Chapter 7: Fang Yi's Diligence

"No teacher to guide?" Wang Qiluo asked upon hearing this. Looking at Fang Yi, he nodded and then said, "I don't know what to say." Wang Qiluo admired Fang Yi's painting style, but that did not mean he would learn it. In Wang Qiluo's view, this way of painting was somewhat risky; art academies have their own styles, and the examiners each have their preferences. Most of these teachers come from domestic art academies, and it goes without saying what kind of sketching style is favored. In Wang Qiluo's view, this way of painting was somewhat risky; art academies have their own styles, and the examiners each have their preferences. Most of these teachers come from domestic art academies, and it goes without saying what kind of sketching style is favored.

"Who did you learn your sketching from?" Wang Qiluo was very curious, as the works created by Fang Yi were definitely not of the style taught in art classes. It is now evident that Fang Yi's paintings pursue accuracy in form, with meticulous and rigorous detailing, while simultaneously retaining a strong sense of line.

For the next month, Fang Yi's daily routine consisted of sleeping, eating, and painting. Apart from spending a few hours every Sunday afternoon at the library holding hands with his girlfriend Mu Jin, which could be considered a date, he devoted himself entirely to painting.

"I won't go! It has a certain Russian painting vibe that I really don't like," Fang Yi said. It's not that Yan Mei is bad, but Fang Yi just feels an aversion in his heart.

Fang Yi thought for a moment and said, "I often look at some sketches, of course, I only look at styles I like, such as those of Da Vinci, Jacques-Louis David, and Ingres." This was indeed the truth; whenever Fang Yi was at home, he would have his little cat browse the internet, mostly searching for sketches and colors. However, the things he found were not very clear, and he could only grasp a general idea.

After listening to Teacher Sun's words, the other students fell into deep thought, including Wang Qiluo

From the insights that Fang Yi has pondered over these days, it is evident that as long as one immerses oneself in the process and engages with the books, one's mind can control the imagery, and through one's own hands, the subject can be expressed. This is how experience is gained; the more one reflects after completing a painting, the more insights and experience one accumulates. However, if one attempts to replicate exactly what the eyes see, regardless of how realistic or accurate the painting may be, no experience will be gained at all. This leads Fang Yi to occasionally reflect inwardly on the ease of deceiving others compared to the difficulty of deceiving the experiences within one's own mind.

At the same time, Fang Yi deeply realized the words of his former teacher: "Painting is about expressing the subject, not merely copying it. If you want to copy, a camera can do it with a click! Why spend so much time painting? If you claim this is painting, then what is the purpose of your existence as a painter?"

Two individuals squatting side by side caught fire, leaning against the wall while basking in the sun and chatting.

Upon hearing Fang Yi mention the two schools, Wang Qiluo understood: "You want to be closer to your girlfriend, right? Mu Jin is planning to apply to Mingzhu University, isn't she?" Seeing Fang Yi nod, he said, "Actually, you should at least give Yanmei a try; their realism program is quite strong!"

With Fang Yi's sudden rise, the art classroom did not develop any factions such as the Fang Yi School or the Wang Qiluo School; instead, everyone became more harmonious. In the past, when Wang Qiluo stood out alone, he surpassed others by a significant margin, and few dared to ask him for guidance on their own paintings. Fang Yi's cheerful personality led to frequent exchanges between the two after Wang Qiluo came to mount paper in the evenings. Others realized that Wang Qiluo was not as difficult to get along with as they had imagined, and thus often sought his advice. Fang Yi's cheerful personality led to frequent exchanges between the two after Wang Qiluo came to mount paper in the evenings. Others realized that Wang Qiluo was not as difficult to get along with as they had imagined, and thus often sought his advice

"Fang Yi! Teacher Sun is asking you a question!" Just as Fang Yi was pondering this matter, Wang Qiluo nudged Fang Yi's arm with his elbow, who was standing beside him.

This led to another, and two individuals commented on three or four pieces before finally leaving the art studio. Hiding in the corner, Wang Qiluo pulled two cigarettes from his pocket and tossed one to Fang Yi

Everyone, first take a look at these two paintings. Without further ado, the unified major tones are evident. Fang Yi's work features bright and transparent colors, with a commendable handling of the intensity and the relationship between the real and the abstract. The overall color feels vibrant and fresh, with excellent control over hue, brightness, and purity, and the forms are accurate and lively! Teacher Sun remarked: "Now, let’s take a look at Wang Qiluo's piece. The control of color is quite strong, maintaining the entire major tone within a gray-green palette. The layers are distinct, gray but not dirty, and the structure is compact and perfect. With a standard like this in the exam, one can be assured of scoring high, though going for the Central Academy of Fine Arts is another matter."

Wang Qiluo and Fang Yi, if you have time, come over and help me take a look at my painting, a second-year high school student said as he watched the two stand up

"What is it?" Fang Yi raised his head and said to Teacher Sun

Taking a breath, Wang Qiluo said, "There are just a little over three months until the exams. Have you decided which schools you want to apply to? How many places are you planning to take the exams?"

Wang Qiluo said, "I need to apply to several more; I plan to try as many art academies as possible"

Two individuals returned to the art classroom after having a cigarette. Wang Qiluo and Fang Yi set up their easels simultaneously in front of a still life arrangement. A dark-colored jar accompanied by a wine bottle and several fruits of different colors was placed on a white cloth, and both were preparing to paint with watercolors. The same still life arrangement appeared in Fang Yi's painting with a warm color palette, while Wang Qiluo's composition featured a cool color scheme.

