When painting a xieyi flower in colours, do not load your brush with more than two colours at a time. This is like dipping the brush in two shades of ink. The stamens can be depicted with ink or some dark colour resembling ink, and the pollen with white paint. When colouring leaves, load your brush with indigo or watery green first, then dip it in thick or gluey ink. Each stroke that you make will have a half-ink, half-colour appearance that suggests light and shadow. Large leaves may be depicted either from the front or from the back; it is better to do the back views first and then the front views. The begonia, banana and fragrant plantain lily are plants with large leaves. The calyx and stalk of a flower are often dotted like this $' with ink or some similar dark colour.
A gongbi painting must be executed with care and precision. The structure of the leaves and flowers, the joining of the leafstalks with the main stem, the root of the plant ¡V all must be delineated clearly by means of double lines. Since petals are softer and more tender than leaves, use thin ink for the former and heavy ink for the latter. Likewise, use thin ink for the brighter parts of flowers and heavy ink for the darker parts. This increases the three-dimensional effect and makes it easier to apply colour.