Four basic requirements of calligraphy:
A relatively successful calligraphy work must have four basic requirements: brush use, structure, composition, and ink technique.
Detailed explanation
Using a brush
The brush is the most important tool for calligraphy. The use of brushes in calligraphy mainly includes artistic techniques such as brushwork, brushwork force, strokes, and brushstrokes.
①Brushwork refers to the method of using a pen. The methods of using the pen include: starting the pen, closing the pen, round pen, square pen, center pen, side pen, exposed pen, hidden pen, lift and press, turning, etc.
② Pen power refers to the inner strength of strokes. Whether it is strong or soft strokes, there should be an inner sense of strength in the use of the brush.
③ Pen posture refers to the momentum formed when using the pen. The strokes have breaks but the momentum is continuous. Although the shapes of the stipples are different, the momentum is integrated.
④The meaning of the strokes is the emotion, interest, etc. expressed by the strokes and lines. This kind of interest is often the expression and expression of the author's feelings in calligraphy.
Structure
Chinese characters are composed of various strokes. How to combine the strokes to create a beautiful structure is an artistic skill. Structure is also called knot, structure or frame. The structure of calligraphy often makes appropriate artistic arrangements based on the structural rules of the text and the author's aesthetic taste. These artistic laws include density, virtuality and reality, symmetry, harmony, gathering and dispersion, echo, etc. The structure of calligraphy is based on these laws and techniques to express the formal beauty of words, giving viewers a rich sense of beauty and interest, thereby arousing endless artistic conception and interest.
Legislation
There is a difference between great and small composition. Small composition refers to how to arrange the relationship between dots within a word, or how to arrange between several words. The large chapter method is the planning and arrangement of the relationship between words, lines and lines, text and signatures, and seals throughout the text. It requires that there be echoes and expectations between the lines of a work, and that it must be coordinated, smooth, and have a sense of integrity.
The composition of the composition has the following aspects:
① Shape: that is, specifications, such as nave, banners, couplets, banners, squares, fans, etc.
②Text: This is the main part of the work. The writer must decide the layout of the text based on the number of words, fonts and shapes.
③Inscription: that is, the inscription, which refers to the text outside the main text. There are upper and lower styles and long, short and poor styles. The content generally includes the source of the text, the recipient of the book, the time, the reason for writing, the postscript, etc. The subtitles include the time, author or restaurant, name, etc. However, in general, it is rare to write down everything in full, so most of them are short and poor. It depends on the needs of the rules and regulations.
④ Seals: divided into name seals, Zhaiguan seals, year number seals, Xiao-shaped seals, idle seals, etc. Shapes include square, long, round, elliptical, follow-the-shape, etc. The inscriptions include white and vermilion (i.e. Yin and Yang), which can be used as the first seal except for the name seal. That is, the seal should be more outside and below the first word of the first line. Name seals can be divided into surname seals and first name seals. Either or both can be used depending on the circumstances of the work. The size of the print depends on the size of the text. We believe that it should be small rather than large, and should never exceed the size of the characters.
Ink method
Ink method is also often valued by calligraphers. The methods of using ink include: thick ink, light ink, dry ink, thirsty ink, wet ink, dry ink, swelling ink, etc. Light ink was mostly not used in calligraphy by the ancients. Dong Qichang of the Ming Dynasty loved to use light ink. In modern times, it was widely used. In a word, light and dark colors are used interchangeably, and the strokes interpenetrate each other to create rich meaning.