Basic knowledge of creating calligraphy works
Format of calligraphy works
1. Banner: Use long rice paper fully open or in half (half-cut or half-folded), with straight writing The work is a banner.
2. Couplets: Two facing banners with upper and lower couplets written respectively, also called couplets, couplets or couplets.
3. Nave: Banners with the paper fully opened or slightly smaller than fully opened and hung alone or together between the couplets.
4. Dou Fang: Cut the rice paper into about eight squares (about 1 foot square).
5. Plaque: Also called horizontal banner, the banner is framed horizontally or engraved on a wooden board and hung on the wall.
6. Strip screen: Use nave, banner and other similar size materials to write a group of works, according to the length of the poem.
7. Fan surface: The size is like a fan shape. There are wan fans and folding fans. They can also be framed or rolled into a book.
8. Album pages: The small works are framed for easy reading, combined into an album, and unfolded into album pages. The contents are either coherent with each other or stand alone.
9. Hand scroll: It is also a horizontal axis and is inconvenient to hang. It is only suitable for stretching on the desk and viewing the banner work after rolling it.
Detailed explanation of the format of calligraphy works
⒈Doufang
A style of Chinese calligraphy and painting. Shaped in a square shape. Usually four-foot rice paper is cut into two pieces, two feet high and two feet wide. You can also cut the four-foot rice paper into eight pieces, which is called "xiaopin doufang" or "doufang Xiaopin".
Doufang is a square work written in vertical lines. The written content is generally four to six lines. Because there are many rows and columns, the layout of the chapter should place great emphasis on the size, opening and closing, echo and rhythm changes of the upper, lower, left and right sides. When creating, pay attention to the primary and secondary relationship between the main text and the inscription. The inscription is generally smaller than the main text and should be natural and vivid. The signature can be written below the last line of text, and there should be room for layout. The bottom of the paragraph is generally not flush with the main text to avoid rigidity in form. You can also occupy another line or two lines after the main text, and the top and bottom should not be flush with the main text. The seal should be smaller than the character and should be separated by more than one character.
⒉Three-opening
A style of Chinese calligraphy and painting. Rectangular in shape, varying sizes. If four feet of rice paper is cut into three parts, it is called four feet and three parts. If five-foot rice paper is cut into three parts, it is called five-foot three-part. By analogy, the same three-foot-long painting has different sizes. A four-foot three-foot painting is generally a three-foot screen (actually it is two feet seven inches, one-third of the eight-square-foot market). Five feet three squares is one-third of twelve square feet, and the area of ??each square is four feet.
⒊Opposite frame
A style of mounting Chinese calligraphy and painting. Usually two paintings are hung in pairs. For example, calligraphy pairs are called "character pairs" or "couples". There are "painting pairs" in Ming and Qing paintings, which are two screen strips of equal size hung in pairs. There are also hanging scroll paintings in the middle of the hall, with "pairs of characters" hanging on both sides, or hanging scrolls of calligraphy in the middle, and "pairs of paintings" hanging on both sides.
⒋Nave
The nave is a rectangular work with vertical writing. The size is generally a piece of rice paper (divided into four feet, five feet, six feet, eight feet, etc., of which the small nave is 68CM×45CM). Because the size is relatively large, it requires the creator to have sophisticated techniques and the ability to grasp the overall layout of the work. When creating, pay attention to the primary and secondary relationship between the text and the signature, so that they are differentiated and shine accordingly. Don't be too pretentious when signing your signature. The signature can be written below the last line of text, and there should be room for layout. The bottom of the paragraph is generally not flush with the main text to avoid rigidity in form. You can also occupy another line or several lines after the main text. The top and bottom should not be flush with the main text. The seal should be smaller than the inscription, and the seal should generally be placed at least one character away from the inscription, either below the inscription or to the left of the inscription.
The nave cannot be hung alone, and must be equipped with couplets. It is often hung in the center of the main hall, so it is called the nave. On the frame, it needs to add axle heads on both sides of the hanging.
⒌Banners
Banners are long works written in vertical lines. The size is generally one piece of rice paper cut into half. When arranging the composition, you should be able to carefully conceive according to the characteristics of the book style and have a new idea. When creating, pay attention to the primary and secondary relationship between the text and the signature. The signature should be well-proportioned, natural and vivid.
The signature can be written below the last line of text, and there should be room for layout. The bottom of the paragraph is generally not flush with the main text to avoid rigidity in form. You can also occupy another line or two lines after the main text. The top and bottom should not be flush with the main text. The seal should be smaller than the inscription, and the seal usually needs to be placed at least one character away from the inscription. It can also be stamped to the left of the inscription.
