This artwork is a modern take on the  traditional art of Chinese Ink painting. In the freehand (写意) style, subject matters are painted with broad brushstrokes of colours to create forms, instead of using lines for the silhouettes. In this case, lines are used as enhancements in the form of details. In Chinese Ink painting, mastering even the basic strokes takes years of practice and the student did many rounds of practice before getting the desired forms of the goldfish.