The Versatile Master Artist

People tend to feel obligated when they accept favors and gifts from others.

This kind of social activity with good project points may be something someone at school wants, but why would they approach me?

The girls on campus who treat their boyfriends like walking ATMs might not care.

But Mona is not that kind of girl.

”Alright, what about next weekend then?”

Jerry’s sunshine-like smile didn’t change.

”Forget it.”

Mona still coldly shook her head, tossed her empty coffee cup into a nearby trash can, and turned towards her half-finished painting.

Koukou looked at Jerry leaving awkwardly and sneered at Mona’s back.

”Whatever, still so stubborn.”

Mona returned to her half-done still life and hesitated for a long time, taking out her phone to contact Gu Weijing, whom she hadn’t reached out to in a while.

”How many days have you not come to the studio! Don’t you know the campus recruitment event is coming soon!”

She typed halfway and then deleted it.

I’m not his mom,

why should I care about him?

”I’ll be at the studio on Sunday afternoon, come if you want.”

Mona hesitated a bit, feeling this message seemed too forced.

She thought for a moment and deleted the latter part.

”I’ll be painting at the studio on Sunday afternoon.”

Mona looked at the brief message several times before finally pressing the send button.

...

Gu Weijing didn’t notice the new message on his phone.

He was currently in the courtyard of the Good Fortune Orphanage.

Gu Weijing frowned as he stood in front of the easel, examining the canvas before him.

After receiving guidance from Curator Tangkis that sparked inspiration to create a piece combining Chinese painting and oil painting styles.

He had decided to immediately start painting.

Gu Weijing gave up on his preferred Impressionist style of color spots mixing, opting instead for the more classical traditional oil painting method—abandoning abstract visual beauty for precise execution and stringent lines to complement the Eastern meticulous painting style.

It was the only viable choice.

It’s not that Impressionist techniques are bad.

Impressionism itself is influenced by Eastern painting styles, pursuing spiritual enjoyment and overall impressionistic meaning of the picture.

Art principles and the traditional Chinese freehand technique actually complement each other.

However, he was clear-minded,

trying to do the fusion requires consideration of his abilities.

He knew he couldn’t master such high-end painting techniques given his current understanding of Impressionist and freehand styles.

Impressionism’s scenes are typically more abstract,

while freehand style focuses more on capturing spirit over substance.

Bringing these two drawing styles together is akin to mixing two intangible gases with your hands in mid-air.

Achieving this requires master-level painting skills.

Considering his current level as a budding professional painter, the final result would be unrecognizably ”abstract.”

He wanted to do fusion painting,

but with his current painting skill level, he had limited choices.

After much contemplation,

he decided to adopt the most accessible method for now.

Using the rigorous line structures of traditional Chinese meticulous painting as the framework, adding oil painting’s colors and brushwork as the details.

Ultimately crafting a work in a realistic style.

Realism is always the simplest technique.

This approach is certainly not simple, yet it’s more doable than fusing the essence of Impressionistic and freehand’s ideological core.

Since spiritual pursuit was unattainable, he had to focus on form first.

He already determined the theme for the painting.

The inspiration is taken from Carol’s ”Old Church on a Stormy Day.”

He used the familiar courtyard of the Good Fortune Orphanage as the background, with Jasmine and other children and some volunteers of different ages as the main figures.

Given Gu Weijing’s current skills, figures were a more emotional choice than mere architecture.

He chose daylight for lighting.

Bright daylight is easier to depict vividly than the fickle colors of a stormy day.

Theoretically, it should be easy to paint.

Since arriving at the Good Fortune Orphanage that morning, Gu Weijing had been standing by the easel for six or seven hours.

Now,

the finished work was right in front of him.

The sunlit church, running children, volunteers with armbands...

At first glance, the whole piece seemed well-conceived; however, a closer look revealed issues to Gu Weijing.

”Strange.”

Throughout the painting process, and the final effect of the piece, Gu Weijing’s strongest impression was summarized by the word strange.

He casually threw a Calligraphy and Painting Identification Skill towards it.

[Title: Sunshine Orphanage]

[Sketching Technique: 1705/5000]

[Oil Painting Technique: 1302/5000]

——__——__——__——

[Chinese Painting Techniques: 609/5000]

[Emotions: Perfunctory]

The emotional feedback rated it as simply perfunctory, nearly the worst rating among his recent works.

Gu Weijing wasn’t surprised by this.

Not to mention sharing emotions with figures on the canvas, halfway through he was almost driven mad by the odd feeling.

Just because it was his first attempt, he wanted to see it through to the end.

That was why Gu Weijing gritted his teeth to finish this piece.

Noticing the virtual panel’s data parameters differed from the usual ones,

showing a dark irregular divider like shark teeth separating the sketch, oil painting, and Chinese painting techniques.

Apparently, the system did not recognize it as fusion painting, deeming it more like forcing different colors of modeling clay together.

From an artistic standpoint, it was undoubtedly a very unsuccessful piece.

Its presentation was even inferior to a straightforward oil painting.

Gu Weijing shook his head.

Clearly, both his meticulous line work and oil painting techniques were at a professional painter’s level.

Logically,

there shouldn’t be major errors,

but the visual effect was still just odd.

Regarding the painting as if it were a beauty.

Gu Weijing hoped she would possess Eastern allure and Western charm, both gentle and refined.

But the final effect looked more like the ghost in Painted Skin.

The left half of the face resembled Lin Daiyu, the right half resembled Sophie Marceau.

It was a bit creepy.

Individually, neither technique had an issue.

However, when fused,

it became a non-descriptive mishmash.

Though the painting didn’t meet his expectations, he wasn’t discouraged.

If Gu Weijing could create a successful fusion work on his first try, that would indeed be odd.

”But, why did this happen?”

Failing to solve the picture’s discord almost sentenced this painting method to death.

Gu Weijing pondered in the courtyard, unable to find a solution.

”Wait, I’ve been silly.”

Suddenly realizing he had teachers now, unlike before.

Instead of pondering alone, why not seek expert advice?

...

”Professor Lin, could you advise me on my painting? I ran into difficulty.”

Capital City time was over an hour later than Myanmar time.

Just waking from his nap, Professor Lin Tao received Gu Weijing’s phone call, immediately hearing the straightforward inquiry.

”Oh, what’s the problem?”

Professor Lin Tao did not refuse.

Being Gu Weijing’s current ”instructor,” despite feeling Elder Cao’s decision to take a last disciple was somewhat rash.

Overall, he was content with Gu Weijing.

With a serious attitude, innate intelligence, progressing swiftly.

Teaching a student void of artistic sense can be frustrating, yet teaching an adept student like Gu Weijing was gratifying.

Even though it wasn’t the scheduled teaching time, Professor Lin Tao didn’t mind being interrupted by Gu Weijing.

”I’ve sent you the photo.”

Gu Weijing said.

Professor Lin Tao took out his larger-screened iPad, viewing the image sent by Gu Weijing.

Oh?

At first glance, seeing Gu Weijing’s canvas, he was taken aback.