(1) According to Shuowen Jiezi (hereinafter referred to as Shuowen).
Shuowen, written by Xu Shen in the Eastern Han Dynasty, is the first dictionary in the history of linguistics in China to analyze glyphs, explain meanings and identify pronunciations. Its research object is mainly seal script, so it is the first choice for us to learn and master seal script, and it is also an indispensable step to understand Oracle Bone Inscriptions and bronze inscriptions.
Duan Yucai's Notes on Shuowen Jiezi, Wang Yun's Shuowen Jiezi and Shuowen Judu, Gui Fu's Shuowen Yizheng and Zhu's Shuowen Tongxun are all summaries of the research on Shuowen, each with its own emphasis. The best annotation is Duan Yucai's Notes on Shuowen Jiezi, which pays equal attention to form, sound and meaning, and is a reference book of Shuowen. It is of great inspiration and guidance for reading Shuowen. Beginners need to refer to the above monographs in order to truly understand and recognize seal script.
(2) Guided by the theory of "Six Books"
"Six Books" are six rules summarized by the ancients according to the analysis of the physical structure and usage of Chinese characters, namely "pictographic, indicative, knowing, pictophonetic, transliteration and borrowing". To understand the shape, sound and meaning of seal script from Shuowen, we must first understand the principle of "Six Books", and through the prompt of "Six Books", we can outline and get the purpose of fundamentally understanding seal script. To master the "six books" in learning seal script, it is important not to know which one of the "six books" the word belongs to, but to understand the structure and components of seal script. Knowing these problems, most Chinese seal scripts will naturally be solved. The basic principles of "Six Books" can be found in Tang Lan's China Philology (Shanghai Ancient Books) and Qiu Xigui's Outline of Philology (Commercial Press).
(3) Remember the special seal method.
There are many characters in seal script with unique seal method, which is far from the shape of regular script, which is the biggest obstacle to understanding seal script. In order to distinguish the right and wrong of seal script and prevent forgery, many formulas have been compiled by predecessors according to the differences in the form and characters of seal script, such as Yuan Ying's formula for distinguishing pointillism, Zhu Qing Fan Zhi's formula for radical songs of seal script, and Qing Sha's formula for rhyme of seal script (included in Shuowen Dictionary), which are all very suitable for learning seal script. Read the mouth, easy to remember. Beginners may wish to understand it first, gradually master the form of seal script, and remove obstacles.
(4) Treat Xi Zhuan with a rigorous and serious attitude.
Ancient philology is a relatively difficult knowledge, which is often easy first and then difficult. The key is to have the spirit of "perseverance"
Understanding seal script is a science, and we must not engage in it rashly. As long as we stick to the correct method, it is not difficult to master seal script. In order to help beginners know and write seal script accurately, the following is a bibliography.
Bibliography of tools:
Xu Shen, Zhonghua Book Company, wrote Shuo Wen Jie Zi.
"Shuo Wen Jie Zi" [Qing] Duan Yucai notes Shanghai Rare Books Society.
"Collation of the Qing Dynasty Writers' Zhuanli" [Japan] Beichuan Bobang Xiling Printing Company
A Biography Dictionary of Difficult Characters Wang Tongyu wrote Shanghai Painting and Calligraphy.
"Printing Pass" is a supplement to the four Lingyin Publishing Houses in Wang Fuan.