Wang Qiluo was preparing to invite Fang Yi to stretch a bit, but after listening to what this person said, the two had no choice but to walk over to his easel.

Wang Qiluo was also quite frank: "First, let's look at the overall composition. These two areas are somewhat inaccurate, and there are places that should be more subtle but aren't, making the entire picture appear a bit flat. The eye sockets, in particular, seem a bit too deep, and your depiction has made them look somewhat lifeless." After saying this, he turned to Fang Yi and smiled, saying, "His lines are imitating yours; you can address the issues with the lines."

The first to finish the painting was Wang Qiluo. After completing it, he stood behind Fang Yi, crossing his arms and watching as Fang Yi made the final adjustments to the overall color tone of the painting

Fang Yi smiled but did not speak, knowing that Wang Qiluo was absolutely right. Fang Yi's pursuit of lines was akin to a form of obsession; if one were to say that Fang Yi emphasized anything uncontrollably, it could only be the precision of contours and the expressiveness of lines.

In this situation, Fang Yi indeed wanted to rely on the academic circles in the country, as it would provide an advantage in university admissions. Wouldn't it be a bit foolish not to take advantage of this? However, every time he tried to align himself with them, the progress was not significant. It would be better to improve his skills in his own way. After a week of trying, Fang Yi had no choice but to give up and accept being a bit foolish.

I am planning to take exams at two or three places, starting with the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and if time permits, I will also take the exam at the China Academy of Art for stone carving.

The lines on the cheeks are quite good, but the treatment of the forehead is not satisfactory; the transition between the face parts feels a bit forced. The small face you divided is too large, which creates a problem. You shouldn't force it; try to take it step by step," Fang Yi said. This student is learning to draw their own lines, attempting to transition smoothly using some curves like those found on https://www.hetushu.com, but the result is very stiff, even worse than their previous technique, making the entire forehead area appear rigid.

"You go ahead and speak," Fang Yi said to Wang Qiluo

Once this was said, it was already late, and the two finally left the art studio

You are truly remarkable; this back-and-forth has taken at least over a month. If there is a second round of testing, it will take even longer. Fang Yi was taken aback by Wang Qiluo's words. These major art academies are distributed across the country, and traveling back and forth would likely take too long even by train; one can only fly in the sky.

"Indeed! Your current style can be said to be completely contrary to that." Wang Qiluo couldn't help but shake his head and laugh upon hearing Fang Yi say this

When all the experience bars reached around eighty percent, Fang Yi had already become one of the two best artists in the art class, alongside Wang Qiluo. However, their styles were markedly different. Wang Qiluo adhered to the standard and orthodox domestic academic style, while Fang Yi could only be considered to have developed his own unique style

What about you?" Fang Yi squinted his eyes, feeling the golden sunlight tinged with a hint of orange through his eyelids

In recent days, Fang Yicai has come to a clear understanding of this matter and has earnestly focused on his painting. He diligently summarizes each of his works and pays attention to the shortcomings when creating the next piece.

This is also something that cannot be helped! What about you?

One of the students, waiting for Teacher Sun to finish speaking, laughed and said: "Teacher Sun! Fang Yi is simply a prodigy, here solely to undermine us!" The other classmates burst into laughter upon hearing this.

They stood in front of the easel for less than a minute, comparing themselves to the plaster statue.

Fang Yi felt a bit embarrassed, as others often saw him deep in thought, believing he was entirely focused on how to improve his skills in drawing and painting. Only Fang Yi knew that he only pondered how to draw while he was actually painting; most of his time was spent figuring out how to quickly elevate his experience to a higher level. He originally thought that someone like Wang Qiluo was already of a high standard, but little did he know that this was only at eighty percent of the intermediate level. Fang Yi deeply yearned to understand what it meant to reach a high level. The thought of this made his heart feel like it was overgrown with grass, an unbearable thirst.

Teacher Sun smiled and said, "Fang Yi has talent. You only see his progress, but you do not notice that every time, whether before, during, or after painting, Fang Yi carefully contemplates. No one achieves excellence in painting without effort! Think more about how to improve yourself, and pay attention to your classmates who paint well! If you dedicate yourselves to it like Fang Yi, you will also make rapid progress!"

In the eyes of Teacher Sun and the students, Fang Yi possesses not only diligence but also a talent that is beyond the reach of ordinary individuals. Almost every painting showcases Fang Yi's progress; if this is not talent, then what would be considered as such? Furthermore, whenever the teacher points out certain mistakes in the painting, Fang Yi demonstrates significant improvement or complete correction in the subsequent piece.

Wang Qiluo said with a smile: "I suggest you not to rigidly apply his lines; just learn according to your own situation. If you can draw well this way, it is quite challenging, I have really tried. You cannot compare yourself to him; he is a monster! Prepare to push the lines to their limits." After saying this, he patted Fang Yi on the shoulder.

Waiting for Fang Yi to finish painting and sign his name, at this moment, Teacher Sun placed the two paintings side by side, clapped his hands and said, "Everyone come over here!" The students who were painting knew from this statement that Teacher Sun was about to evaluate the two paintings, so they put down their brushes and gathered in front of the two easels.