Author: Cheong Thye-Ming, Contributing Editor

Hello, I am Cheong Thye-Ming. I was born in 1940, Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Malaysia. I now live in Tawau, Sabah, East Malaysia. Since I was a kid, I have had the strong urge to create art and music. I received tertiary education in Fine Arts at The National Taiwan Normal University, and graduated in 1966 with a B.A. in Fine Arts. After completing my university education, I was hired by an advertising company and taught in a secondary school as an art teacher in Taiwan. However, as the only son in the family, I was asked to return to Malaysia and take care of my aging father. In 1967, I served as an art teacher in St. Patrick's Secondary School, Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia.  I remained there until 1995.

I am now a full time artist, and member of The Contemporary Malaysian Watercolorist Association and The Asian Watercolorists Alliance, and has exhibited nationally and internationally in two solo and numerous group exhibitions. Between 1966 and 1995, I has participated in over 20 groups exhibitions. I've selected some of my most popular works in Watercolor and Chinese Painting and made them available for viewing here on the Web. I would like to invite you to enjoy some of my favorite art works. I'd love to here from other artist to share info about shows, demos, workshops etc.

You will notice that we seem to speak most of Chinese painting. This does not mean that Japanese painting, or Korean, or anything else is excluded. It does mean going back to the roots, to the original spirit and purpose of painting in the Far East, and this phase of art had its source in China. The concept of the term "Chinese painting" only came into use at the time when western art was flowing into China.

After China was liberated, she began to be more tolerant of other countries' painting, thus naming her painting Chinese painting. Today, with its open concept in policies, China has no worries about her national treasure being diminished. "Water-ink Painting" is being reinstated as the general term for Chinese painting in onsideration of its medium used as well as a scientific term. More so for the reason that Chinese painting now exists all over the world, no longer an art monopoly of China. Therefore such painting as an expression when the principal medium is ink and water, even with color, is commonly called "Water-ink Painting". "Water-ink Painting" belongs to us all; it is not only Oriental. I can express the modern ideals of America and all the west, just as it has told of the finest traditions of the East. These lessons will give you a series of images to illustrate the particular points of the major techniques. The caption accompanying each illustration indicates particular elements of a method or technique.

An Introduction to Chinese Painting
	Preparation - Getting acquainted with the materials unique to the Chinese style of painting
	Preliminary Technical Studies - Learn the basic strokes and fundamental techniques
	The Way of Using Ink - Learn the various ways of using the inks
	Basic Line Drawing - Learn the basic line styles and techniques - complete with exercises
	Line Drawing Exercises - More exercises in line drawing
	The Way of Using Color - Learn the fundamentals of applying colors in Chinese painting
	The Technique of Flower Painting - Learn how to do the basics of flowers, including stems and leaves.
	The Elaborate Style - Outline and Coloration technique
	Elaborate Style Flower Drawing Exercises - More exercises