Different writing methods and different writing postures will lead to different pens. With the development of calligraphy art, how to hold a pen correctly has become a compulsory course for every beginner.
Anyone who often writes with a brush knows that the normal method of writing with a brush is the five-finger method. However, on 20 15, Zhuang, the head of the project "Research on China's Characters in Past Dynasties" and the former director of the Institute of Ancient Art of Nanjing Museum, made a study, pointing out that in ancient times, the two-fingered method and the three-fingered method were commonly used, and the great calligrapher Wang Xizhi used the two-fingered method to write, so his posture was flexible and unconstrained.
Wang Xizhi's pen drawing
In the "Qin Tu" painted by Gu Kaizhi, a great painter of his time, the handwriting of the characters is clearly shown as a single hook with two fingers; Wang Xizhi's brushwork in Liang Kai's "Fan Diagram of Wang Youjun Book" in Song Dynasty is also a two-finger single hook method. In fact, the two-finger brushwork is the simplest and most flexible brushwork, with the index finger as the main and the thumb as the auxiliary.
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Wang xizhi's double finger single hook method. [Eastern Jin Dynasty] Gu Kaizhi's Map of Qin Qin (partial)
When it comes to the index of holding a pen, there are some theories, such as "thumb grips the tube with the middle finger", "thumb grips the tube with the second finger and the third finger, and the fourth finger and the fifth finger don't need it", "four fingers are aligned on the tube" and "five fingers are Qi Li".
It can be distinguished by touching the hand index of the pen holder, such as "two fingers", "three fingers", "four fingers" and "five fingers". At the same time, we can see whether the ring finger and the little finger are suspended, and there are single hooks and double hooks, such as "two-finger single hook", which can be described as endless changes. On the basis of collecting a large number of images and materials, Zhuang analyzed the characters of past dynasties, and found that people in China held pens differently in different periods. For example, in Han Li, which is famous for its vigorous and square shape, when people wrote this font in Han Dynasty, the way of holding the pen was quite "thick line"-the pen head was down, and the whole hand held the pen like a fist, which was called "holding the tube".
Holding the tube and holding the pen. [Eastern Han Dynasty] Cang Xie (local)
From the Jin, Tang and Five Dynasties, two-finger and three-finger single hook writing methods were mainly popular. Although single hook writing was the main method in Song Dynasty, double hook writing gradually became popular. By Yuan Dynasty, single hook writing and double hook writing had shown a parallel trend. Although the single hook method was still used in Ming dynasty, the three-finger double hook method was mainly popular; In the Qing Dynasty, there appeared the coexistence of single hook, double hook, four fingers, wrist back and other writing methods.
Jin dynasty writing
Gu Kaizhi's writing.
Writing in the Southern and Northern Dynasties
[Northern Qi Dynasty] One of Yang Zihua's collating books, collected by Boston Art Museum.
Writing in Tang dynasty
Five dynasties writing
Song dynasty writing
The most commonly used method in the world is the three-finger writing method, that is, the thumb, index finger and middle finger are held together, which is also the method used in modern hard pen writing in China.
Su Shi said in "On Books" that "there is no fixed way to write, but it should be empty and wide".
Writing is not complicated and profound, just like using chopsticks. Chopsticks are used to put food in your mouth, and writing is used to facilitate writing. When a table of people gather together for dinner, the method of "holding chopsticks" is different, but they are all neatly sandwiched.
Writing is for writing. The quality of calligraphy has a certain relationship with writing, but it is by no means like what Zheng Gou said in the Yuan Dynasty, "Good writing leads to eight styles, and poor writing leads to eight styles being abolished". What does not play a decisive role in the quality of words is the level of talent, the quality of personality, the depth of knowledge, the breadth of knowledge and the laziness of hard work. Ancient and modern calligraphers have different writing methods, but they have all achieved profound attainments. Isn't this a good proof?
And "there is no fixed method for writing" doesn't mean that you have to do whatever you want. Holding the pen like an athlete holding a javelin may affect the rotation of the pen; If you hold a torch, it is not conducive to "writing a book" in the jaws of death. There should also be the "indefinite method" of "law". Writing should conform to physiological functions, be comfortable, natural, flexible and relaxed, and not be cramped, stiff, rigid and rigid. This is the so-called "making it empty and wide"!
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