著名国画家，民进成员，中国美术学院国画系教授、博导，为民进浙江省副主委，中国美协理事，浙江省美协副主席，杭州美协主席，西冷画院院长，浙江省人大常委、浙江省人民政府参事。
1941年11月生于浙江省浦江县前吴村。1955年考入中央美术学院华东分院附中学习。1957年《天津画报》发表连环画《两个公差》（合作）。1959年附中毕业，考入浙江美术学院中国画系人物画本科专业学习，1964年毕业于浙江美术学院中国画系，留校任教。1965年《美术》发表毕业创作连环画《茶农苦难史》选页（合），全国艺术院校毕业作品展出“援越抗美”画展展出《阮文追》、《烽火姐妹》等大型中国画；升助教职称。1967年　参与筹办、编辑《工农兵画报》。1977年国画《星星之火毛泽东赴古田途中》（合作）入选全国建军50周年美展。浙江人民美术出版社出版《李震坚、杨之光、吴山明中国意笔人物画技法》。1979年晋升讲师职称；任中国画系人物画教研组长。撰写《中国画系教学大纲》之《意笔人物画大纲》；水墨连环画《秋瑾》（合作）获中国首届连环画展二等奖。1983年—1996年任中国画系副主任、主任。现为中国美院中国画系主任，造型学院主任，杭州美协主席，西泠书画院院长、浙江省美协副主席、浙江中国人物画研究会会长、八届全国人大代表等。作品《秋瑾》、《星星之火》、《生机》、《孺子牛》、《延安五老》、《恽代英》等入选全国美展；《潘天寿》等被中国美术馆收藏。出版有《吴山明画集》、《意笔人物画选》、《意笔人物画教材》。现为中国美术协会理事。
吴山明的亮点应是得心应手的“写”和别具匠心的“虚”。因为，水渍法不是山明的独家手法，逆古训的也不是只有山明一人，使用宿墨水化的人比比皆是，因此不能将“水渍法”说是山明“独创”，有失依据。刘国辉之“水渍法”说实是颇存?额处的浮点，没有点吴山明画风的紧要之处。我之所以提出山明的亮点一是得心应手的“写”；二是别具匠心的类型之“虚”，在于“写”是高级阶段里的神笔，“虚”是最高学养的标志。绘画从来都有低级的“摹”和高级的“写”的分别，从来没有画得活脱活像就是极品的界定。作为国画人物画家，借用西画里头的现实主义造型手段把形象扣得愈是逼真，愈是失落“写”的品位；再照相式，也不能达到升为极品的境界。再说，“扣”是功夫，“写”是艺术，唯有写出来的作品才能展示艺术性；“性”是性情，情致盎然没有“写”就没有盎然的情致；“扣”就是“摹”，“摹”就是依样画瓢，画瓢当居工匠之为，不能成立“摹”是高级艺术。山明的成功之处在于较快地摒弃了学生时代接受的那份“扣”的功夫，较早地从方增先的判逆了“扣”的传统样式里汲取了补充“写”的养分，达到了超越先生的“小写”，使“小写”上升至“大写”，“写”出了属于他自己的性格。
一个人物画家能够从严谨的形式里头潇洒地走出来，变受制约于人的外形为制约于人的内形，实属不易，没有娴熟的意写本领断不能达到狂写的程度。山明自幼画人，走上专业化的道路之后，执著地画人，通过移植书法艺术之中的书写法则完善写意人物画里边的“写”的原则，不失其才子素质，他放弃了面面俱到的传统原则，强化了写意里头的真正的“写”，使作品加强了“写”的艺术性，注入了真正的艺术价值。因此，山明作品中的那随心所欲写出来的线条，色块及水渍斑斑的肌理，才是铸成山明画风的相对罕见的特色。此外，把光形之“虚”作为山明画风的另一个特征提出来，在于传统的画从来不讲究光形虚实，只讲究线条的样式与褶法，即使如梁楷那样的简笔画家，也没有光形的留白（即光形之虚）。而光影的运用虽然不止山明一人，很多人物画家如石虎的早期作品都是光影作品，但是山明对光形的处理则有留白的机灵活眼，独到的个性化的深层思维的回照之处就由这留白时的虚笔铸成。我以为，山明的这一采摘了西画强光之下才使用的虚眇手法，是真正意义上的中西贯通和为我所用。山明对这一平常人几乎不敢采用西式的虚实对比方法的使用，不仅表露出他具有博采众长的涵养，而且有一种与别人拉开画风的力量在支配其生命。

Home of famous traditional Chinese painting, civilian take a member, traditional Chinese painting of Chinese academy of fine arts fastens professor, rich to guide, for civilian save into Zhejiang deputy advocate appoint, thing of Chinese beautiful assistant manager, zhejiang saves the United States assist vice-chairman, hangzhou is beautiful assist chairman, on the west dean of cold imperial art academy,
 Was born at the Wu Cun before Zhejiang saves riverside river county in November 1941. Took an examination of attached middle school of branch department of Hua Dong of central academy of fine arts to learn 1955. 1957? Year? " Tianjin pictorial " publish comic " two public errand " (collaboration) . Attached middle school graduated 1959, the traditional Chinese painting in taking an examination of Zhejiang academy of fine arts fastens a character to draw undergraduate course major to learn, the traditional Chinese painting in was graduated from Zhejiang academy of fine arts 1964 is, stay school teach. 1965? Year " art " publish graduation to create comic " tea grower affliction history " choose a page (close) , work of graduate of countrywide artistic school exhibits " aid fights the United States more " art exhibition exhibits " Ruan Wen is chased after " , " balefire sister " wait for large China to draw; Rise assistant title. Participated in 1967 make preparations, editor " workers pictorial " . 1977 traditional Chinese painting " the fire of star -  Does Mao Zedong go to ancient Tian Tu in " (collaboration) does selected whole nation found an army? 50? Anniversary beauty is exhibited. Publishing house of Zhejiang people art is published " Li Zhen firm, law of ability of picture of character of pen of meaning of China of Yang Zhiguang, Wu Shanming " . Title of rising 1979 instructor; The traditional Chinese painting in allowing fastens a character to draw teaching and research group to grow. Compose " Chinese picture is education outline " " meaning pen character draws outline " ; Comic of water Chinese ink " Qiu Jin " (collaboration) obtain first comic of Chinese to exhibit second-class award. 1983, vice director of department of the traditional Chinese painting in holding the post of 1996, director. The traditional Chinese painting in be Chinese beautiful courtyard now fastens a director, modelling institute director, hangzhou is beautiful assist chairman, province of dean of courtyard of Xi Ling painting and calligraphy, Zhejiang is beautiful assist National People's Congress of 8 chairman of content picture seminar, whole nations represents Chinese of vice-chairman, Zhejiang etc. Work " Qiu Jin " , " the fire of star " , " opportunity of survival " , " child ox " , " Yan'an 5 old " , " Yun Daiying " wait for beauty of selected whole nation to exhibit; " Pan Tianshou " wait to be collected by Chinese art gallery. Publish have " Wu Shanming draws volume " , " picture of meaning pen character is chosen " , " meaning pen character draws teaching material " . It is director of Chinese art association now.
