How to Create Narrative Paintings (Part 2)

This is a continuation of the previous post on narrative paintings. In this part, I will share my experience creating the large-scale narrative painting “Reaching Shore” (“到彼岸”) — a work that went through years of composition studies, character research, and major revisions before reaching its final form.

Composition

The composition of a narrative painting is the most critical phase. It determines the visual drama, the narrative flow, and how the viewer’s eye moves through the scene. For “Reaching Shore,” the composition went through multiple iterations. The painting depicts a group of people crossing treacherous waters — a metaphor drawn from the Buddhist concept of reaching the “other shore” (enlightenment) through suffering and perseverance.

構圖是創作畫最關鍵的階段。它決定了視覺的戲劇性、敘事的流動，以及觀看者的視線如何在畫面中移動。「到彼岸」的構圖經過了多次迭代。

I began with small pencil studies — thumbnail sketches exploring different arrangements of the figures, the boat, the waves, and the horizon line. The initial concept placed the figures in a more static arrangement, but through successive studies I found that a strong diagonal composition, with the boat cutting across the picture plane, created far more dramatic tension and forward movement.

我從小型鉛筆研究開始，探索人物、船隻、波浪和地平線的不同排列。最初的構思是將人物放在更靜態的位置，但通過連續的研究，我發現強烈的對角線構圖更能產生戲劇性的張力和前進的動力。

Charcoal Study

After settling on the basic composition through pencil thumbnails, I moved to a larger charcoal study. The charcoal study serves multiple purposes: it tests the value structure at a larger scale, helps resolve the grouping and gesture of individual figures, and establishes the overall tonal drama of the painting. Working in charcoal forces you to think in terms of large value masses rather than getting lost in detail.

在確定基本構圖後，我轉向更大的炭筆研究。炭筆研究有多種目的：它在更大的尺度上測試明暗結構，幫助解決單個人物的分組和姿態，並建立畫作的整體色調戲劇性。

Color Study

The color study on canvas is where the painting truly begins to come alive. For “Reaching Shore,” I explored a palette dominated by dark, turbulent blues and grays for the water and sky, with warm flesh tones and earth colors for the figures to create a strong contrast between human warmth and the cold indifference of nature. The color study also helps determine the light source and how it falls across the composition.

在畫布上的色彩研究是畫作真正開始活起來的地方。對於「到彼岸」，我探索了以深色、洶涌的藍色和灰色為主的調色板，以溫暖的膚色和大地色構成人物，創造人體溫暖與自然的冷漠之間的強烈對比。

Major Revisions

No large narrative painting survives first contact with the canvas unchanged. “Reaching Shore” went through several major revisions during the painting process. The composition evolved significantly from the initial study — figures were added, removed, and repositioned; the angle of the boat was adjusted; the relationship between the foreground figures and the background was reworked to create greater depth and narrative clarity.

沒有大型敘事畫能在初次接觸畫布時保持不變。「到彼岸」在繪畫過程中經歷了幾次重大修改。構圖從最初的研究開始有了顯著的變化。

The process of revision is not failure — it is essential to the creative process. Each revision brought the painting closer to the vision I had in my mind. The willingness to repaint large sections, to scrape down passages that aren’t working, and to reimagine entire areas of the composition is what separates a good painting from a great one.

修改的過程不是失敗，而是創作過程中不可或缺的部分。每次修改都讓畫作更接近我心中的願景。

Creating a large-scale narrative painting is a marathon, not a sprint. “Reaching Shore” took several years from initial concept to completion. The patience required, the willingness to revise, and the discipline to maintain your vision across such a long timeframe are as important as any technical skill. In the next post, I will discuss the character studies and how individual figures evolved throughout the process.

創作大型敘事畫是馬拉松，不是短跑。「到彼岸」從最初的構思到完成花了幾年時間。下一篇文章，我將討論人物研究以及單個人物在整個過程中的演變。