Sumi-e
水墨画 / Tang dynasty–present / Technique / East Asian Painting
With only ink gradations and emptiness, keeps a subject's presence, speed and distance rather than its shape.
At a glance
Visual cues
- Ink gradation
- Dry-brush scratch
- Vast emptiness
- The speed of one stroke
Best used for
- Presence and depth from few elements
- Giving quiet brands and cultural projects room to breathe
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Dictionary entry
- Type
- A light mincho or brush letters, sparingly
- Composition
- Reserve as much for the unpainted as for the subject
- Material
- Ink, unbleached paper, absorption, bleed
- Caution
- Not a black brush texture dropped in. Design the stroke order and the meaning of the emptiness.
- Further study
- Sesshū Tōyō / haboku
Related entries
- Minimalism (ミニマリズム)Shared effects: Calm.Compare Sumi-e and Minimalism
- Ukiyo-e (浮世絵)Shared effects: Calm.Compare Sumi-e and Ukiyo-e
Often confused with
More from East Asian Painting
Continue through styles in the same East Asian Painting family, prioritised by shared effects.
- Rinpa (琳派)Shared effects: Luxury / Calm / Intimacy.
- Nihonga (日本画)Shared effects: Calm / Luxury / Intimacy.
Browse all East Asian Painting entries
Cite this entry
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- Link
- https://indexstyle.org/styles/sumi-e
- Markdown
- [Sumi-e — IndexStyle](https://indexstyle.org/styles/sumi-e)
- HTML
- <a href="https://indexstyle.org/styles/sumi-e">Sumi-e — IndexStyle</a>