What is "gongbi"

Gongbi is a careful realist technique in Chinese painting, the opposite of the interpretive and freely expressive xieyi (寫意 ‘sketching thoughts’) style.

The name is from the Chinese gong jin meaning ‘tidy’ (meticulous brush craftsmanship). The gongbi technique uses highly detailed brushstrokes that delimits details very precisely and without independent or expressive variation. It is often highly colored and usually depicts figural or narrative subjects.

The term related to gongbi, jiehua, or “boundary painting,” refers to the accurate depiction of architectural forms aided by the ruler.