工笔

工筆
gōngbǐ
noun #86,664

Meanings

  1. 1 gongbi (meticulous-brush style of traditional Chinese painting)
  2. 2 fine-detail brushwork

Examples

HSK 7-9
Tā shàncháng gōngbǐ huāniǎohuà.
She specializes in gongbi flower-and-bird painting.
HSK 7-9
Gōngbǐ yāoqiú xiàntiáo jīngxì, shè sè jūnyún.
Gongbi demands fine lines and even coloring.

Tips

culture
One of the two major styles of 国画 (Chinese painting), opposed to 写意 (freehand / expressive). 工笔 uses meticulous outline (勾勒), multiple washes of color (渲染), and typically depicts 花鸟 (flower-and-bird) or 人物 (figures). Flourished in the Song and Yuan courts.
memory
(meticulous work) + (brush) → 'meticulous-brush'. Contrast 写意: (to write/express) + (idea) → 'write the idea', the looser counterpart.

Stroke Order

gōng