Nine Common Forms of Chinese Calligraphy (Part 3)

In this blog, I will share the final three forms of Chinese calligraphy with you.

7. Fan: The size is fan-shaped, with a fan and folding fan, and can also be mounted or rolled into a book.

There are three common forms of fan:

1. Make full use of the upper end and not use the lower end. This format is appropriate to write two characters per line, arranged in order from right to left. The signature writes on the left side of the text. The signature should be longer. And the paragraph characters should write from one to several lines, and the seal should be smaller than the body.

2. Write fewer numbers, use the width of the fan to write two to four characters horizontally from right to left, with a certain degree of storage, and the signature can write in several lines of small characters, which contrast with the main text.

3. The upper end writes in sequence, and the lower end writes alternately, forming a pattern of staggered lengths. It can avoid the sloppy upper and the crowded lower end, achieving harmony throughout the story. In this format, write long lines first, with five characters or so, and short lines with one or two characters. The signature should be excellent, usually written at the end of the text, one or several lines. That is, the chapter should be smaller than the inscribed word.

8. Album: Mount the small works for flipping through, combine them into a book, unfold into a book, and name album pages, whose contents are either coherent or established separately.

Because the body of the painting is not large, it is also called "Small Pieces," also call Caye and Ye Ce. It is composed of pieces of cardboard folded in half and can read left and right or up and down. There are three styles of the album. One is the horizontal painting heart which mounted up and down called the "push-top style"; the other is the vertical painting heart, which folds left and right, called the "butterfly style"; One type is mounted into a single piece and connected into a whole that called "jing fold type", and the smaller vertical strips called "folders"; some are mounted into a single piece called "bulk".

Generally, the pages of the album are even numbers, ranging from four to eight, as many as twelve, sixteen, twenty-four, etc. The number of pages can divide into two volumes, each with plain white supplementary pages ( Also called guard page) two or four open. Generally, the outer frame is inlaid, and the top and bottom covers with sandalwood, nanmu, or Song brocade difficult shell board as the front cover and back cover, and it becomes a book when folded. In this way, it is more convenient to appreciate, carry, or preserve.

9. Handscroll: It is also a horizontal axis, which is inconvenient to hang. It is only suitable for stretching on the desk and scrolling the banner works after viewing.

The hand-scrolled style has existed in the Jin Dynasty. It evolved from the "Jingjuan" and "Juanziben" of the Qin and Han Dynasties. The contents of the hand-scrolled can be two types:

One is composed of multiple independent characters. If it is composed of independent characters and characters, the font can unify, or it can be in Kai, Xing, Cao, Li, and seal. The second is that multiple independent characters are mixed and interspersed. This type of handscroll can be the joint creation of multiple calligraphers or the work of one calligrapher. If you are a calligrapher and painter who write poems and paint according to the meaning of poems, this is what people call the "three musts." 

Nine Common Forms of Chinese Calligraphy (Part 1)

For those who are new to calligraphy, in addition to teaching some writing skills about calligraphy, the calligraphy teacher will also tell some knowledge related to calligraphy works. And even ask everyone to write a calligraphy work at the end of the course. There will be questions for many people. First, what content I want to write. We will not talk about this today. Second, what format do I want to write? Is it a scroll or nave? Here, the scroll and the nave are the names of the form of calligraphy works. Today, I organize the related knowledge of the nine common types of calligraphy works, mainly including scrolls, couplets, naves, Doufang, plaques, strips, fans, albums, and handscrolls. These are more traditional forms of calligraphy. I will also sort out a batch of more popular contemporary forms of calligraphy. I hope everyone has to help.

1. Scroll: Use long Xuan paper to open, and a half (half or half-fold), and the works in the straight script are the scrolls.

The scroll is a long work written in vertical lines. The size is generally a whole piece of Xuan paper cut. When arranging the rules and regulations, they should be able to conceive carefully according to the characteristics of the script and have new ideas. When creating, pay attention to the primary and secondary relationship between the main text and the signature. The signature should be patchy, natural, and vivid. The signature can write below the bottom line of the article, and there should be room for a layout. The bottom of the paragraph is generally not flush with the body to avoid rigid form. It can also occupy another line or two lines after the text, and the top and bottom should not be flush with the article. The seal should be smaller than the type, and the stamp must generally leave more than one word, or it can place on the left side of this.

