杨国勋，1931年7月生于湖南凤凰县，父亲杨肇云是当地颇有名气的老师和画家，沈从文和黄永玉都是他的学生。受家庭影响杨国勋自幼结缘艺术，少年时代他独自从凤凰来到贵州谋生，先是在铜仁当小学教师，因恋爱受豪强迫害连夜逃往贵阳。1946年毕业于贵阳高等师范学校，曾任中小学美术教师，建国初为共青团贵州省委干部。1957年被错划为右派，“文革”后平反，先后在《贵州青年报》和《贵阳晚报》任美术编辑，1985年调贵阳书画院从事美术创作。系中国美协会员、贵州省美协会员、贵阳市美协副主席。1996年病逝，年仅55岁。有《杨国勋戏剧人物画选》出版。
杨国勋在绘画上是个多面手，曾画过年画和漫画，皆取得不俗的成绩，对漫画贡献尤大。杨国勋早在建国初期就发表过一批闪烁着思想火花的漫画作品，他后来被划为“右派”亦与此有关。但他对漫画这一幽默、智慧、深刻的艺术形式情有独钟，虽因它吃尽苦头而无怨无悔。杨国勋在《贵阳日报》当美术编辑期间，正值改革开放初期，人们的思想十分活跃，他抓住这一历史机遇，创办了“蔷薇”和“刺梨”两个漫画专版，发表了大量在全国有影响的作品，把报纸副刊办得红红火火，风生水起，连华君武、廖冰兄、方成、毕克官等漫画名家亦乐于为之赐稿。而杨国勋本人也创作了《新编秦香莲》、《孙悟空也怕小脚鞋》、《文广顶替》等一批优秀之作在全国多家报刊发表，有的还产生了轰动效应。
不过，杨国勋最擅长的是用国画技法表现戏曲、舞蹈人物，盖因凤凰县是戏舞之乡，自幼受到耳濡目染之故。画戏曲、舞蹈人物需具备过人的观察能力和速写能力，因为表演者的动作、表情变化不定，稍纵即逝，要准确捕捉并将其定格在纸上十分困难。杨国勋的写实功夫很强，可以轻易地把表演者画“像”，但他不满足外形的肖似，更注重刻画角色的性格和气质，这就需要借助抽象的手法来提炼艺术形象，做到形与神的统一，再现自然和以心为造的统一。杨国勋戏曲、舞蹈人物画的代表作有《红梅阁》、《逼上梁山》、《拜月亭》、《思凡》、《西班牙舞》、《吉赛尔舞》等。这些作品兼具造型、笔墨、韵律、神态之美，达到了形神皆佳的艺术境界，堪称贵州现代中国画的一朵奇葩。下面介绍杨国勋的两幅戏曲人物画佳作：一幅是《红梅阁》，创作年代不详。《红梅阁》本为明代周朝俊所作传奇，后来各剧种多有改编，故事描写南宋奸相贾似道一日携姬妾李慧娘游西湖，邂逅书生裴禹，李被裴的英俊吸引，不禁脱口称赞。回府后贾杀死李，又把裴骗入相府囚禁，李的鬼魂夜与裴禹幽会，并怒骂贾似道……此画表现的正是这一情景。画中李慧娘身着素衣，怒目圆睁，一手执扇，一手指着画外的贾贼怒斥；裴禹身着囚衣，披头散发，跌坐于地，表情既惊且惧。全画构图精心，形体夸张，笔墨简练，形神兼备，把《红梅阁》的剧情表现得十分完美。第二幅是《逼上梁山》，1977年作，表现《水浒传》中一段家喻户晓的故事。此图以组画形式，分别绘林冲夫妇和鲁智深。前一幅以简洁传神的笔墨，把林冲顶天立地的英雄气概和林娘子对丈夫的缱绻深情，描绘得十分感人。后一幅用浪漫夸张的手法，把鲁智深不畏强暴、嫉恶如仇的性格，刻画得栩栩如生。两幅画分可单独欣赏，合则联为一体，深刻揭示了“逼上梁山”的题旨，反映了杨国勋戏曲人物画的不凡功力。

Yang Guoxun, was born at Hunan phoenix county in July 1931, cloud of father poplar cause is the teacher that place has name quite and painter, shen Congwen and yellow Yong Yudou are his student. Suffer a family to affect art of become attached to of Yang Guoxun from a child, boyhood he fends alone from phoenix, it is to be in first cupreous benevolence becomes elementary school teacher, because love gets despot press,kill the same night to escape toward Guiyang. Was graduated from Guiyang 1946 advanced training school, ever held the post of teacher of art of middle and primary school, found a state cadre of provincial Party committee of Guizhou of the Youth League is first. Was delimited be by the fault 1957 right-wing, "Culture Revolution " hind rehabilitate, be in early or late " Guizhou youth signs up for " and " Guiyang evening paper " hold the post of art to edit, courtyard of tone Guiyang painting and calligraphy was engaged in art creating 1985. The member that fasten Chinese beautiful association, Guizhou Province is beautiful assist city of member, Guiyang is beautiful assist vice-chairman. Died of illness 1996, year only 55 years old. Have " Thespian character picture chooses Yang Guoxun " publish.
