Since ancient times, there have been various methods of writing, which can be said to be everything...
1. According to the late famous calligrapher Mr. Sha Menghai, the writing posture of the calligrapher from ancient paintings Research shows that the ancients used the three-finger method to write calligraphy. Because people at that time sat cross-legged on the ground, and some even sat with their knees on the ground, with their buttocks sitting on their kneeling legs. At that time, there were no benches or tables, only machines like coffee tables. Because the machines were very low, you had to hang your hands when writing. This method spread to Japan and has been followed to this day. In the coming era, tables, chairs and benches began to become popular, and living habits also changed accordingly, and the writing method also changed to the five-square writing method. Su Dongpo, the great calligrapher of the Song Dynasty, still used three fingers to write. At that time, someone pointed out that his writing method was wrong, but he said, "There is no set method for holding the pen, it must be empty and wide." That is to say, there is no certain standard method for holding the pen. Just be flexible. Another example is the pen-grip method, where you use your palm to grasp the entire pen barrel and write. The pinch method is to put the fingertips of five fingers together and hold the tail of the pen barrel to write. There are many ways to hold a pen in the ancients, but the most widely used one, which can also be said to be generally accepted, is the five-finger pen holding method of "pressing, pressing, hooking, pushing, and resisting".
2. The five-finger pen-holding method
The "five-finger pen-holding method' is to use all five fingers of the right hand and use the method of "pressing, pressing, hooking, pushing, and resisting" to hold the pen. Hold the pen steadily so that the fingers can perform their duties. The specific way to hold the pen is: press the inside of the first book of the thumb on the side of the pen holder, and the first section of the thumb is in a slightly horizontal position or with the first section of the index finger. The joint of the second section presses the penholder from the outside to the inside. The middle finger is close to the index finger, and the ring finger is close to the middle finger. The root of the first nail is pressed against the penholder to resist the pressure of the index finger and the middle finger. Press the inner lower side of the ring finger and apply a little force. This will form the force of the five fingers to evenly surround the three sides of the pen, so that the pen is fixed and the palm of the hand is empty (see Figure 2). It is also a five-finger holding method. Various forms are formed by the opening and closing of the grid, and whether the pen is held at the fingertip or at the second joint of the finger. The ancients called it "phoenix eye", "tiger's mouth", "goose head" and other different postures of five-finger pen holding.
3. Pillowing the wrist, hanging the wrist and hanging the elbow
Pillowing the wrist and resting the wrist is a method of writing with the wrist resting on the table or resting on the back of the left hand. Bamboo pieces called "arm rests" are used to rest the hands. They are generally used in summer, because summer is easy to sweat, and the sweat on the hands is easy to smear the paper. Use the pillow wrist method to write calligraphy, because the wrist is leaning on the table. The hand is very stable and suitable for writing small regular script or one-inch square Chinese regular script. However, it is difficult to move because the wrist is resting. If you want to write larger characters, you need to use a hanging bowl to write.
Wrist hanging is a writing method in which the wrist holding the pen is suspended away from the table, and the elbow (the protruding and movable part connecting the upper arm and the forearm) is still leaning on the table. This method has a wider range of wrist movement than the pillow-wrist method. If it is larger, the arms and elbow joints are still leaning on the table, which is still relatively stable, and can be used to write large regular characters of two to three inches. If you write couplets or big characters, you need to use the hanging elbow method.
Elbow hanging is a method of writing calligraphy with the arm holding the pen hanging completely in the air. This method is the best because the arm is not leaning on the table and there is no obstruction at all. It is suitable for writing both large and small characters. The writing method is also a method commonly used by calligraphers. Mi Di, a great calligrapher in the Song Dynasty, even wrote small regular characters using the hanging elbow method, which shows how advanced his skills are. Of course, it is not necessary for beginners. Do this.
When we practice calligraphy with calligraphy, in the initial stage, because we are not familiar with the performance of the calligraphy brush, we can first use the hanging wrist method to write regular script that is two to three inches square. After a period of practice, After you gain a little grasp of the brushwork, your hands will gradually become more controllable. You can use the hanging elbow method to practice. Of course, if you suddenly suspend your arms completely, there will be certain difficulties at first. Your hands will be numb and painful, but this will be resolved as long as you persist. It can be as fast as a week, or as slow as a month. If you are afraid of pain at the beginning, or if you see that your writing is not as good as when you rested your wrist, and you still put your arm back on the table, you will probably have your arm hanging for the rest of your life. Can't get up.
