Five brushstrokes

With his first brushstroke, he drew himself. A single line, thickness varying with the pressure used, represented his profile.

The second stroke produced her face, the fall of her hair and the line of her back.

The third completed her image with an arm tentatively raised in the direction of the first figure.

The fourth brushstroke hinted at the setting. A line of low hills ended in what might have been a small cottage with the suggestion of a trail of smoke rising from it.

With the fifth and final brushstroke, he scrawled an ugly line across the picture.



Thanks to Sara Evans for pointing me at Sumi-e. Mind you, this is supposed to be ink on rice paper (or so I assume, I've only read one page of the book so far) but this is watercolour on non-rice paper.