However, among many regular script learners, more than 90% beginners will face a very difficult problem, that is, they often write regular scripts in a rigid, inflexible and unskilled way. Like a rotten stick, lifeless.
This is actually determined by the historical particularity of regular script.
Throughout the history of China's calligraphy, regular script is actually the latest mature one among the five-style calligraphy. Needless to say, seal script was mature and stereotyped in the pre-Qin and Han dynasties, while cursive script reached its peak in Wei and Jin dynasties through the joint efforts of many calligraphers such as two kings and sons. Only regular script appeared at the latest, and its form was the most tortuous.
From the official change at the end of Han Dynasty to the seal script in Wei and Jin Dynasties, to the epitaphs of Weibei and Sui Dynasties in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and finally to the Tang Dynasty, it gradually matured and became legal. This process occurred after the maturity of seal script, official script, running script and cursive script.
This means that regular script evolved and developed on the basis of Zhuan Cao to some extent, including the internal factors of Zhuan Cao. When people who learn calligraphy learn regular script for the first time, because there is no basis for practicing cursive script, their regular script naturally lacks an innate "gene" for practicing cursive script.
There is an "unequal" relationship between this "natural formation process of calligraphy style" and "calligraphy learning of calligraphy learners", which also leads to the boring, dull and rigid regular script works written by many calligraphy learners.
As we know, the biggest feature of official script is elegance and romance, so after learning official script, there will be no such special rigid and heavy feeling; Seal script is round and beautiful. After learning seal script, you won't write stiff strokes. Running script is chic and smooth, and it will not be dull after learning; Cursive writing is straightforward, and it will flow naturally after learning.
Seeing this, someone will definitely think like this:
Why not learn regular script first, such as seal script, official script, running script and cursive script, so that regular script can be written well?
Although this method is good, it is not practical. It takes endless time to learn all four styles. And the study of "skimming flowers" and "skimming water" is not conducive to deepening our understanding of calligraphy skills. On the contrary, it will make novices develop an impetuous mentality. It's difficult to change this post today and write this post tomorrow.
So the best way is to learn regular script first, and learn the basic skills of regular script first. After learning the skills, you will reach the standard and pass the technical barrier. Even at this time, the writing of regular script is still problematic, rigid and inflexible, and there is not much problem. Because beginners are the least anxious to solve the style problem, because it takes a lot of time to solve it, not overnight. But the technique is actually relatively easy to master and urgent.
The ancients also said that "words cannot be used for a hundred days." Learning calligraphy is easy to master. When we learn regular script and master the skills, we can make up for our stagnation and inflexibility in regular script by extensively dabbling in official script.
Therefore, in general, if you want to write regular script flexibly and brilliantly, and your works are vivid but not rigid, you should first stare at a regular script copybook honestly, copy it carefully and learn calligraphy skills. Then, you should extensively dabble in seal script, official script, running script and cursive script, and make use of some charm characteristics of these four styles to slowly transform the rigid and dull shortcomings of regular script.