In capturing the inner spirit of nature and conveying its living manifestations, the linkage of spirit and matter requires much hard observation. Thus flower and bird painting has been seen to be a refined pursuit using a simple elegance of color, as with the Hsu Hsi school of painting of the Southern Tang of the Five Dynasties period which managed to integrate its art with nature to such a great degree.
欲捕捉自然的內在精神，達到自然生命形、神兼具，觀察的功夫需要更深，於是花鳥畫中被視為畫風野逸、賦色淡雅，以五代南唐徐熙為首的畫派，更融入自然。北宋畫家易元吉，曾入深山，與猿猴為伍，動則累月，觀察猿猴生態與林石景物。