heavy color

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Scope note
Heavy color, or zhongcai describes a style of painting popular in medieval-era China that relies on a dispersion of mineral colors that are opaque and solid. Artworks created with this technique are characterized by a fine, precise definition of volume and the layering of pigmented hues. Having risen to prominence in the Tang Dynasty, the practice of heavy color or zhongcai later waned. Unlike free-flowing ink paintings, the technique displays meticulous brushwork with lifelike effects, while the lightweight texture of the paint differs from the thicker, denser effects produced by oil painting.
heavy color
Accepted term: 29-Apr-2024