If you’re interested in art, painters or just want to learn some 美术用品 (art materials) vocabulary then keep reading!
Da Fen Oil Painting Village is located within the Longgang District of Shenzhen and has become well known for supplying art materials, art prints and of course, oil paintings, worldwide.
Not only is Da Fen a maze of tiny galleries, studios and supply shops, but it is also a haven for well priced works of art, both originals and replicas.
Vocabulary for Buying Art
Here are some useful words and phrases to get you started purchasing some high quality art in Da Fen. Click on the red links to see the meaning, radical structure and stroke order of each character.
- 油画 (yóu huà): oil paintings
Example: 这幅油画看起来很像原画。(zhè fú yóu huà kàn qǐ lái hěn xiàng yuán huà) = This painting looks just like the original.
- 中国画 (zhōng guó huà): Chinese art
Example: 中国画被出口到世界各地。(zhōng guó huà bèi chū kǒu dào shì jiè gè dì) = Chinese art is exported all over the world.
- 复制品 (fù zhì pǐn): replica/ reproduction
Example: 我想找一幅梵高作品的复制品。(wǒ xiǎng zhǎo yī fú Fàn Gāo zuò pǐn de fù zhì pǐn) = I would like to find a Van Gogh reproduction.
- 原作 (yuán zuò): original
Example: 这幅油画肯定是原作。(zhè fú yóu huà kěn ding shì yuán zuò) = This painting is definitely an original.
- 画室 (huà shì): studio
Example: 这个画室只卖油画复制品。(zhè ge huà shì zhǐ mài yóu huà fù zhì pǐn) = This studio only sells replica paintings.
- 画廊 (huà láng): gallery
Example: 这个画廊展示了很多中国画作品。(zhè ge huà láng zhǎn shì le hěn duō zhōng guó huà zuò pǐn) = This gallery has many pieces of Chinese art on display.
Example: 这位画家很有天赋。(zhè wèi huà jiā hěn yǒu tiān fù) = This artist is very talented.
- 画 (huà): to paint
Example: 他画了很多漂亮的作品。(tā huà le hěn duō piào liang de zuò pǐn.) = He paints many pieces of beautiful artwork.
Vocabulary for Art Materials
- 颜料 (yán liào): oil paints
Example: 这些颜料质量好吗？(zhè xiē yán liào zhì liàng hǎo ma?) = Are these oil paints good quality?
10. 画笔 (huà bǐ): paintbrush
Example: 我需要一套丙烯酸画笔。(wǒ xū yào yī tào bǐng xī suān huà bǐ) = I need a set of acrylic paintbrushes.
11. 画布 (huà bù): canvas
Example: 我想买一块100厘米的正方形画布。(wǒ xiǎng mǎi yī kuài 100 lí mǐ de zhèng fāng xíng huà bù) = I want to buy a canvas 100cm x 100cm.
12. 写生簿 (xiě shēng bù): sketchbook
Example: 你有卖大于A3纸的写生簿吗？(nǐ yǒu mài dà yú A3 zhǐ de xiě shēng bù ma?) = Do you sell a sketchbook bigger than A3?
Artist’s Names and Works of Art
Finally, here are some names of famous artists whose copies you might find in Da Fen.
13. 梵高 (fàn gāo): Vincent Van Gogh
Dutch artist Van Gogh was most famously known for works of art such as 向日葵(xiàng rì kuí): ‘Vase with Twelve Sunflowers’ and 星夜 (xīng yè): ‘The Starry Night’ and is a favourite of reproduction artists in Da Fen.
14. 达· 芬奇(dá· fēn qí): Leonardo da Vinci
Italian Renaissance painter da Vinci had many talents, including sculpting and painting. It is possible to find replicas of his work within Da Fen, including the mysterious ‘Mona Lisa’ (蒙娜丽莎 – méng nà lì shā).
15. 萨尔瓦多·达利 (suǒ ěr wǎ duō · dá lì): Salvador Dali
Known for his surrealist movies and paintings, Salvador Dali’s work lives on in Da Fen, where reproductions of 记忆的永恒 (jì yì de yǒng héng): ‘The Persistence of Memory’ can be found. Surprisingly, Dali-esque originals are also extremely common amongst the Da Fen artists.
16. 巴勃罗·毕加索（bā bó luó·bì jiā suǒ): Pablo Picasso
Picasso transformed modern art during the cubist movement 立体派 (lì tǐ pài) and there are many studios creating both copied originals and Picasso-inspired works of art to be purchased.