There are two usual formats for banners:

One is writing in two or three lines. Two-line format: Write on the left and right sides of the paper, leaving more spaces in the middle. Pay attention to the rhythm of the upper and lower worlds and the echoes between the two lines. The signature usually writes at the end of the second line, and the position should be slightly higher than the last word of the first line. The signature can write in one or two lines. In the three-line format, pay attention to the interrelationship between the three lines, interspersed with tapes and rhythm changes. The inscription can be at the bottom of the last line, which is slightly higher than the one or two lines of the main text; it can also write separately, and the signature should be shorter than the main text and should not be parallel to the main text.

The other is to write a line in the center (fewer words). The written content is generally a saying, aphorism, or a poem, etc. The number of characters is small, so pay attention to the opening and closing of the characters, and the rhythm changes when writing, to be vivid. The signature can divide into single or double. The simple signature generally writes in the middle of the left side. The content of the signature includes the writing time, the author's name, or only the author's name or number. The seal places under the paragraph, and generally, two sides are appropriate, and the distance between the seals suitably separate. In the double section, the last part writes ten in the upper middle part of the right side of the work.

2. Couplets: Two folio scrolls, written in upper and lower couplets, also known as couplets, pairs, or couplets.

The couplet that named after the Ying-chu hanging in the hall of the building in ancient times. It is a kind of antithetical literature, which originated from the Tao Fu. It is a sentence written on paper, cloth, or carved on bamboo, wood, or pillars. The language is simple and profound, the contrast is neat, the flat and coordinated, the number of words is the same, and the structure is the same. It is a unique art form of the Chinese language.

The couplet divides into upper and lower couplets, the upper couplet on the right hand, and the lower couplet on the left. The size of the upper and lower links can be the same as the banner.  Or larger or smaller than scroll. The rules for the writing content of couplets are strict.

The pair signatures are at the end of the upper and lower pages, and the signatures are slightly higher than the bottom of the article. The position of upper and lower joint characters should generally be parallel. Deal with the size of the upper and lower worlds, the changes in retracting and unfolding, and the echoes between the upper and lower joints make the upper and lower joints become a whole.

The signatures of couplets below the cross divide into upper and lower paragraphs and single paragraphs. In the Upper and lower signatures, the upper signature writes on the right side of the upper line, and the next signature writs on the left side of the lower line.

The above signature generally writes the author and title of the verse, such as "Huang Tingjian Deng Kuaige Poem," the next paragraph, the name and number of the writer, and the writing location and time. For example, if "Book of Bingzixiantang in Beijing" is a donation work, the Shanglian must state the name or number of the recipient, title, and words such as Yazheng, Huicun, and Qingshou. For example, if "Ms. Wenying Hui Cun" is a work that someone asks you to write, the Shanglian will write the name or mark of the person who asked you to be the writer and add the words "testimony" to the title.

The single signature generally writes in the upper-middle position on the left side of the lower line. The content of the signature includes the writing time, the author's name, or only the author's name or mark. The seal place under the paragraph, generally, two sides are appropriate, and the distance between the seals is suitably separated.

Nine Common Forms of Chinese Calligraphy (Part 2)

Following the previous blog post, I will continue to share other forms of Chinese calligraphy. 

3.The nave is a style in which the Chinese paintings mount in the vertical frame, named after hanging on the middle wall of the hall. The floor slabs of old-style houses in China are very high. 

People often hang enormous calligraphy and painting on the middle wall of the living room (main room), called the nave painting. It is a rectangular work written in vertical lines. The content is mostly a four-foot full sheet of large characters with auspicious meanings such as blessing, longevity, dragon, and tiger, with "couplets" on the left and right. There are also calligraphic inscriptions on ancestral mottos, sayings, famous sentences, or portraits of ancestors, landscapes, and tigers. The size is generally a piece of whole rice paper (four feet, five feet, six feet, eight feet, etc.).

