Huizong shi'er ji 繪宗十二忌

Huizong shi'er ji 繪宗十二忌 "Twelve avoidances in painting models" is a brief book on painting written during the Yuan period 元 (1279-1368) by Rao Ziran 饒自然 (fl. 1280), courtesy name Taibai 太白 or Taixu 太虚, style Yusun Shanren 玉筍山人. His book Shanshui jiafa 山水家法 is no longer extant, except for its appendix Huajia shi'er ji 畫家十二忌, which is identical to the Huizong shi'er ji.

This text discusses twelve common pitfalls in landscape painting, namely overcrowded composition (buzhi posai 布置迫塞), lack of depth (yuanjin bu fen 遠近不分), mountains lacking vitality (shan wu qimai 山無氣脈), water without source or flow (shui qu yuanliu 水無源流, landscape without variation (ying wu yixian 境無夷險), paths without entry or exit (lu wu churu 路無出入), rocks depicted from a single angle (shi zhi yi mian 石止一面), trees missing their natural structure (shu shao sizhi 樹少四枝), figures appearing hunched or awkward (rwenwu yulü 人物傴僂), buildings arranged chaotically (louge cuoza 樓閣錯雜), inappropriate use of light and shade (dan shiyi 茞淡失宜), and unrefined brushwork (dianran wu fa 點染無法).

The book also provides detailed guidance on correcting these issues, offering practical methods for achieving a more harmonious and refined landscape composition. The author strongly believes that the greatest flaw in landscape painting is a mundane and uninspired composition. Beyond composition, the book also explains the colour application and shading techniques. It discusses the varying intensity of colour, describing how to apply light washes and when to use stronger tones, with clear and systematic guidance. Particularly for "gold and blue-green landscape painting" (jinbi shanshui 金碧山水), the book offers an in-depth discussion on texture strokes (zoufa 皴法), white pigment overlays (fenchen 粉襯), colour selection (yong se 用色), and suitability to climate and scenery.

While the book provides concise descriptions of mountains, water, roads, trees, rocks, figures, and architectural elements, its explanations remain clear and practical, making it especially suitable for beginners in landscape painting.

The text is quoted in the books Peiwenzhai shuhua pu 佩文齋書畫譜 and Gujin tushu jicheng 圖書集成 and is included in the series Hualun congkan 畫論叢刊.