东方艺术向以我国为主流，但我国艺术名迹，经历朝演变，文物损失甚鉅。晚近庸工画匠，甜媚纤弱，为迎合一般人俗眼，忽略真正艺术。况且都市生活紧张，年青学子，对于绘画之研究，但求急就，未暇深研，使国画趋势，陷于低落。至于市面流行之芥子园画谱，原版已罕见，真本索价奇高，非初学者容易购买。况复印版本，多属笔触模糊，浓淡失宜，使初学者感到不易学习。本书编绘者，有见及此，特出版此书，其目的希望能够克服上述缺点。同时亦希望对于东方传统艺术之贡献，有所裨益。

　　本书之编绘，乃根据作者多年研究、写生、及教学经验，按照年青学子程度，由浅入深，条理分明。初学者得此书，可无师自通。已有国画基础者，若得此书，更可明白每幅画构图、设色、用笔、题欵、盖章之法。若能多作临摹，参阅其技术，定能日有进步。本书编绘内容，分门别类，由局部而至全部。花叶有阴阳向背，虫鱼禽鸟，俯仰飞鸣，干变万化，活现纸上。每幅并加中英文画法说明，使初学者容易入门。其绘图欵式，则有横披、屏条、中堂、扇面，各式俱备。本书附录历代名画观摩，使学画者，可领略花鸟画史大概。学者研习既久，当可挥写自如，绘成巨制。

　　学习国画，向以能达到气韵生动，为最高成就。笔墨变化，关系气韵生动。本书制版，特别认真，全部采用柯式精印，彩色图片多幅，不但可见笔墨真传，且随类赋彩，着色之先后层次，亦可一目了然。

　　本画谱范围，包括花鸟虫鱼，梅兰竹菊，小草、瑞石，各种画法。且有钧勒、花点叶等，各种俱备。至于艺术理论问题，分别用中英文解答。本书虽编绘经年，如有未尽善之处，尚希海内外方家，多所指正，无任翘望!

　　香港百尺楼国画院蔡公衡谨识

　　一九七〇年八月

　　Poctry and painting have joined hands in China ever since the great masters of Tang and Sung Dynasties first tried to do their flower-and –bird pieces. Though it was the men of letters who first personified every flower in their poems，and fondly called plum，orchid，bamboo，and chrysanthemum the “Four Paragons”，painters took it for granted that each plant might signify a noble character，and that the portraiture of the plant just meant the symbol of a virtue.

　　It is said that Chu Yuen，the greatest poet of ancient Chinese warriors’period，compared himslf to orchid，which often blooms in solitude，and Tu Yuen-ming，the greatest poet of Tsin Dynasty，loved chrysanthemum，which blossoms despite of the attacks of the thrilling wind and the heavy frost. This flower has since stood boldly for the virtue that a lonely hermit may like to possess. Men of great fortunes，on the other hand，prefer the gorgeous colours of the mowtan peony. Legends tell us how kings and queens fondly developed it in their gardents. The lotus flowers，in Chou Tan-ih’s opinion，represents the high character of a gentleman. The beauty and fragrance of the lotus flower，he says，has never been defiled by the dirts of the muddy pool in which it grows. A flower-and-bird painting，however，may even include rocks and utensils in it，besides birds and insects. A crane，for example，suggests longevity，because an old Chinese legend says that a crane lives to one thousand years of age .It is the Chinese custom to celebrate the birthday of an old man by presenting him a painting of a crane under a pine tree. Mandarin ducks and swallows are very often seen in pairs. Painters used to depict two mandarin ducks swimming in a water-lily pool or two swallows flying amongst willow trees，to mean happy matrimony. Ten magpies stand for a lucky omen while a peacock with a spreading tail congratulates the opening of a shop. Abutterfly adds life to spring flowers and a cricket comes with the arrival of autumn.

　　I have no need to introduce Mr.Choy Kung-heng，as he is so well-known in the atrcircle of Hong Kong. Though he was at first a follower of the Lingnan School of painting in South China，in recent years he penetrated into the art of the Sung and Yuan masters，and did numerous sketches of flowers and birds for research studies. His touring exhibitions around the cities of Southeast Asia won many acclaims there，and he came back with a fame. Through months of hard work he compiled this book，which is a real complete guide to all who love to paint flowers and birds.

作者：蔡公衡