Ink and wash painting is a representative form of Chinese painting, which refers to a form of painting that is painted on rice paper with a brush dipped in ink. In a narrow sense, "traditional Chinese painting" refers to ink and wash painting. Basic ink and wash painting only includes water and ink, black and white, but advanced ink and wash painting also adds color, also known as "colored ink painting".
According to legend, ink painting began in the Tang Dynasty, became popular in the Five Dynasties, and flourished in the Song and Yuan dynasties. It has since undergone continuous improvement in various dynasties to form its unique painting system and techniques. Ink is color, and the changes in the intensity of ink are used to represent the hierarchical changes in color. Ink is divided into five colors, and the chromaticity of ink is used to represent the profusion of colors.