‘Xiě shēng’ literally means ‘to write life’ — ‘xiě’ (write) and ‘shēng’ (life, living things) together refer to the artistic practice of drawing or painting directly from real-life subjects, such as people, animals, landscapes, or still lifes. Unlike copying from photos or imagination, xiě shēng emphasizes observation, immediacy, and capturing the essence and movement of living subjects in their natural setting.

This term is widely used in Chinese art education and professional practice. Art students often go outdoors or to studios to do xiě shēng — sketching birds at a park, drawing farmers in a village, or capturing light on mountain cliffs. It’s valued not only for technical training but also for cultivating sensitivity to form, texture, and atmosphere. While historically associated with traditional ink painting, today it applies equally to pencil sketches, watercolors, and digital drawing done on-site.