Yang Guoxun is a generalist on brushwork, ceng Hua spends New Year picture and cartoon, all obtain not the achievement of common, especially big to caricature contribution. Yang Guoxun is in early found a state initial stage has published a batch to twinkling the cartoon work of thought scintilla, he is delimited be later " right-wing " also concern with this. But his this one humour, wisdom, deep to caricature artistic form has a special liking, although be complained because of it has bitter taste and be not being had,do not have regret. Yang Guoxun is in " Guiyang daily " during editing when art, be worth initial stage of reforming and opening, the thought of people is very active, he seizes opportunity of this one history, established " rose " and " thorn pear " two caricature only edition, published a large number of influential in the whole nation work, run newspaper supplement prosperously, wind unboiled water rises, elder brother of Lian Huajun fierce, deserted ice, square into, the caricature a person of academic or artistic distinction such as Bi Keguan also is happy to give manuscript for it. And him Yang Guoxun also was created " make up Qin Xianglian newly " , " Sun Wu also is afraid of bound feet shoe for nothing " , " Wen Anding is replaced " wait for a batch to be made outstandingly in the whole nation much home the press is published, some still produced resounding effect.
Nevertheless, yang Guoxun most those who be good at is to use law of ability of traditional Chinese painting to behave character of opera, dancing, because phoenix county is the countryside of drama dance,build, from a child gets the reason of be influenced by what one constantly sees and hears. Character of picture opera, dancing needs to have outstanding observation ability and literary sketch capacity, because change of the movement of performer, expression is errant, fleeting, want accurate it is very difficult on paper to catch and decide its decide its case. Of Yang Guoxun realistically kongfu is very strong, can draw performer easily " picture " , but the Xiao Shi that he does not satisfy an appearance, pay attention to the disposition of depict part and temperament more, this abstracts artistic figure with respect to the skill that needs abstraction of have the aid of, accomplish form and magical unity, emersion nature and unite for what build with the heart. The masterpiece that character of Yang Guoxun opera, dancing draws has " Gong Meige " , " be driven to join the Liangshan Mountain rebels " , " Bai Yueting " , " Sai Fan " , " Spanish dance " , " Ji Saier dance " etc. These work hold the beauty that has modelling, writing, metrical, expression concurrently, achieved body spirit all the artistic state of beautiful, can calls Guizhou a when contemporary China draws strange flower. The two operas character that Yang Guoxun introduces below draws an excellent work: One is " Gong Meige " , creation time is unspecified. " Gong Meige " it is Ming Daizhou to make legend toward handsome place originally, each type of drama has more later adapt, photograph merchant is like evil of story picture the Southern Song Dynasty one day to carry Li Hui of female singer concubine's woman to swim west lake, the reputed founder of the Ix Dynasty of encounter student a surname, plum by a surname brilliant attract, can't help the mouth praises. After returning your home merchant kill plum, captivity of government office of photograph of a surname entrap, plum soul night and Pei Yu tryst, and snarl merchant is like... what this picture behaves is this one scene. The Li Hui in the picture's woman wears element clothes, glower circle is opened, single-handed hold fan, outside pointing to a picture single-handed merchant wicked angrily rebuke; Pei Yu wears convict clothes, with hair dishevelled, drop sit at the ground, expression already Jing and dread. Whole picture composition is elaborate, body hyperbole, writing is succinct, body spirit has both, " Gong Meige " gut is behaved very faultlessly. The 2nd is " be driven to join the Liangshan Mountain rebels " , made 1977, expression " Shui Hu is passed " in the story of a paragraph of widely known. This graph with group picture form, part draw Lin Chong's couple and Lu Zhi are deep. A writing with concise lifelike, mix Lin Chong's heroic hero lofty quality forest a form of address for one's wife is right of the husband tender and affectionate, depict very touchingly. Hind one uses romantic exaggerated technique, lu Zhi deep not Wei brutal, envy is evil the disposition that is like enemy, depict is gotten lifelike. Two pictures cent can be admired alone, add up to a couplet to be an organic whole, announced deeply " be driven to join the Liangshan Mountain rebels " problem aim, reflected the uncommon work force that character of Yang Guoxun opera draws.