Grasping the characteristics of characters in painting, we should not only describe the external physical characteristics of characters, that is, the difference from others, but also express the inner world of characters through their physical characteristics, which is the essence of attaching importance to and emphasizing the characterization in painting. This point has been fully verified and reflected in many classic paintings.
We watch Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, David's death of marat, Angel's Fountain, Courbet's Screen Girl and other works. The characters in them are ordinary, just like most people in real life, nothing special. But why can these paintings touch people's hearts, and why can the characters in these paintings make people remember deeply? It is precisely because the painter reveals the inner world of the characters, including their thoughts and feelings, such as the mysterious smile of Mona Lisa, the pain of Mara's struggle, the pure tranquility of the heroine in spring, the hardships of Xiguru's livelihood and so on. These are all the meanings of the painter's efforts to portray the characters.
Luo Zhongli's oil painting Father was created on 1979, which is regarded as a milestone in the development of oil painting in China in the new period. This painting is so honored because it captures the characteristics of the characters and successfully depicts the image of a typical China farmer. The image, manner and expression of this farmer's uncle are full of "diligence, hardship, kindness, simplicity, tenacity and competence", which is the epitome of thousands of old farmers in China, Qian Qian, Qian Qian!
From this point of view, painters need not only skillful painting skills, but also rich and varied expression techniques to grasp the characteristics of characters; We should not only have considerable aesthetic quality, but also be good at observing, discovering and capturing some typical phenomena and details in life, and also need creative inspiration and passion.