There was a calligrapher in the Qing Dynasty. Because he could not pass the hanging elbow barrier, his wrist was always resting on the table when writing calligraphy. He could not write large characters, so he hung a calligrapher on the roof beam. A rope is formed into a loop, and the glove holding the pen is used to write in the loop. It can be seen that it is very troublesome not to hang the elbow.
4. The height and tightness of the pen holding
The height of the pen holding refers to the distance between the finger (ring finger) holding the pen and the tip of the pen. A long distance means a high holding, and conversely, a short distance That is, the attachment is low. The grip is high, and the hand is held in the middle or tail of the pen holder. When writing, if the wrist or finger moves one minute, the pen will move one inch on the paper. It is easy to produce unexpected effects and the structure will be interesting. Therefore, this This method is beneficial for writing running script and cursive script. However, because the pen is held high, the force in the hand is transmitted to the pen tip far away, and the strokes are easy to be slippery. On the contrary, if the pen is held low, the pen force can easily reach the pen tip, and the pen is round and steady, which is beneficial to writing seal script, official script and regular script. Of course, this is not absolute. Mr. Lin Sanzhi still holds the pen low when writing cursive. He does not rely on the movement of his fingers to obtain the unexpected and interesting cursive structure, but relies on the coordinated movements of his wrists and arms to pursue The strokes are calm and joyful.
Beginners who practice block letters should hold the pen lower (about 1 inch from the base of the pen) to make the strokes more stable. The higher the handwriting skills, the greater the changes, and it is not easy to master writing regular script. There is also the issue of the tightness of the pen. If you hold it too tightly, your hands will tremble and your fingers will hurt if you use too much force. If you hold it too loosely and don't use any force, the pen will fall off. For beginners, who have never held a brush before, they will be quite nervous, so they can relax appropriately. Of course, writing is not without effort. The ancients said that "the force is in the tip of the pen", which means that the power must be transferred to the tip of the pen through the hand holding the pen, and cannot stay on the arms or fingers. Writing requires skill rather than force. Skill comes from long-term practice, just like riding a bicycle. Once you know how to ride it, the habit becomes natural and you don't feel that you are exerting any force. If you don't feel that you are exerting force when writing calligraphy and can move the pen freely, you have passed the writing test.
5. Finger movement, wrist movement and elbow movement
Writing calligraphy is accomplished with coordinated movements of fingers, wrists or elbows. To complete the writing of stipples purely by moving your fingers is called "finger movement". The movement of the wrist to complete stroke writing is called "wrist movement". The coordinated movement of arms and elbows to complete stroke writing is called "elbow movement".
When writing in Xiaokai or Cunkai (one-inch square regular script characters), the wrist (the movable part where the base of the hand is connected to the lower end of the arm) rests on the table
and the hand holding the pen The thumb and index finger both stand obliquely next to the pen, and the palm is as erect as possible. The back of the hand and the tabletop form an angle of 70 degrees or 80 degrees. The ancients called it "off-flat palm erect". The index finger and thumb holding the pen form a "like" angle. The flat circle in the shape of "phoenix eye" is called "phoenix eye" (see Figure 3). When writing large characters that are two to three inches square, you cannot use the pillow-wrist method. Firstly, the range of finger movement is very small and it is impossible to write large regular characters. Secondly, if the range of finger movement is too large, the pen will be If it falls over, a diseased pen will appear, so you should use the wrist movement method to write. In the wrist movement method, the wrist must be suspended, the palm of the hand should be relaxed naturally, and the back of the hand and the tabletop should be at an angle of about 45 degrees (see Figure 2). If you are writing larger characters, use the hanging wrist method, because it is easy to write crookedly when writing vertical paintings with your elbows resting on the table. Therefore, when writing large characters, your arms must be raised. Even if you are writing two or three-inch square regular script, practicing with your arms hanging is quite beneficial. When writing large characters, not only do the arms have to be suspended, but also the person has to stand up to write. At this time, the palm of the hand holding the pen should also be gently relaxed, and the back of the hand and the arm should be in a plane, parallel to the tabletop. The ancients called it "flat-covering style". At this time, the wrist is completely let go and can move left and right up and down freely and flexibly. When writing large characters, it is completed by combining elbow movement and wrist movement (see Figure 3).