Wu Shanming's window should be handy " write " with what do not provide craftsmanship " empty " . Because, law of water be soiled is not hill bright exclusive gimmick, ? Those who go against an old saying also not be to have Shan Mingyi's person only, use the person of to hydrate of old Chinese ink to be able to be found everywhere, accordingly cannot will " law of water be soiled " saying is hill bright " original creation " , have break a basis. Of Liu Guohui " law of water be soiled " say solid be to be put quite? The floating-point that the forehead is in, without the dot Wu Shanming draws the crucial part of wind. I put forward hill bright window is handy " write " ; 2 be the kind that does not have craftsmanship " empty " , depend on " write " it is the divine pen in high level, "Empty " it is highest the mark that learns to raise. Brushwork has elementary " copy " and advanced " write " respectively, never draw be highest grade so that live to mimic to limit. Regard character of traditional Chinese painting as the painter, using the realistic modelling measure that inside paints on the west to deduct figure is distinct more, it is lose more " write " grade; Take a picture again type, also cannot reach litre of state that is highest grade. Besides, "Buckle " it is kongfu, "Write " it is artistic, draw up the writing ability that come reveals artistic quality only; "Quality " it is disposition, affection is sent abundant not " write " send without abundant affection; "Buckle " namely " copy " , "Copy " draw gourd ladle according to appearance namely, picture gourd ladle is when what reside craftsman, cannot hold water " copy " it is high art. Hill bright successful place depends on quickly slam the door student times accepts that " buckle " kongfu, early from Fang Zengxian sentence went against " buckle " the derive in traditional pattern compensatory " write " nutrient, achieved those who surmount a gentleman " the ordinary form of a Chinese numeral " , make " the ordinary form of a Chinese numeral " rise to " great " , "Write " the nature that gave to belong to him himself.
Painter of a character can go chicly from rigorous formal within, change be controlled to be at the person's appearance about restrict at the person inside form, solid belong to not easy, write competence to break without adept meaning cannot reach the level that keeps madly. Bright from a child draws hill person, after be on specializationed road, draw a person clingingly, write law to perfect enjoyable character to draw through the book in transplanting calligraphy art inside " write " principle, do not lose its talent? Quality, he abandoned the traditional principle of reach every aspect of a matter, aggrandizement of enjoyable within true " write " , make work was strengthened " write " artistic quality, infuse real artistic value. Accordingly, hill in bright work that is follow one's inclinations write the line that come out, color piece and water be soiled skin texture full of stains or spotsly, just be casting the relatively unusual distinguishing feature that Chengshanming draws wind. In addition, smooth form " empty " another feature that regards hill as bright picture wind puts forward, the picture that depends on a tradition does not pay attention to smooth form false or true, stress the style of line and plait way only, although be like Liang Jie in that way brief pen painter, also do not have those who have smooth look to stay white (namely the empty of smooth form) . And of smooth shadow although,apply more than Shan Mingyi person, the inchoate work that painter of a lot of characters is like Shi Hu is smooth film writing, but hill bright have to the processing of smooth form take white argute work look, a take place of the deep-seated thinking of original individuation stay by this white the empty pen casting when is become. I think, hill bright the Xu Miao gimmick that this plucked the ability below Jiang Guangzhi is drawn to use on the west, it is the Chinese and Western on real significance be well versed in and be used for me. Hill bright dare use Western-style false or true-the actual situation scarcely to this one smooth ordinary person of comparative method use, reveal not only give him to have rich to collect numerous long self-restraint, and the power that one kind pulls open picture wind with others is in dominate its life.