Wang Sengqian also has profound attainments in calligraphy theory. His unique achievements in calligraphy theory are mainly reflected in the following two aspects:
First, he proposed the essentials of calligraphy. Create a perfect artistic image. In his view, calligraphy is not a purely representational art. It has no concrete visible objects. Calligraphers must use emotion and imagination to turn invisible things into concrete and visible artistic images. For this reason, when he was creating, he had to think about following certain rules and at the same time imagine visible calligraphy images so that he could adapt to his needs. The calligraphy image has touching vitality and reveals profound skill in beauty. We have to follow the rules and we have to run with our imagination. Are these contradictory? Of course not. Because the "imagination" mentioned by Wang Shouqian here is not a wild fantasy, but a thinking activity that is connected with the image of beauty in real life. For example, when grasping the weight of a pen, you must imagine the light and thin cicadas respectively. Wings and thick, heavy clouds. Therefore, he repeatedly emphasized that the art of calligraphy must not only follow certain rules and regulations, but also be free and imaginative, and not be bound by rules and regulations. Only in this way can we be creative and create perfect artistic images. This proposition actually has guiding significance for all artistic creative activities, including calligraphy.
Secondly, he proposed the aesthetic categories of "nature" and "kung fu", "charm" and "strength". The "natural" here refers to the calligrapher's natural conditions and talent in calligraphy; "kung fu" refers to the degree of careful learning and calligraphy practice. "Li" refers to the strength of calligraphy, which is the result of the combination of innate talent and acquired learning; "Mei" means beauty, referring to the image beauty of calligraphy art. He believes that for the art of calligraphy, these factors are equally important and all are indispensable. Only by combining these factors can a perfect calligraphy art image be created. Based on this principle, he evaluated the famous calligraphers of the past dynasties and their works one by one, pointing out that they may have more than enough natural talent but not enough skill; or they may be full of charm but weak in strength. In short, each has its own strengths and weaknesses.