sembyo: the way of a line

The linear brush stroke (Fig. 1), called sembyo, is the very essence of all Oriental ink-painting. Upon the success of this line depends the entire character of the painting. All sembyo strokes are painted quickly and freely, once the general direction and feeling have been visualized in the artist's mind. The artist strives toward a skilled "carelessness" in the control of the brush as the coordination between mind, eye, hand, and brush must be such as to give the resulting stroke living spontaneity, strength, and beauty.

These vital qualities of the brush line will be most quickly understood by beginning to practice without fear or hesitation. Hold the brush lightly but firmly toward the tip of its handle with the thumb and the first two or three fingers. Rinse the brush in clear water and absorb the excess on a slightly damp and absorbent paint cloth. Dip the brush into the prepared sumi mixture. For sembyo, the brush is held perpendicular to the paper. The stroke is sensed and directed through the fingertips, while its strength and flow come from the free motion of the entire arm and shoulder. This way of painting, using a minimum of wrist movement, enables the artist to achieve the unhesitating flow which must be evident in every section of the sumi line. Paint a straight stroke, swiftly but steadily, with equal brush pressure, in different directions on a sheet of practice paper. If the line is painted too slowly it will be shaky and unsure. The line need not be ruler-straight but will have interest in character and sensitivity rather than mechanical perfection.

When one has absorbed the feel of this free-flowing line, all the many variations which follow are a matter of changing stroke direction, varying the degree of pressure of the brush on the paper, interplaying the amount of moisture and sumi on the brush, and changing the different sizes and types of brushes used for contrast in size and texture.

For example, the circle in Fig. 2 is the same sembyo stroke, but it follows a circular motion of the hand, arm, and shoulder in one continuous stroke. It, too, has strength and character rather than compass precision. And the sweet peas of Fig. 3 are done entirely in variants of the basic sembyo stroke.

By changing the direction of the brush stroke and by varying the pressure of the brush it is possible to achieve, in continuously flowing strokes, limitless variations of the sembyo line, depending on one's capability, imagination, or perhaps simple courage! The line may express a delicate and fragile tendril-like growth (Fig. 4), using a thin brush with a change in direction and with little change in pressure. It may also suggest the infinite subtleties of an aged vine by alternately lifting and pressing a larger brush to the paper so that all the bristles combine in painting a broader line (Figs. 5 and 6).

Many other variations of the sembyo line are seen in the strong yet sensitive structure lines which support the softer wash tones of sumi-e, called mokkotsu, shown on pages 14 and 15.

Ukai Uchiyama demonstrating the correct brush grip.