Because the size is relatively large, the creator needs to have proficient techniques and the ability to grasp the overall layout of the work. When creating, we must pay attention to the primary and secondary relationship between the main text and the inscription and make the primary and secondary differences between them correspondingly bright. Don't overwhelm the host when signing. The signature can write below the bottom line of the text, and there should be room for a layout. The bottom of the paragraph is generally not flush with the body to avoid rigid form. It can also occupy another line or several lines at the end of the text, and the top and bottom should not be flush with the article. The seal should be smaller than the typeface, and the stamp must generally leave more than one word, placed under the typeface, or on the left side of the typeface.

4. DouFang: Cut rice paper into a style of about eight kai (about 1 square foot), called DouFang.

Dongfang is one of the mounting styles of Chinese painting and calligraphy. It means a page of calligraphy, calligraphy, or poem one or two square meters. The scale is small, generally referring to drawings and calligraphy works of 25-50 cm square. In folk New Year pictures, arts of this size and form are also called "Doufang." There is also a fighting style in the current paintings. The small Doufang that is one-foot square is also called "Doufang Xiaoping" or "Xiaopin Doufang."

The written content of Doufang is generally four to six lines. Because of the large number of rows and columns, the layout of the chapter should emphasize the size, opening, and closing, echoing, and rhythm changes. When creating, pay attention to the primary and secondary relationship between the main text and the inscription. The characters are generally smaller than the main text and should be natural and vivid. The signature can write below the bottom line of the article, and there should be room for a layout. The bottom of the paragraph is generally not flush with the body to avoid rigid form. It can also occupy another line or two lines after the text, and the top and bottom cannot be flush with the article. The seal must be smaller than the word, and it must leave more than one character.

5. Plaque: also known as a horizontal drape, horizontal banners are framed or carved on wooden boards and hung on the wall.

The plaque is generally hung above the door and under the eaves. When the building has gates on all sides, plaques can hang on all sides, but the front doors must have plaques, such as royal gardens, palaces, and some famous residences. Many dragons and phoenixes, flowers, and patterns will carve on the borders of many plaques. Some inlaid pearls and jade are gorgeous.

6. Bar screen: Write a group of works based on the length of the poem and essay on paper of the same size as the nave and banner.

The separately hung ones call "banners," and the ones hung together are called "tang screens" or "strip screens," such as "four screens, eight screens, twelve, sixteen, eighteen, or even twenty-six screens.

The best calligraphy for hanging in the living room

As far as a family is concerned, a good home hanging painting can make the occupants inexhaustible, learning, and work smoothly. The living room is the main activity space for home life, parent-child interaction, leisure and entertainment, and making friends. So how to choose the living room painting? Four-character calligraphy that integrates beauty, taste, and auspicious meaning is the first choice.

Four-character calligraphy is a kind of culture and fashion. With the continuous improvement of people's living standards and cultural quality, many famous calligraphy has flowed into the family and become a must for family decoration and painting. The living room is the face of the whole house, so which four-character calligraphy is more decent to hang in the family living room? The classic four-character calligraphy will present to you immediately.

Huifeng Hechang

A collection of four-character calligraphy in the living room-Huifeng Hechang, which makes people feel comfortable. When the mood is good, everything goes well.

This Huifeng Hechang calligraphy works gracefully and freely. The handwriting is elegant and beautiful, vivid and dignified, and skilled in skills. At the same time, his handwriting is vigorous, corresponding to each other, and at the same time a harmonious whole. It is suitable for living room decoration.

Chunhua Qiushi

A collection of four-character calligraphy in the living room-Chunhua Qiushi. The glorious flowers in spring and solid fruits in autumn. As long as you work hard, you will have the joy of harvest.

This painting is natural, smooth, and calm. This calligraphy continues to explore the depth of tradition and constantly builds the height of modernity. This pair of four-character calligraphy with excellent meaning is hung in the living room so that the loving home is full of the fragrance of books.

Ningjing Zhiyuan

A collection of four-character calligraphy in the living room-Ningjing Zhiyuan, all things are calm, nothing is calmer than the mind. Only by the peace of mind can ambitious goals be achieved.

