Best seller

Introduction to Sumi-e Painting

A course by Koshu (Akemi Lucas) , Artist and Teacher

Artist and Teacher. Camberley, United Kingdom.
Joined October 2020

Connect with Japanese zen philosophy and let your energy flow through expressive ink brush strokes

Best seller
100% positive reviews (491)
14,733 students
Audio: English
English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch

Connect with Japanese zen philosophy and let your energy flow through expressive ink brush strokes

Step into a journey of self-discovery through the ancient art of Sumi-e painting. Japanese artist Koshu guides you through this ancestral art form using ink brush strokes and a meditative practice to create deeply expressive artwork.

Discover a thousand-year-old practice that is both a form of expression and a way of setting the mind. Delve into the history of Sumi-e painting and its intrinsic connection to nature and Zen philosophy. Explore the brushstroke techniques to create all four Shikunshi: an orchid, bamboo, a chrysanthemum, and a plum blossom.

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What will you learn in this online course?

23 lessons & 18 downloads

Ink Density
4 minutes, 12 seconds
Basic Techniques
8 minutes, 0 seconds
Basic Ink Effects
20 minutes, 58 seconds
  • 100% positive reviews (491)
  • 14,733 students
  • 23 lessons (4h 44m)
  • 18 additional resources (9 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: English
  • English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Create a Sumi-e painting of plum blossoms in moonlight.

Projects by course students

Who is this online course for?

This course is for anyone interested in discovering the art of Sumi-e painting.

Requirements and materials

You don’t need any previous experience to take this course; just a desire to explore Sumi-e painting.

As for materials, you’ll need felt cloth, a paperweight, an inkstone, an ink stick or liquid ink, 2 water jars, 4 small plates, paintbrushes of various sizes, different types of paper, paper towels, a thick piece of paper cut into a circle, an old toothbrush, and a sieve or metal mesh.


Reviews

14,733 Students
491 Reviews
100% Positive ratings
  • More reviews

Koshu (Akemi Lucas)

A course by Koshu (Akemi Lucas)

Teacher Plus
Artist and Teacher

Koshu is an artist with a deep connection to the Zen philosophy related to Japanese calligraphy and Sumi-e painting. She became a qualified calligraphy teacher at 24 and had her own calligraphy school with over 250 students until she relocated to the UK. She continues to share her passion with others through workshops and courses across the country.

Koshu creates commissions for a wide range of international clients. Her latest work can be seen on labels for KokoroGin, the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and in advertising campaigns related to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • About Me
    • Influences
    • What Will We Do in This Course?
  • U2

    Theory of Sumi Painting and Materials

    • What Is Sumi Painting?
    • What is Shikunshi?
    • Materials and How to Set Up for Sumi Painting
  • U3

    Basic Techniques

    • How to Choose Paper and Ink
    • Ink Density
    • Basic Techniques
    • Basic Ink Effects
  • U4

    Shikunshi

    • Basic Brush Practice Movements for Orchid 1
    • Basic Brush Practice Movements for Orchid 2
    • Basic Brush Practice Movement for Bamboo 1
    • Basic Brush Practice Movement for Bamboo 2
    • Basic Brush Practice Movement for Chrysanthemum 1
    • Basic Brush Practice Movement for Chrysanthemum 2
    • Basic Brush Practice Movement for Plum Blossom 1
    • Basic Brush Practice Movement for Plum Blossom 2
    • Basic Brush Practice Movement for Plum Blossom 3
    • Basic Brush Practice Movement for Plum Blossom 4
    • Basic Brush Practice Movement for Plum Blossom 5
  • U5

    Details and After Care

    • How to Include the Moonlight
    • How to Prepare Your Artwork for Framing
  • FP

    Final project

    • Introduction to Sumi-e Painting

What to expect from a Domestika course

  • Learn at your own pace

    Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.

  • Learn from the best professionals

    Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

  • Meet expert teachers

    Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

  • Certificates
    Plus

    If you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.

  • Get front-row seats

    Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.

  • Share knowledge and ideas

    Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.

  • Connect with a global creative community

    The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.

  • Watch professionally produced courses

    Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.


FAQs

Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.

All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.

The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.

You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
Introduction to Sumi-e Painting. Illustration course by Koshu (Akemi Lucas) Best seller

Introduction to Sumi-e Painting

A course by Koshu (Akemi Lucas)
Artist and Teacher. Camberley, United Kingdom.
Joined October 2020
  • 100% positive reviews (491)
  • 14,733 students