He started to learn painting with his mother and sister at the age of nine, and when he was 20 years old, he received instruction from the two great masters--Tseng Nung-jan and Lee Mei-an.
他九歲隨母、姊學畫，廿歲時拜曾農髯、李梅庵（清道人）為師，從此發奮讀書、習字、攻詩文。