This four-character calligraphy not only has neat fonts but also has vigorous strokes. Where does the vigor come from? It comes from the proficiency of the brush. His calligraphy works are smooth in use, agile in expression, like a broken bamboo, with coherent vibes. These running calligraphy works are powerful. It expresses the spirit and temperament in the handy. It has a strong artistic effect and is worth collecting.

Shiya Lanxiang

A collection of four-character calligraphy in the living room-Shiya Lanxiang, Shiya makes people stay away from the crowd, calm and calm, Lanxiang is restrained and peaceful, the fragrance is elegant, and there is gentleman quality.

Shiya Lanxiang--let people see a kind of elegance from the art of calligraphy, expressing an artist's true feelings of life. A few characters pursue light and soft curvature, hovering from left to right, connecting up and down, with a continuous momentum, reaching the shape of the word to another word. This writing pursues the change of ink color, the rhythm of the lines is slow, and the quality and weather of the overall composition of the ink give people spiritual enlightenment.

Houde Zaiwu

A collection of four-character calligraphy in the living room-Houde Zaiwu, having kind thoughts that can benefit others. Having gratitude can benefit oneself.

The strokes of this calligraphy are of proper thickness, graceful structure, and well-spaced. All four characters write in real pen. The ink is full of ink as if the back of the paper is strong, and the method is rigorous, seemingly clumsy there is pen power. As the so-called talent is brilliant, the spirit and rhyme are connected, the characters are round, which expresses the theme of the author's ability to display his talents and has high artistic value.

Many people are more inclined to calligraphy by celebrities in the choice of decoration paintings for the living room. Elegant and temperamental calligraphy works can bring people an extremely comfortable life and create a warm and comfortable atmosphere. It is necessary to live in such a beautiful environment every day. Everyone’s dream and calligraphy can give you ultimate satisfaction. And good calligraphy that implies auspiciousness can also bring good feng shui to the family and make the family fortune more prosperous.

Yan Zhenqing learns calligraphy

Yan Zhenqing was a famous calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty. To learn calligraphy, Yan Zhenqing first learned from Chu Suiliang and later worshipped under Zhang Xu. Zhang Xu was the foremost calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty. He can write in various fonts and is especially good at the cursive script. Yan Zhenqing hopes that under the guidance of this famous teacher, he will quickly learn the tricks of writing and become famous in one fell swoop. But after the apprenticeship, Zhang Xu did not reveal any secrets of calligraphy. He just introduced some famous copybooks to Yan Zhenqing, and simply pointed out the characteristics of the copybooks and asked Yan Zhenqing to copy them. Sometimes, he took Yan Zhenqing to climb mountains, to swim, to go to fairs, to watch theaters, and when he returned home, he asked Yan Zhenqing to practice calligraphy or watch him write calligraphy.

A few months passed in a blink of an eye. Yan Zhenqing couldn't get the teacher's calligraphy secrets and be very anxious. He decided to ask the teacher directly.

One day, Yan Zhenqing had the courage and blushed and said: "Students have something to ask for, please teach the secret of calligraphy."

Zhang Xu replied: "To learn calligraphy, one must be engineering, that is, diligence and practice; the second one is comprehension, that is, to receive inspiration from nature. Haven't I told you this many times?"

Yan Zhenqing heard this, thinking that the teacher would not teach the secret, and stepping forward, Shili pleaded: "I know all the truths that the teacher said about engineering and comprehension. What I need most now is how do you write the calligraphy? The secret recipe of the trick, please teach me."

Zhang Xu still patiently enlightened Yan Zhenqing: "I saw the princess fighting for the road to observe the meaning of the brushwork. When I saw Gongsun Auntie dancing the sword, I got the charm of the pen. Apart from hard practice, I observe nature. I have no tricks."

Then he told Yan Zhenqing the story of calligraphy practice by Wang Xianzhi, the sage of the Jin Dynasty, and finally said seriously: "If there is a secret in learning calligraphy, it is hard work. Remember, people who don’t work hard. , There will be no achievements."

