Hanging elbows, as the name implies, means that you can't lean against the desktop when writing. Some calligraphers especially emphasize that calligraphy must be hung on the elbow, otherwise it will not be written well. For example, Shen, the former president of Peking University, emphasized that calligraphy must be hung on the elbow to learn well. Tian thinks this is absolutely true.
In the history of modern calligraphy, Shen's calligraphy belongs to the first-class level. He thinks that the ancients used to hang their elbows to write, so it is necessary to hang their elbows to write good calligraphy. Tian thinks that no one saw the ancients writing with their elbows hanging down, so he can't come to such a conclusion.
Try it yourself first. Is it reasonable to write by hanging your elbow? We found that when sitting and writing, if the elbow is not attached to the desktop, writing will be very tired. I always think you need some strength to hold your arm. But if you write standing up, you will naturally lower your elbow, so you don't have to spend some effort to support your arm, and it will be much easier to write.
If you sit on your elbow and write big letters, you can barely cope, but if you sit on your elbow and write small letters, it's not appropriate-it's too tired. Therefore, Tian said, I have never seen anyone sitting on his elbow writing lowercase letters. If he can sit on his elbow and write in lowercase, I'll take you there.
Someone can refute it, so can I. You must be able to write well. You can't write well without relaxation. When you write in lowercase letters, your arm must be struggling-your arm muscles are tense. Qi Gong once said a classic calligraphy saying: When you write, if you work harder, you will fail. He emphasized that writing should be carried out in a relaxed state.
It's right to think about it. There are thousands of words in fine print. If you work hard, you can't write a few words-you get tired easily. If you don't hang your elbow when you write small print, you will be much more relaxed, and you will reach the state of writing in Qigong-relaxation.
What is reasonable is right. Calligraphy is to cultivate sentiment, and no one wants to write a word and suffer. Therefore, Tian's point of view is correct. Write lowercase letters on your wrist, not your elbow. Writing big letters is suitable for hanging elbows-you can make full use of the flexibility of wrists and elbows.