorealistic graphics program capable of simulating certain styles of Chinese painting, focusing on a case study of a subset of the work of Feng Zikai. Feng Zikai (1898-1975), a versatile modern Chinese artist, was chiefly known for developing a unique style of Chinese cartoon painting (Manhua) incorporating a combination of Chinese fine arts features and references to Western painting and drawing styles. This research requires a long-term collaboration between computer scientists and artists and could be divided into three phases: the first phase forms a well practical understanding of the differences between Chinese paintings and general Western styles of paintings, focusing on their visual structures, such as the perspective systems, composition, and colors. The second phase involves a systemic study of the sources, methods, and techniques of Feng’s cartoon paintings; and the last phase is to build computer programs capable of simulating Chinese artistic styles, with Feng’s techniques as an initial attempt. Aside from the potential technical benefits of such study, a comprehensive understanding of the styles of Feng’s work may also participate in a discussion of the relationship between tradition and novelty in the world of art.