With the exception of small regular script, we do not support the pure use of finger movements to write calligraphy. Some people practice writing Chinese regular script with their elbows hanging. Although their arms and wrists are suspended, they are still in a static and rigid state. They still use their fingers to complete writing, and the pen barrel tilts seriously. This loses the meaning of hanging elbows. When hanging elbows, you should move your fingers as little as possible, and focus on wrist and elbow movements.
It is worth mentioning that the penholder does not always have to be perpendicular to the paper. During the writing process, the penholder can tilt slightly naturally, but the amplitude should be small. Generally, the penholder should always remain vertical when writing regular script.
Section 2 Sitting and Standing Postures
1. Sitting Posture
Sitting posture is the main method for writing calligraphy. Firstly, you don’t need to stand to practice two- or three-inch regular script characters, just sit down and write; secondly, sitting down saves effort and is conducive to concentration and concentration, making it easier to concentrate. The main reason why it is recommended to use the standing posture when writing two- or three-inch large models is to practice hanging elbows. In fact, you can also use the hanging elbow method when writing while sitting. The key is that the method must be correct.
The correct sitting posture should be "head upright, body straight, arms open, and feet secure" (see Figure 4).
Head upright means that the head should be straight when writing and should not be turned sideways. Laterality is common and often related to the posture of holding the pen. If your palm holding the pen is too firm and you use the "phoenix eye" method to write, your ring finger and little finger fill the palm, and the pen tip is blocked by your palm. In order to see the pen tip: In one case, the hand holding the pen tilts to the right If you move it, or even move it to be aligned with your right shoulder, you can see the pen tip, but the written words will be skewed; in another case, place the pen squarely in the middle, and turn your head to the left to see the pen tip clearly. Over time, cervical spine problems will occur.
Straight body means that the body should be straight, sit upright, and the shoulders should be level. Of course, standing upright does not mean holding the head high and chest high, but should relax the shoulders and back, sink naturally, lean forward slightly, and keep the chest and the tabletop Keep a distance of more than one punch, and avoid hunching over or even resting your chin pillow on the back of your left hand.
Open arms means that the arms should be stretched forward, and the elbow joints of both arms should also be spread to the left and right, so that both sides are basically symmetrical. Although some people's arms are raised when writing, they are close to the lower body and lean on the body. When writing, they often tilt to the right, which does not play the role of hanging the elbows. Therefore, while stretching your arms to the left and right, hold the paper down with the palm of your left hand. Hold the pen in your right hand and hang it slightly away from the table. The brush should be brought as close to the center as possible. The ancients said that the penholder should be aimed at the bridge of the nose. Of course it is not absolute. If it is moved slightly to the right, it should be said to be normal. Just don't go too far. In addition, when you are sitting and writing calligraphy with your right hand raised, you cannot raise your shoulder, and do not hang your elbow high, because if you raise your shoulder or hang it high, the muscles of the shoulder and arm will be tense, and the arm will become stiff. The shoulder should be down Shen, relax the elbow joint so that the arm and wrist are on the same level. The elbow joint can even be slightly lower than the wrist joint. It doesn't matter even if the sleeves are wiped on the table, as long as the elbow is not resting on the table.
Foot safety refers to two feet touching the ground naturally and smoothly. Do not cross your feet, stretch your legs forward, or put one leg on top of the other. These postures are not advisable. The legs are slightly apart from left to right, their position is basically equal to shoulder width, and the muscles are relaxed (see Figure 4).
2. Standing posture
You must stand to write relatively large characters. First, the characters are big and the strokes are long, so you can’t reach them when you sit down. Secondly, you have to sit down to read large works and your sight is limited. Deviation is not as accurate as standing condescendingly and seeing comprehensively.
When writing calligraphy while standing, you can lean forward slightly, with your head upright and slightly bent down. Press the paper on the table with your left palm, and your right hand should be almost straight. The posture of holding the pen should also match that of standing. And change, the palm is covered downward, and the back of the hand and the arm are almost in the same plane (see Figure 5). Stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart. When writing, use the movement of the wrist and arm to complete; if you write particularly large characters, you may even need to use the movement of the waist to write. The feet can be further apart to make the writing movement larger. The writing method should also change accordingly. Because large characters require a large pen, which is not light after being dipped in ink. If you still hold the pen with five fingers, you may be overwhelmed. You should make the tiger's mouth close to the pen and grasp the round root of the pen with five fingers. It is completed by the joint and coordinated movements of the wrist, elbow, arm and waist.