Hardest painting to recreate -Why Painting People on Porcelain is the Hardest

When painting on ceramics, what’s the hardest subject to paint?

Here in Jingdezhen, people usually divide ceramic painting into four main categories:
First, figures.
Second, animals and mythical creatures.
Third, landscapes.
And fourth, flowers and birds.

Among these four, the most difficult is without a doubt—figures.

When I first started handling painting orders, I made a mistake. I paid all artists the same, no matter what subject they painted. Later, I realized this was wrong. Painting people, painting landscapes, and painting flowers or birds all require very different skills and time. And painting people is the hardest of all.

So if you hire an artist who specializes in figures, their fee will definitely be higher than those who paint landscapes or flowers and birds.

Now, let me break it down:

Landscapes are usually mountains and rivers.
Flowers and birds include blossoms, branches, leaves, as well as chickens, birds, and other poultry.
Animals and mythical creatures, like lions and tigers, are the second hardest. Why? Because their fur is extremely fine, and it has to be painted stroke by stroke. You can’t rush it. That’s why the pay for animal painters is usually the second highest.

But figures are the most difficult of all. Why? Because a person must have spirit and life. A lifeless figure looks fake. To paint a good figure, the artist must capture the eyes, the facial expression, the posture, the gestures, the folds of the clothing, and even the environment around the person. All of this requires careful planning.

That’s why creating a good figure painting takes a long time. And making the figure look alive—with soul—is even harder. On ceramics, it’s even more challenging because the surface is curved, not flat. Think of painting on a teapot, a cup, a vase, a jar, or a bowl—it’s nothing like painting on paper or canvas.

This is why Jingdezhen craftsmen, with their thousands of years of tradition, say that the hardest subject to paint is people. Many artists here also paint in the antique style, copying ancient court ladies or historical figures.

So now you can understand: even though all of them are artists, if they paint different subjects, their fees will be different, and the market prices of their works will also differ. Figure paintings always sell for the highest prices. Animals come second, while landscapes and flowers and birds are usually lower.

Collectors know this too. In the art market, figure paintings consistently fetch higher prices than other subjects.

Of course, if you have a different opinion, you’re welcome to share it in the comments.