Wu Chen (Chinese, 1280-1354), Manual of Ink – Bamboo, 1350, ink on paper, National Palace Museum, Taipei.
Chapter 3 basically describes how the image should be described as someone perceives it focusing mostly on Spatial Organization and media effects that would not apply at this particular still image.
The Perspective category is clearly spotted while observing the bamboo shoots that are in the center of the image that attracts attention. The perspective can estimate by saying that the bamboo that is closer is bigger than the one that it further away. It would not apply to the middle stem because it meant to be thinner than the other two.
The light that is spread among the image is yellow, soft, and generally creates a warm feeling. The most dominated colors are yellow and orange with variation of shades. The actual spectrum gives and ambient feel to the whole composition that creates dynamic and movement of bamboo in the air.
The image is pretty much filled with the volume of objects that it contains. However, because of the right balance of dense spaces, the amount of bamboo and text would become relatively even.
The actual lines of the bamboo are mostly straight and sharp blending together with the smooth characters. The relation sense between them is very relative but visually creates rhythm of the pattern.
Measurements of the each particular objects were even and there is a way to say that the actual bamboo stays symmetrically in the center. To balance the heavy base of the bamboo with the heavy type placed on the left.
Also, the image does not create a feeling of distorted depth because it doesn’t have a particular background image.
The interval between the objects was created ahead as a compositional thought before the actual painting was made.
The actual feel of the whole image would be categorized as Expressive content. The artwork that is used in this particular example has very balanced feel to it as a whole. Most objects and texts are unified and the empty space between the objects creates stability and grounded sight to the plant and the whole composition.