Calligraphy is an important part of traditional Chinese culture, it is not only a skill for writing words, but also a form of artistic expression. Learning calligraphy is a step-by-step process, and the following is an introductory calligraphy tutorial designed for beginners.
1. Understand the basics of calligraphy: First, you need to understand the history of calligraphy and the different writing styles. There are several main types of Chinese calligraphy, such as regular script, line script, cursive script, official script and seal script, each with its own unique style and writing rules.
Regular script, line script, cursive script, official script, and seal script are the five main scripts of Chinese calligraphy, each with its own unique style and historical background.
1) Kaishu: Kaishu is the most standardized and easy-to-read calligraphy font, and is often used as a standard font for learning Chinese characters. It originated in the Han Dynasty and flourished in the Tang Dynasty, and is characterized by clear strokes, rigorous structure, and straight lines. Regular script emphasizes the precision of penmanship and the neatness of the glyphs, and is the preferred font for beginners in calligraphy. In the Tang Dynasty, Ouyang Xun's "Jiucheng Palace Liquan Ming" and Yan Zhenqing's "Yan Qinli Tablet" are famous regular script works.
2) Xingshu: Xingshu is a font between regular script and cursive script, which is more fluid and natural than regular script, but easier to read than cursive script. The origin of Xingshu can be traced back to the Han Dynasty, and it is characterized by the connection of strokes, natural transitions, jumps between lines, and a strong sense of rhythm. Wang Xizhi's "Orchid Pavilion Preface" is a representative work of Xingshu.
3) Cursive: Cursive is a calligraphy font with great personality and artistic expression, which originated in the Han Dynasty and reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty. The cursive strokes are simplified, the glyphs are deformed, and the writing is fast and smooth, with a strong sense of movement and expressiveness. Famous cursive works include Zhang Xu's "Zhang Hansi Fish Post" and Huaisu's "Self-Narrative Post".
4) Lishu: Lishu is a kind of calligraphy gradually formed after the unification of the Qin Dynasty, and reached its peak in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Lishu is characterized by thick strokes, compact structure, rounded lines, and a sense of strength. It evolved from seal scripts and is easier to write and read than seal scripts. "Lingfei Sutra" is a famous official book.
5) Seal script: Seal script is one of the oldest forms of Chinese character writing, mainly used for inscriptions and seals. Seal scripts are divided into two types: large seals and small seals, which originated in the Shang and Zhou dynasties and were developed into small seals by Li Si in the Qin Dynasty. The seal script is characterized by rounded glyphs, tight structure, and many twists and turns, which has a strong decorative and classical beauty. The "Stone Drum Text" is a famous work of the Great Seal, while the Small Seal is represented by the inscription in the "Records of the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty".
Each calligraphy font carries a profound heritage of Chinese culture, and studying these fonts will not only improve your calligraphy skills, but also deepen your understanding of the essence of Chinese culture.
2. Choose the right tools: Traditional calligraphy tools include brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Choosing the right tool for you is very important for beginners, starting with a small, stiff brush.
In Chinese calligraphy, different calligraphic fonts are often suitable for different types of brushes, because different brushes can better express the characteristics of a particular calligraphy. The following is a guide to the selection of pens for each calligraphic font:
1.Regular script: Regular script pays attention to the accuracy and neatness of the strokes, so it is suitable for using harder brushes, such as wolf pen. The tip of the wolf pen is tough and easy to control, which can help beginners accurately complete each stroke of regular script. Choose a medium or small Wolf Pen to give you more control over the fineness of your strokes.
2.Xingshu: Xingshu font is smooth and natural, and the strokes are often connected to each other. Therefore, it is suitable to use a slightly softer brush, such as a pen. The pen combines the softness of the sheep's hair with the tenacity of the wolf's hair, making the writing both smooth and powerful. A medium and millimeter pen is a good choice.
3.Cursive: Cursive writing is fast and changeable, requiring the use of a softer brush, such as a sheep's hair. The Sheep's Hair Pen is soft and absorbs a lot of water, which is suitable for fast writing and large swings. Beginners can choose a medium or large sheep's hair pen to practice cursive.
4.Lishu: The strokes of Lishu are thick, emphasizing the roundness and strength of the lines. It is suitable to use a slightly harder brush, such as a wolf pen or a hard pen. These pens can help beginners better grasp the gestures and strength of Lishu.
5.Seal script: The strokes of seal script are mostly rounded turns, so you need to use a softer brush, such as a sheep's hair pen. The sheep's hair pen is suitable for the delicate and rounded strokes of the seal script. Beginners can choose a small or medium-sized sheep's hair pen to practice seal script.
Overall, choosing the right brush is very important for learning different calligraphy fonts. Beginners can start with a small and medium-sized brush and try other types or sizes as they improve their skills.
Three. Learn basic strokes: Chinese Chinese characters are composed of basic strokes, such as horizontal, vertical, apostrophe, 捺, etc. Beginners should start with these basic strokes to familiarize themselves with how to write different strokes. Beginners are recommended to use [Zhang Xiaofeng Brush Water Writing Cloth Beginner Introductory Copybook Copying Set] to copy and write.
Four. Practice the basic structure of Chinese characters: After mastering the basic strokes, you can start to practice some simple structure of Chinese characters, such as "人", "大", etc.
Five. Imitation of famous calligraphy: Choosing some famous calligraphy for copying is an effective way to improve calligraphy skills. You can start with simple regular script and gradually try more difficult line or cursive script.
Six. Consistent practice: Calligraphy requires a long period of practice and accumulation. Spend a certain amount of time practicing each day and pay attention to your progress and shortcomings.
Seven. Understand the rhythmic beauty of calligraphy: Calligraphy is not only about writing words, but more importantly, about expressing the rhythmic beauty of words. This needs to be grasped through constant practice and appreciation of excellent works.
Eight. Explore your personal style: Once you've built up the basics, try to explore and develop your own calligraphy style. Everyone's calligraphy style is unique, which requires a long period of precipitation and practice.
In conclusion, calligraphy is an esoteric art that requires a lot of time and effort from the learner to study and practice. Through continuous study and practice, you will be able to gradually grasp the essence of calligraphy and enjoy the artistic pleasure brought by calligraphy.