莫高窟第3窟鐵線描如屈鐵盤絲，遊絲描若行雲遊水

第3窟位於莫高窟南代北段，是一個小型覆鬥頂文形窟。西壁北錄形頂方龕，龕頂壁畫多已漫漶。龕內正麵存清修山石塑壁和六臂觀音（頭欠）一yi身shen
，山shan石shi帝di畫hua墨mo竹zhu圖tu。龕kan內nei外wai南nan北bei壁bi以yi及ji東dong壁bi兩liang側ce各ge畫hua菩pu薩sa立li像xiang，菩pu薩sa麵mian形xing長chang圓yuan，身shen形xing修xiu長chang，或huo花hua冠guan覆fu巾jin，或huo袈jia裟sha著zhe裙qun。曲qu眉mei細xi眼yan，直zhi鼻bi小xiao唇chun以yi及ji流liu肩jian的de形xing體ti表biao現xian，呈cheng現xian出chu典dian型xing的de女nv性xing特te征zheng。

南北壁各畫千手千眼觀音經變一幅
，以北壁為例
，巨大的圓輪中央畫觀音菩薩立li像xiang
，觀guan音yin頭tou著zhe高gao髻ji，慈ci眉mei善shan目mu。身shen旁pang一yi周zhou畫hua四si十shi正zheng大da手shou，其qi中zhong二er手shou於yu頭tou頂ding捧peng舉ju化hua佛fo。外wai圍wei一yi周zhou畫hua千qian手shou，每mei隻zhi手shou掌zhang中zhong各ge畫hua一yi眼yan，表biao示shi觀guan音yin菩pu薩sa在zai芸yun芸yun眾zhong生sheng麵mian前qian可ke千qian眼yan搖yao觀guan，千qian手shou接jie應ying。觀guan音yin頭tou部bu分fen作zuo三san層ceng描miao繪hui，上shang層ceng作zuo佛fo麵mian，第di2cenghuayibaoemianweizhongxinhuaqimian，xiacengweibenmianhezuoyouliangleimian。huamianzuoyoushangfanghuafeitian，feitianmeiqingmuxiuwanruohaitong，wudongzhetianyilingkongfeiwu。feitianxiafanghuagongdetiannvheposouxian
，gongdetianyiranhongbailiangse，posouxianzeyilvseweizhu。zuixiafanghuamingwangxiang，gexufadaoshu，shouchifaqi，hengmeinumu，lingrenshengwei。congzhengtishangkan，guanyindeshoubimijierbuzaluan
，yidaifanrueryoutiaoli，goutushangtixianlejianjieyanzhengdetedian。yongsebuduo，jinshiyonglehong、白、綠、huangjizhongjiandandeyanse
，geirenyizhuangyansumudeganjiao。xiangfan
，quezuidaxiandudiyunyonglexiantiaozheyizaoxingshouduan，huashigenjuduixiangwudebutong，qiaomiaodiyunyonglezhelumiao
、鐵線描、遊絲描、釘頭鼠尾描等多種描法
，成功地表現了莫高窟晚期壁畫中最閃光的一個亮點。