Laura: How is your painting going?勞拉：你畫畫學得怎樣了？Agnes: Fairly well, I guess. I started with still life, now I've moved on to portrait.艾格尼絲：還算順利。我最開始畫靜物，現在已經開始畫肖像了。Laura: Come on，show me some works.勞拉：給我看看你的作品嘛。Agnes: Here is a peony flower painted in Gongbi style, or traditional realistic painting.艾格尼絲：這是一幅工筆牡丹，就是傳統寫實畫法。Laura: In such minute details! Even small thorns on the stalk are depicted.勞拉：畫得好精細！連枝干上的小刺都畫出來了。Agnes: Unlike the free style of Xieyi, Gongbi should be very accurate in perception. The contour of the objects forms the basis of the picture. Therefore, lines are the cornerstone of Gongbi painting.艾格尼絲：與寫意畫不同的是，工筆要求視覺精確，物體的外形構成整幅畫的基礎，因此線條是工筆畫的基礎。Laura: Which has more merit then, Gongbi or Xieyi?勞拉：那么工筆和寫意哪種畫法更好呢？Agnes: Opinions vary. But I suppose Xieyi requires more ingenuity while Gongbi presents true-to-life objects and scenes.艾格尼絲：這點仁者見仁，智者見智。但我認為寫意需要更多的獨創性，而工筆呈現物體和場景的原貌。