Yan Zhenqing was greatly inspired by the teacher's teachings, and he truly understood the way to learn. From then on, he studied hard and practiced hard, devoted himself to studying, comprehending the charm of brush strokes from life, made rapid progress, and eventually became a great calligrapher.

Wang Xizhi--Practice Calligraphy Hard

Wang Xizhi has loved calligraphy since he was a child, and he has practiced hard for decades, finally making his calligraphy art reach the peak of super-excellence, and he is known as the "Sage of Calligraphy."

When Wang Xizhi was 13 years old, he accidentally discovered that his father had hidden a calligraphy book called "Shuo Bi" and stole it to read it. His father was worried that he would not be able to keep the family history secret when he was young and promised to teach it after he grew up. Unexpectedly, Wang Xizhi actually knelt down and asked his father to allow him to read now. His father was very moved and finally agreed to his request.

Wang Xizhi practiced calligraphy very hard, not even letting go of eating and walking, and he really got to the point of practicing all the time. Without paper and pen, he just wrote on his body. Over time, his clothes were scratched. Sometimes practice calligraphy to the level of forgetfulness. Once, he forgot to eat when he practiced calligraphy, and his family sent the meal to the study. Without thinking, he dipped the steamed bun and ate it in ink, and it was very tasty. When the family found out, his mouth was already black.

Wang Xizhi often writes by the pool, washing the inkstone by the pool. After a long time, the water in the pool is full of ink, which is called 'Mochi.' Now Shaoxing Lanting, Zhejiang Yongjia Xigu Mountain, Lushan Guizong Temple, and other places have places of interest known as Mochi.

Wang Xizhi's calligraphy art and hard work are highly praised by the world. According to legend, Wang Xizhi's marriage was determined by this. Wang Xizhi's uncle, Dao Wang, was the prime minister of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and he was a good friend of Xi Jian, the Taifu of the dynasty. Xi Jian had a beautifully talented daughter. One day, Xi Jian told Dao Wang that he wanted to choose a satisfactory son-in-law for his daughter from his sons and nephews. Dao Wang immediately agreed and agreed to be selected by him. Dao Wang went home and told his nephews about this matter. They had long heard that Miss Xijia was virtuous and beautiful, and they all wanted her. When the Xijia family came to choose a son-in-law, the nephews were busy getting dressed up. However, Wang Xizhi didn't ask about it, and he still lay on the bed in the east wing and concentrated on the art of calligraphy. After seeing the nephew of Wang Dao, the people from the Xi family went back to Xi Jian and answered:'Wang the family's boys are pretty good, but they know that they are a bit cautious and unnatural in choosing his son-in-law. Only the young man in the east wing didn't mind lying on the bed. He just gestured with his hands on the table. After hearing this, Xi Jian said happily: "The son of Dongbei must be Wang Xizhi who has achieved success in calligraphy. This son is the son-in-law in my mind. This son is not revealed and devoted to his studies." So he married his daughter to Wang Xizhi. Dao Wang’s other children and nephews were very envious and called him "A proud son in law."

The hidden worries of the current lack of calligraphy culture

The calligraphy fever has lasted for 30 years, and it is still hot, and there is no sign of cooling down. It is a good thing. What is certain is that calligraphy has made gratifying progress in recent years, and a large number of calligraphers have emerged, but there are no great calligraphers. And the lack of cultural heritage is an important reason. The lack of cultural heritage is a common problem among calligraphers. In other words, it is the disconnection between calligraphy and culture or the lack of calligraphy culture. Culture is a broad concept. It only refers to general cultural knowledge, such as words, terms, knowledge of literature and history, and simple rules and regulations. In other words, make the minimum cultural requirements for calligraphers. Calligraphy is the inheritance of culture, the carrier of culture, and it is also an integral part of the culture. It is not a problem for the ancients because most ancient calligraphers are literati and scholars, and they are all scholars, and culture and calligraphy are combined.  But the current calligraphy world is not the case. Calligraphy and culture have gradually drifted away, and most calligraphers have degenerated into people who specialize in writing. Looking at the current book world, typos and sick words have repeatedly banned, and bad habits such as swallowing and succumbing to words and meanings are rampant. People can't help being surprised: what happened to the calligraphy! The purpose of diagnosis is to cure diseases. Find faults in current calligraphy is to save calligraphy and to purify the calligraphy world.

