When young people learn calligraphy, they usually start with block letters. There is no doubt that this choice is correct. But when I hold the brush in hand and study the stele inscriptions, some of the stipples are always unsatisfactory. These unsatisfactory and defective stipples are called "sick pens". In order to identify these diseased pens, we need to find out the reasons and change the bad habits of using ink, pen or writing skills, so as to overcome the diseased pens. Here we summarize 16 types of diseased strokes and analyze them one by one so that we can make comparisons during practice or creation to avoid the occurrence of these incorrect stipples.
1. Bull head. Like a bull's head. The main reason is that there is too much ink on the pen tip, causing the ink to swell too much. Or the stroke is too heavy, the force of pressing down is too great, the stroke is too fast, and the stroke is raised too quickly. Therefore, when writing, the tip of the pen should not be soaked with ink too much. The force of pressing down should be appropriate according to the size of the characters. When the pen tip is reversed and returned, the speed is slightly faster than when the tip is lifted out.
2. Rat tail. It often appears in paintings, looking like a mouse's tail, which is unsightly. The main reason is that the pen is weak and floats on the paper, slipping away. The brush is lifted but not pressed when it is running, and the brush must not be used for drawing. When writing and skimming, the pen should be composed, the downward pressure should be even, the tip of the pen should be brought to the top, the transition from thick to thin should be slow and natural, and the pen should be used in the center.
3. Broom. When the pen is closed, there are too many scattered edges without any return, and the scattered edges are like a broom, hence the name. If the brush tip is brought to the end after the hidden edge is returned, and the "broom" shape cannot be changed by raising the tip and closing the brush, it is recommended to change the brush.
4. Bamboo joints. The stipples are like bamboo joints. This is due to a vague understanding of the shape and quality of dot paintings and improper use of pens. Through observation, it can be seen that the reverse direction of the stroke is not correct enough, the stroke is too stiff when the stroke is stopped, and the stroke in the middle is too lifted. "Bamboo knot" is used in most regular scripts, but it is used in some Wei stele scripts.
5. Wasp waist. This diseased pen appears in strokes such as hooks, vertical and horizontal strokes. The two ends are round and thick, while the middle is thin and soft, like a wasp's waist. This kind of pen disease often occurs when the pen is started and closed by pressing too hard and not paying attention to the movement of the center, resulting in an imbalance between the middle and the two ends. Therefore, when writing, you should lift and press steadily, apply force evenly, and make your strokes natural.
6. Crane’s knees. The feet of the red-crowned crane are long and thin, while its knees are round and thick, which is very distinctive. People call the diseased pen with soft and thin lines and round and protruding points at the turning and stopping points as "Crane's Knee". In order to avoid this situation, it is required that the inertia should not be too large when starting or closing the pen, turning or horizontal hooking, there should not be too much circular turning and pressing force, and the pen tip movement should not be too large when the pen is stopped or paused. Keep the attitude as stated in the original post and close it as soon as you can.
7. Nail head. A nail head is different from an ox head. It looks like a nail, with a big head and a small body. Generally, it refers to the loss of control of one's strength and one's will. This situation should be avoided as much as possible.
8.Ore wood. The end of the finger strokes is like broken wood, uneven and blind, which completely violates the rules and requirements of pointillism. There is no backstroke when using the brush, just a light sweep while writing. Therefore, when writing, you must be able to hold your breath, be calm in your mind, and when the pen is delivered, you must return when it is time to return, and you must not cut corners.
9. Firewood load. The appearance is similar to that of a wasp's waist, but it is not a "wasp's waist disease". To be precise, it is a "firewood pole", or a "carrying pole". The two ends are thick and the middle is thin. The difference is that the whole stroke has a larger bend. This kind of stroke is mostly manifested in horizontal strokes. Therefore, you should reverse the bend and run to the right, mainly horizontally and horizontally. Don’t press too hard. When you make a slight bend according to the needs of the structure, do it appropriately and not too much. Stop the pen and return to the front. Pay attention to the rules.
10. Sawtooth. Jagged pens are generally caused by improper use of the slant edge, which is mostly caused by skimming. If you are not careful, "saw tooth disease" may also occur in other stippling paintings. Its main feature is that one side is smooth, one side is toothed, and the other side is jagged. To overcome this phenomenon, the center's use of the pen must be emphasized.
11. Sharp edges. The strokes were too sharp, causing the pointillism to have sharp edges and teeth, losing the roundness and subtlety of the pointillism. We must remember the principle of "reversing in and returning out", which can be both square and round, but cannot have "sharp edges".
12. Hair. This disease is prone to occur in structures with lots of stipples. His stippling is too slender and as soft as hair. He only lifts the brush without pressing it, and lacks strength and change.
13. Vertical tail. The strokes of the strokes should be lifted upward at the end, making them appear full and energetic, full of image and posture. If the pen is forced downward and slips out, it will cause the "hanging tail" disease. Pressing the foot is very important in regular script writing. When the brush is stopped and kicked out, the twisting and pressing action should not be too large. During the process of pressing and lifting, the upper edge should be kept straight and the lower edge should be lifted up. The writing power should be in place and the shape of the pinned feet should be maintained.
14. Shrug: Different from Crane Knee, shrug is mainly square folded. Although it has the "folding flavor" of regular script, it is too high and pretentious, and is too different from the vertical painting below. There is no natural transition. It also loses proportion to the horizontal painting on the left and cannot achieve coordination and consistency. Therefore, you should pay attention to it when writing to take precautions before they happen.
15. Off the shoulder. The turning point is disconnected, the writing is broken, the meaning is broken, and there is no connection with each other. It is both "shoulder-off" and "shoulder-slumping", which is exactly the opposite of "shoulder shrug". The serious distortion in the shape and appearance of handwriting written by patients with shoulder disease is caused by the lack of reading and writing. There is a lack of understanding of the shape and quality of the structure, so when writing, you must read the calligraphy carefully, know how to lay out the white, and master the skills of combining the frames to avoid such bad writing.
16. Willow leaves. The strokes resemble the shape of willow leaves, commonly known as "willow disease". Generally speaking, this is not allowed in regular script. In Yan Zhenqing's "Qinli Stele" calligraphy, some long strokes are thick in the middle, but the transition is natural and the contrast is not great. It has the characteristics of long strokes and a beautiful image. , there is a fundamental difference between the two. The stipples look like willow leaves, which makes them sick. Therefore, when you are practicing, you need to enter the post, and when you create the post, the stipples should be more vigorous and powerful, and the shape and quality should be beautiful.