School of Arts holds the exhibition From Copying to Painting from Life, displaying student works from Nanjing University's public optional courses "Sketching" and "Fundamentals of Oil Painting Techniques" from April 7th to April 20th, 2025. Curated by the responsible teacher of the two courses Associate Professor Yang Xiujuan, the exhibition highlights the artistic journey of students from diverse academic backgrounds as they grow up from faithful imitation to expressive creation.
The two courses "Sketching" and "Fundamentals of Oil Painting Techniques" have been offered at NJU for many years, instructing and guiding students to start with copying masterworks, learning from established experts, to advance to still-life sketches, and to culminate in free creation. Weekly sketching exercises and innovative monochromatic techniques, such as colored charcoal and black-and-white painting, have enriched the learning process and added novelty to students' learning experiences. These greatly inspired students' enthusiasm for painting and arts. The classical oil painting whose techniques emphasize setting the single-color base and layered production and take time to dry the canvas, fits nicely with the course format. Copying great works and painting from life alternated at classes, allowing students to explore both professional and personal expression. Through this one-semester's training, students would be equipped with knowledge of certain styling skills and relevant painting materials and techniques.
Gong Fei, School of Information Management
Meng Yan, Law School
Gan Yuqing, School of Foreign Studies
The exhibition is divided into two sectors: sketch and oil painting, each showcasing "copying" and "painting from life" works. Some with simple and unadorned style, some show vibrant freshness, those works of art are perfect manifestations of students' excellent creative capabilities and aesthetics pursuits.
Li Jinyao, School of Computer Science
Zheng Xinwei, School of Liberal Arts
An Mengqi, School of Geography and Ocean Science
We had some interviews with course participants. One students expressed that it was an extremely novel experience for her to get access to oil paintings, let alone get down to create and polish her own work. It was her first time to use turpentine and other professional painting tools and to study and practice the skills for oil painting. Another student with solid foundation in painting said that the courses were inspiring and flexible, allowing for them to delve into the piece of work and truly experience the charm of oil painting. Many other students mentioned the immensely inspiring and beneficial course format. Regarding this, Yang Xiujuan also shared with us her thoughts in lesson designing, guiding students to copy masterpieces to learn from the best, cultivating their interest in painting and encouraging their creativity and imagination.
Associate Professor Yang Xiujuan at the studio of "Fundamentals of Oil Painting Techniques"
Photo by: Li Jiahao, Liang Degong, Dong Xiaoli, Changkang
Writer: Zhou Xia
Editor: Guo Junlin
