Another excellent kit from Walter Foster is the Chinese Brush Painting Kit. The complete kit includes many interesting pieces: an ink stick and stone, a special rest for your brush, and a lovely water dish made out of white porcelain. There are also five sheets of watercolor paper. There are three brushes, made out of wolf and goat hair, six tubes of watercolor paints and five cakes of more paint.

The instructions are very specific, as Chinese painting is different from western painting. Chinese painting strokes were developed from traditional calligraphic strokes, so there is emphasis on the angle of the brush, and the goal is to capture the essence of the subject, not the exact representation.

I was skeptical that I would be able to produce anything close to what is demonstrated in the book; there is such beauty in the pictures. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. It will be awhile before I will be able to paint a hummingbird anything close to what Ms. Wang created, but I made lovely leaves, petals, bamboo stalks, and orchids. I even practiced a picture of a Siamese cat, and found it was almost recognizable when I was done. Practice, practice, practice will bring great results, I am confident.

What a great thing to have kits that bring the expertise of art instructors like Ms. Wang into our homes. Walter Foster kits are a great resource for any family that wants to become artistic.


-- Product Review by: Diane Wheeler, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine