Leisurely Traveler with Check-in System

"Thangka is a transliteration of the Tibetan word, not referring to a card from the Tang dynasty; literally translated, it should be called scroll painting.

From an artistic perspective, Thangkas have significant artistic value and are among the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage.

Since Li Younan has reached the peak of his painting skills, he has a thorough understanding of the artistic techniques related to all painting schools.

Knowledge about Thangkas naturally appeared in his mind: The origin of Thangkas is still undetermined, but it is generally believed to have originated during the era of Songtsen Gampo and matured during the Song and Yuan periods.

The traditional model of Thangka inheritance was the master-disciple oral transmission, but since the 1970s, many universities have established related majors, forming a multi-level talent cultivation system.

The consumer group for Thangkas is no longer limited to Buddhist believers as before; for those without faith, Thangkas are also considered fine artworks and crafts.

Li Younan thought for a moment, turned a page of drawing paper, and then took a pencil to quickly sketch an outline on the paper.

The little boy beside him blinked, then widened his eyes, staring intently at the tool in Li Younan’s hand.

If one were to strictly follow the traditional manual Thangka painting process, Thangka painting would be a bit more complicated as it must adhere to the proportional standards prescribed by religious texts such as image production and measurement scriptures.

However, since Li Younan possesses top-notch painting skills, the so-called standards are completely integrated into his technique.

The form and facial expressions of different deities have fixed measurements, and before formal painting, there are rituals such as sutra chanting and butter lamp offerings.

But at this moment, Li Younan was just showcasing it as a piece of art, so there was no need for so much elaboration.

After sketching the outline of the painting with a few strokes, Li Younan began to paint using oil painting techniques.

The little boy did not understand the level of detail in Li Younan’s painting, but compared to what he had seen from Teacher Li in town, he felt Li Younan painted faster and more beautifully.

However, in some places, it seemed a little different from the Thangka paintings he had learned before.

At this moment, what Li Younan was doing was no more than a pastime for him.

In just under half an hour, he completed a painting bursting with color and rich in layers.

The main subject of the painting was a very majestic-looking Acala Buddha, but he did not strictly adhere to Thangka painting techniques, instead blending various suitable painting techniques.

While painting this, Li Younan better understood how astonishing his current painting skills were.

The expressive methods of different schools no longer required his focused attention, nor did he need to be overly bound to any specific expression technique.

With the main composition and colors of the painting in his mind, he just followed his instincts to paint.

Every painting session, he fell into an immersed state, akin to flow, yet a state higher than flow.

In certain moments, he was no longer fully confident but instead completely free of confidence.

It seemed as if the artwork on the paper was not painted but was already in that form; he merely outlined its appearance with paint by instinct... beforehand, he didn’t even know what the painting’s subject should look like.

Once completed, it gave a sense of being naturally complete, as if it should have always been that way.

After casually finishing this painting, Li Younan rolled it up and placed it in the pen holder beside him.

The little boy’s gaze followed to the pen holder.

Finding it amusing, Li Younan continued sketching a few more strokes and, after retrieving the casually made painting from before, said, "If you like it, I’ll give it to you."

The little boy solemnly received the painting, repeatedly saying thanks, and then, after some thought, curiously asked, "Big brother, did you also study Thangka painting?"

Li Younan smiled, "I didn’t study it formally, so don’t take this painting as a serious Thangka; just treat it as a regular painting."

He understood that formal Thangkas had many rituals, but as times have developed, this traditional art has also embraced innovation.

At this time, Liu Li was learning Tibetan with a few kids.

After some casual chats, Li Younan learned about the significant differences among the Amdo, U-Tsang, and Kham dialects.

The serious look Liu Li had while learning was quite amusing too.

The kids didn’t stay too long; for them, running around the hills was far more interesting than sitting and drinking tea.

Before noon, they had already left.

With the sun high in the sky and the temperature warming, Li Younan and Liu Li returned to their camper for a nap.

The spectacular scenery of the golden mountain under sunlight had not yet appeared, but they were in no hurry; staying in such a lifestyle for a few more days was quite good.

Liu Li didn’t ask why they stayed longer; for her, it was the same wherever they were.

And just as Li Younan was napping, the Thangka he casually painted and gifted was being passed on to unexpected places.

...

The boy named Luobu Lake couldn’t clearly comprehend the level of the painting that Li Younan had given him, but he liked it very much.

He found the colors and the main Buddha figure extremely... awe-inspiring.

In particular, the Buddha figure matched the posture and proportions of traditional Thangka images yet appeared more three-dimensional and vivid.

The background was the same.

So when he went to town in the afternoon to learn Thangka painting, he quietly brought the painting with him.