Waves on Calm Waters

Waves on Calm Waters, a photo by Paul&Siu on Flickr.

Chinese landscape painting is referred to as "mountain-water" in Chinese.   Clearly water is an important element.   Water serves many functions.  A calm lake can expand the space, and calm the mind as in the current picture.  
Here,  the lake is calm, but not a still calm.  We can tell from the reflections.  As there are minor waves in the water,  the reflections of the shore objects are broken up, as in the boat's mast.  Near the shore, the water is rendered by a series of "dragging" strokes, pointy at both ends and wider in the middle.   A few of them together gives the idea of calm waves.
For the shore in the foreground, we use similar strokes to provide the water.  These are like reflections of the sky.  Reflections of the rocks themselves require a more definite form.  This is done by a sideways application of the brush. 
The composition leads the eye to the far shore overshadowed by high mountains.  A classic "mountain-water" idea. 

A Looser Style Painting

A Looser Style Painting, a photo by Paul&Siu on Flickr.

A complement to the traditional style would be the free style -- a spirited and loose approach to paint.   A good command of brush strokes is required,  so that lots of variations are incorporated in each stroke -- variety in shapes, ink tones, wet- versus dry-brush etc. 
In the current picture, those strokes build the landforms in the right side.  Then a loose and lively effect forms the left.  This was done with a crumpled lump of tissue paper in a type of dabbing action, resulting in a natural irregular pattern.  Then careful strokes render the temple, the trees, the boats and the distant landscape.   An application of color finishes the picture. 

Waterfall Picture in Traditional Style

Waterfall Picture in traditional style, a photo by Paul&Siu on Flickr.

Here's another picture in the traditional style.   To do the waterfall: it basically involves leaving a gap in the rock cliff face.   The flow is conveyed with just a single brush stroke.  It is important to make sure the stroke is crisp --use a dry brush.  The water must remain white and clean.   The mist from the cascading water is created with a wet wash, i. e. , layering a bluish tint (at the periphery of the mist) the damp/wet paper.