A lot of misspellings

The ancients were unavoidable when writing typos, but ancient calligraphers rarely wrote typos. It is not the case today. It is not uncommon to write typos in various exhibitions at all levels across the country. Not to mention that the sealing method of the seal script is wrong, the cursive script is close but incorrect, and even the regular script and running script filled with typos.

Writing the wrong characters in calligraphy creation is not a trivial matter. The change of one word will mean different things and hinder the transmission of information. It is not just a question of creative attitude, but also a manifestation of cultural literacy.

Seeing the literary meaning, copy it mechanically

Some calligraphers, including calligraphy theorists, do not read much or do not seek to understand them well. In the creation and research of calligraphy, they often make literary and specious jokes.

About six or seven years ago, the "People" column of CCTV interviewed Mr. Ouyang Zhongshi, a great calligrapher. Mr. Ouyang told a story about the opening of a restaurant,  and a calligrapher wrote a picture of Tao Yuanming's "Come Away Home"  to congratulations. But he won't know that its content is not in harmony with the environment. "Come Away Home" is Tao Yuanming's declaration of farewell to officialdom. "Come Away home" means "go back." Guests who come to the hotel let people go back. Isn't this an order to evict guests? It is also a manifestation of cultural lack.

Seeing the literary meaning and copy it mechanically is mainly manifested in the signature. The ancients paid attention to proper wording and conventions. As they have the same cultural background, there is no ambiguity in communication. Today, it is different. From classical Chinese to the vernacular, the transmission of information is fast, but some cultural factors have dissipated.

Unlettered

Calligraphy has been a matter for the literati since ancient times. The "Book" of the Tang Dynasty imperial examination standard "body, speech, book, and judgment" emphasized the beauty of the law and the way. Since then, the imperial examination has always attached importance to calligraphy. In ancient times, reading and calligraphy were two things that literati had to do. No calligrapher didn't know poetry and no literati who didn't know calligraphy. That is to say, both writing and literature should combine. In Zhang Huaicuan's view, the literature on human abilities is the first, and calligraphy is second. But Wang Xi's father and son are both literary and ink, which is rare. There are many ancient calligraphers with both writing and ink. Most of them write their works, such as Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface," Yang Ning's "Liu Hua Tie," Su Shi's "Han Shi Tie," and so on. On the other hand, in the current calligraphy world, there are very few interdisciplinary talents with both literary and ink, and most calligraphers are just copyists who can only discuss life in the works of ancients.

Reasons for cultural deficiency and remedial measures to be taken

The phenomenon of lack of a culture of some calligraphers is common and serious. It is a bottleneck restricting the development of calligraphy. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze its causes and take remedial measures.

The low cultural quality of calligraphy professionals is the main factor for the lack of culture.

Among the many art categories, most people engaged in calligraphy, and those who can write Chinese characters with a pen can write calligraphy. As most calligraphers are not well-educated, there are many typos in their writings, and they do not understand the content of the meaning well. Cultural errors are inevitable.

Many calligraphers learn calligraphy to make money, not to enhance their cultivation and cultivate their sentiments. And various calligraphy improvement classes at all levels have sprung up. But these calligraphy classes teach skills, and the purpose is to participate in the competition, and there are almost no cultural classes. This method of fostering growth has also objectively led the calligrapher on the road of focusing on skills and neglecting skills.

A good way to avoid cultural deficiencies is to read books.

Reading is a cure for cultural deficiencies. Bacon said that "learning changes temperament." Reading more books makes writing natural and elegant; reading more books makes calligraphy more literary. The high level of calligraphy is writing knowledge and culture. How can calligraphy reach a high level without culture? As for what book to read, how to read it? It varies from person to person.

At least ancient poems and famous articles should read intensively, and literary accomplishment should improve. In short, it is beneficial to unwind.

If most of the current calligraphers can concentrate on reading and be less impetuous, calligraphy can return to culture, the lack of culture can change and calligraphy must have a bright future.