 Famous painters included Ni Zan and Dong <unk> , as well as the Four Masters of the Ming dynasty , Shen Zhou , Tang Yin , Wen <unk> , and Qiu Ying . They drew upon the techniques , styles , and complexity in painting achieved by their Song and Yuan predecessors , but added techniques and styles . Well @-@ known Ming artists could make a living simply by painting due to the high prices they demanded for their artworks and the great demand by the highly cultured community to collect precious works of art . The artist Qiu Ying was once paid 2 @.@ 8 kg ( 100 oz ) of silver to paint a long <unk> for the eightieth birthday celebration of the mother of a wealthy patron . Renowned artists often gathered an entourage of followers , some who were amateurs who painted while pursuing an official career and others who were full @-@ time painters . 
