素描

• Pinyin: sù miáo
• Hanzi breakdown: 素 = plain, uncoloured; 描 = 扌(hand radical) + 苗 (to trace, to depict) — to draw in a plain, uncoloured manner

Meaning

A sketch or drawing made primarily with pencil or charcoal, without the use of colour. Refers both to the technique of sketching as a discipline and to individual sketch works. Also used metaphorically in literature to describe a brief but vivid portrait of a character or scene.

A fundamental term in fine arts education and professional practice. 素描 is the foundation of visual arts training in China, taught as a core subject in art schools and universities. In a literary context, it metaphorically describes a concise but vivid depiction of a character or situation. Common in art criticism, arts education, and creative writing.

Examples

1. 美术学院的入学考试要求考生在规定时间内完成一幅人物素描，以全面考查其造型能力、观察力与表现技巧。 The art academy’s entrance exam requires applicants to complete a figure sketch within a set time, to fully assess their ability to model form, observe, and depict what they see.
2. 他随手用铅笔勾勒出几幅街头人物的素描，寥寥数笔便捕捉到了各色路人神态各异的姿势与表情。 He casually sketched a few street figures in pencil; with just a handful of strokes, he captured the varied postures and expressions of passersby.
3. 这篇散文以精炼的素描笔法刻画了三位普通市民的日常生活剪影，读来简洁质朴，却意味深长耐人寻味。 With a concise, sketch-like style, this essay portrays everyday snapshots of three ordinary city residents; it reads plain and spare, yet leaves a lingering aftertaste.

Usage Guide

Context: fine arts, education, literary criticism, creative writing

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在系统学习色彩理论之前，学生首先需要打好素描基础，因为它是训练观察能力与形体表达最核心的艺术手段。(Before systematically studying colour theory, students must first build a solid foundation in sketching, as it is the most fundamental artistic means for training observational ability and the expression of form.)
• 博物馆内陈列着这位画家早年创作的大量素描习作，从中可以清晰地感受到他在造型探索与艺术语言上的成长与蜕变。(The museum displays a large collection of sketch studies from this painter's early years, through which one can clearly perceive his growth and transformation in the exploration of form and artistic language.)

Don't Say

• 素描 专指无色的线条绘画，不要与有颜色的作品混淆 — 不说'这幅彩色素描'；含色彩的绘画用 彩画、水彩画 或 色粉画

Origin & History

素 (plain, without colour) + 描 (to draw, to depict, to trace) — to draw without the use of colour

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal