【明報專訊】Painting is a basic art form that varies greatly between Western and Chinese traditions. It is also quite accessible to any art novice as the tools are cheap, and it takes only a little while to get going.

◆Basics

．canvas 畫布

．palette 調色盤

．brush 畫筆

．canvas stand 畫架

．paint tube 支裝顏料

◆The trend

Hand-painted invitations are taking over from digitally designed and printed ones on social media! Many painters have even started their own businesses online to make hand-painted invitations for weddings, thank-you cards, and souvenirs for others. They also offer workshops, teaching beginners how to paint simple items like birds and flowers. (picture 2)

◆Celebrity

Chinese painting is widely associated with traditional black-and-white ink landscapes, but some Chinese contemporary paintings are popular as well. For instance, the works of Yue Minjun ( 岳敏君), a Heilongjiang-born painter, have featured prominently in art galleries and museums around the world, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Arts and Busan Museum of Art in Korea. (photo.3-4)

◆Check-in

The Hong Kong Museum of Art might still be under renovation, our city has no lack of space for paintings and visual art displays. The University of Hong Kong houses a University Museum and Art Gallery (香港大學美術博物館) at 90 Bonham Road, Pokfulam (薄扶林般咸道), providing students and the public with free access to painting exhibitions. (photo.5)

■Glossary

novice (n) 新手

take over (phr v) 取代地位

feature (v) 起重要作用

display (n) 展品

[Smarties' Power English 第214期]