The Versatile Master Artist-Chapter 51 - 36: Chain Mission

Just like before.

Gu Weijing wasn’t in a hurry to check the task tips.

He maintained his own pace and completed the final illustration of the cat’s head before the skill time elapsed.

After finishing the cat illustration and adding simple touches, he set it aside. Without the skill enhancement, Gu Weijing switched to a 6B pencil and made a few sketches on new paper.

He was reflecting on how his sketching skills had finally reached the next stage.

Upon advancing to a Tier One Professional Painter, the greatest feeling Gu Weijing had was that his strokes were lighter, more powerful, and even more agile.

At LV.3 Semi-Professional Level and below, skill proficiency improvement was merely about reciting from text about the brushwork and light and shadow tutorials on the materials.

Koshiba Tarou mocked Gu Weijing’s painting as being full of craftsmanship due to this reason.

But reaching Lv.4 Professional Painter · Tier One, everything was different.

His paintings were no longer simply like using a tool to apply colors.

Through constant practice and exercise, he could now have a more fundamental understanding of the skill of sketching.

If the pencil in his hand were likened to a conductor’s baton.

The change from being a student to a professional painter is like turning from a clarinet player following the baton into a conductor holding the baton.

Of course, it hasn’t reached the level of Menzel Skill’s activation where one can freely perform even passionate compositions.

But Gu Weijing could slowly inject his understanding of painting into the music.

Elder Cao referred to it as knowledge and emotion; Koizumi Katsuko called it the Tao, the soul of painting.

"I am also a professional painter now."

Gu Weijing took a long breath.

Being a professional painter is an important threshold, and he believes that now he should at least be on the same level as Koizumi Katsuko.

Perhaps, he might even be considered at a decent level among graduates from a general art academy.

While the Singapore Biennale was still a significant distance away, Gu Weijing was confident about participating in some smaller exhibitions. At least, many of the local painters’ inexpensive works in his Gu’s Calligraphy and Painting Store were not as good as his.

He wasn’t too excited.

The proficiency on the panel was all drawn out by himself, and he had long anticipated this day.

However, truly reaching the professional painter rating, he still felt a unique sense of accomplishment.

The panel in front of his eyes showed new changes.

[Character: Gu Weijing]

Character Panel——

[Sketching Technique: lv.4 Professional Painter · Tier One(3/5000)]

[Chinese Painting Techniques: lv.3 Semi-Professional (651/1000)]

These two are currently his highest-level skills, and sketching needs no further explanation.

Chinese Painting has been his focus of intense practice in these days.

Elder Cao did not formally accept apprentices, but assisting the little old man these days still benefited Gu Weijing immensely.

Arguably, Elder Cao’s status in Chinese Painting may not be lower than Menzel’s in the field of sketching.

And [Menzel’s Painting Basics] is only a skill.

In terms of improving painting skill proficiency, learning from a master is not inferior to relying on the feeling of skill activation in a short half-hour, perhaps even better.

Then there are the remaining three major items.

[Watercolor Painting Technique: lv.2 Beginner (86/100)]

[Oil Painting Technique: lv.2 Beginner (73/100)]

[Printmaking Technique: lv.2 Beginner (12/100)]

The improvement of these three items, although small, is considered a pleasant surprise.

Painting is not isolated in each aspect.

Sketching is acclaimed as the foundation of all painting because its structure and line work can be applied to many different types of paintings.

Gu Weijing speculated that using colored pencils for light and shadow coloration could be another reason for their enhancement.

Adolf von Menzel Rittinger was not only known for sketches; his sketch drawings and illustrations are famous, ranked likely among the top three to five in recent art history, and his printmaking and oil paintings are not inferior either.

While working with colored pencils, Gu Weijing’s sketching rapidly advanced, with other projects also benefiting greatly.

Even the most unfamiliar printmaking, although only increasing by 6 points, shifted from Lv.1 Beginner to Lv.2 Beginner.

He had no reason to be dissatisfied.

Even the smallest mosquito is meat.

Aside from the skill panel, Gu Weijing’s panel had two new sections, previously absent.

This is new content available on the virtual panel after he became a professional painter.

Knowledge Panel——

Wang Wei "Mojie’s Handwriting"

George Burriman "Human Anatomy" (Pending collection)

And the Emotions Panel——

This panel is most unique; it isn’t in a traditional textual list form, but like a small hanging clock resembling an old-fashioned mechanical watch. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The pocket watch features only a pointer slightly swaying at the dial’s center, with its nameplate painted in styled letters saying G·W, likely his initials.

Below the pointer is a silver dial engraved with intricate patterns, on which lies a band resembling an extended spectrum.

The position indicated at the pointer’s center is colorless and transparent; moving leftward, the band shades increasingly blue, while moving rightward, colors turn redder.

Gu Weijing guessed this must represent his emotional state while painting, with emotions growing gloomier to the left, while more fervent to the right.

His guess wasn’t unfounded because beneath the spectrum floated a line of symmetrical small prints, stretching outward from the center, respectively labeled:

Halfheartedness—Casualness—Simple Works—Heartfelt—Sweat and Blood—Flourishing Brush—Transcendence.

The system also had a minor hint on the panel.

[For painters, the emotional appeal of the final painting is determined by the artist’s emotional state and skill during painting. Even Picasso once created a perfunctory work, while an oblivious small painter could achieve transcendence through intense emotion.]

"When Elder Cao delivers the stunning final touch, I wonder what level his emotional state ranks in the system’s judgment."

Gu Weijing observed the pointer bearing his name clinging firmly at the center labeled "Halfheartedness."

Undoubtedly, according to the system, if he were to draw while absentmindedly staring at the panel, only the lowest rating could result.

Lastly, the task panel remained——

This chain task was divided into three phases, and upon Gu Weijing’s sketching elevating to professional level, the task had already refreshed.

[Chain Task: Initial Glimpse—Professional Path (2/3)]

[Current Task: Complete twenty positive review orders on Nutshell, with a positive review rate exceeding 95%]

[Current Task Progress: Positive reviews (4), Neutral reviews (0), Negative reviews (0), Terminated transactions (1).]

[Current Task Reward: Calligraphy and Painting Identification Skill (Fine Level Skill)]

"Calligraphy and Painting Identification Skill? It’s finally something other than a Knowledge Card."

Gu Weijing curiously gazed at this skill.

He wondered what it does?

However, thinking about it doesn’t provide answers, and given his commission rate, completing the task would likely wait until next month.

Better to just see what the waiting reward content is.

With this in mind, Gu Weijing clicked to collect George Burriman’s "Human Anatomy" on the knowledge panel.

Instantly, a vast amount of information poured into his mind.