Born in Luodong, under the turbulence of Japanese Occupation, Ran In-Ting was heavily influenced by both the Taiwanese and Japanese culture. Ran followed the apprenticeship of Ishikawa Kin'ichiro, a famous watercolour master, and perfected his skills in watercolour paintings and sketches. With the predominant subject matter of Taiwanese landscape, Ran later combined the skills of Chinese paintings, thus created his unique style.

With the guidance of Ishikawa, Ran refined his watercolour painting techniques of ink and brushwork to form light and shadow, depicting majestic landscapes. In this painting, by adding tiny figures, a storyline was formed, enhancing the pleasure of art appreciation. As Ran always said, “Paintings need to be vibrant. This determines a painting’s aesthetic value.”

Ran loved the countryside of Taiwan. As Taroko is one of the landmarks in Taiwan, it naturally became the subject of Ran’s painting. Featuring Zhuilu Old Trail, Ran uses an elevation perspective to lead the eye from hikers to the soaring cliffs and finally to the majestic waterfall.

Figures’ gestures carefully depicted, as it was deemed as a major pictorial element to echo with the audience. Tiny hikers were portrayed against the lofty landscape in the background. As the hikers take their careful steps of their arduous journey, the scene
gradually reveals the grandiose waterfall. Ran not only highlighted the monumental landscape, but also the struggle and fatigue of hikers and, finally, the core fulfillment that lives in every hiker.