While he could be elaborately detailed, Wu says Qi also experimented with fewer strokes in the xieyi style.
"For example, when he painted a fish, he first drew five to six strokes in monochromatic ink. He reduced one stroke, and then another. Then he completed the fish with only three lines and added some lotuses."
Qi's balanced integration of gongbi and xieyi to portray plants and small animals in a single painting transmits a vigorous yet serene mood. His works delight audiences of various backgrounds and aesthetic preferences.
Qi also injected his life perspectives while defining his subjects and performing the shading. He created two titles for his plant and insect pieces. One is Caojian Touhuo (to eke out a living in grass) which summarizes the lives of small animals. It is also a metaphor for which he once described how one coming from a humble home, like himself, should make a living with care and cautiousness.
