When learning calligraphy, calligraphers say you should start with regular script. Why is this?

This is because the rules of regular calligraphy are very strict, and no strokes should be taken carelessly. It is a basic skill of calligraphy, and no matter how talented you are, it will not be perfected in a short time. Those who turn running script and cursive script into ugly script are all because regular script is not good enough, and it is a sign of eagerness for quick success.

There are many classifications of regular script. According to the size, it can be divided into Zhongkai, Xiaokai and Dakai. According to the font, it can be divided into Tang Kai and Weibei. Among these classifications, each Chinese character has a different writing method and different strokes. Regular script only includes four categories: Ou, Yan, Liu, and Zhao. Therefore, in most people's minds, regular script only refers to Tang Kai. There are two peaks in the history of Chinese calligraphy, one is the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and the other is the Tang Dynasty. These two mountains became the targets of future generations.

After the Tang Dynasty, calligraphers like to start with regular script when learning calligraphy. This is because the regular script of the Tang Dynasty was very good, even better than any other era. This has led to many people only knowing the Tang people and not the Wei and Jin Dynasties. This is also one of the reasons why cursive script gradually declined after the Tang Dynasty. After the Tang Dynasty, the decline of cursive script became an insurmountable gap.

In the writing system before the Tang Dynasty, hoop turning was the main method. We have explained this method in detail in a previous article. In the era before the Tang Dynasty, there were no high platforms. At that time, people could only sit on the ground, write with one hand and hold a scroll in the other. In this writing paradigm, the calligraphy is very elegant and has strong pen control ability.

It is precisely because of this characteristic of free writing that calligraphy at that time produced many famous works, which is difficult to achieve in any era in history. Therefore, regular script before the Tang Dynasty made more changes at the turning point of writing, with less mention and less pressure. Because regular script is the most regular script and the most patient script