There are two common formats for banners:
① Written in two or three lines. Two line format. The left and right lines are written against the left and right sides of the paper, leaving more white space in the middle. Pay attention to the rhythm of the upper and lower characters and the echo between the two lines. The signature is usually written at the end of the second line, and the position should be slightly higher than the last word of the first line. The wording can be written in one or two lines. For the three-line format, attention should be paid to the interrelationship between the three lines, interspersed with shadows and rhythm changes. The signature can be placed at the bottom of the last line, slightly higher than the first and second lines of the main text; you can also write a separate paragraph, which should be shorter than the main text, and should not be parallel to the main text.
②Write one line (less number of words) in the center. The written content is usually a motto, aphorism or a poem. The number of words is small. When writing, you should pay attention to the opening and closing of the words and the rhythm changes in order to be vivid. The signature can be divided into single style and double style. The single paragraph is usually written in the middle position on the left side. The content of the inscription includes the writing time and the author's name, or just the author's name or number. The seals should be placed below the inscriptions, generally on two sides, and there should be an appropriate distance between the seals. When writing a double paragraph, the first paragraph is written on the upper middle part of the right side of the work. Generally, the time when the work was created is written. If the work is donated, the name or number, title, Yazheng, Huicun, Qingshang of the recipient must be written. etc words.
Supplement: Banners are also called strips, long strips, straight banners, etc. They can be hung alone. When mounting, the drooping sides will be flush with each other without adding a shaft head. It is smaller and narrower than the nave, and generally uses four-foot-long sheets stacked in half.
⒍Couplets
Couplets, also known as couplets. It is divided into upper and lower couplets, the one on the right is the upper couplet and the one on the left is the lower couplet. The size of the upper and lower couplets can be the same as the banner, larger or smaller than the banner. The writing content of couplets is extremely strict. They can only be antithetical sentences (the upper and lower couplets have an equal number of words, are opposite each other, and ordinary words do not appear repeatedly), including couplets (commonly known as couplets) and the middle two couplets in rhymed poetry (jaw couplets and neck couplets). . Commonly used couplets include five or seven characters, and some may have as few as three characters per couplet, as many as several crosses, or as many as hundreds of characters per couplet. Rhymed poetry is divided into two types: five-character and seven-character. When arranging the composition of five-character and seven-character couplets, the upper and lower couplets should be written vertically in the center on a single line. Dual sentences with a cross or above should be written in two or more lines (pay attention to the order of writing, from right to left in the upper couplet and from left to right in the second couplet. Double paragraphs should be placed at the end of the upper and lower couplets respectively, and the paragraph characters should be slightly higher than bottom of text). The position of the upper and lower couplets should generally be basically parallel. Handle the changes in the size and expansion of the upper and lower characters within a couplet, as well as the echo between the upper and lower couplets, so that the upper and lower couplets become a whole.
The signature of couplets below the cross is divided into upper and lower styles and single style. The upper paragraph is written on the right side of the upper line, and the lower paragraph is written on the left side of the second line. The first paragraph generally writes the author of the poem, the title of the poem, etc. For example, the lower paragraph of "Huang Tingjian's Poems on Deng Kuaige" writes the name and number of the author, as well as the place and time of writing. For example, if the work "Bingzi Xiantang Shu in Beijing" is a gift, the first couplet must state the recipient's name, title, Yazheng, Huicun, Qingshang, etc. For example, if "Ms. Wenying Huicun" is a work that someone asked you to write, write the name or number of the person who asked you to write it on the first couplet, plus the title plus "Instruction Letter" and other words. The single paragraph is usually written in the upper middle position on the left side of the second line. The content of the inscription includes the writing time and the author's name, or just the author's name or number. The seals should be placed below the inscriptions, generally on two sides, and there should be an appropriate distance between the seals.
⒎Fan
This refers specifically to the folding fan, which is a special form. Due to the shape of the fan surface which is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, the fold lines and stripping lines are also wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. This unique style requires us to make appropriate arrangements when creating.
There are three common forms of fans.
(1) Make full use of the upper end and do not use the lower end. In this format, it is appropriate to write two words per line, arranged in order from right to left. The signature is written on the left side of the text. The inscription should be longer, the inscription should range from one line to several lines, and the seal should be smaller than the main text.
(2) Write a small number of characters, use the width of the fan to write two to four characters horizontally from right to left, and be flexible. You can write several lines of small characters when signing, so as to complement the main text.
(3) The upper end is written in sequence, and the lower end is written alternately, forming a staggered pattern of long and short lengths. This can avoid the situation of being sparse at the top and crowded at the bottom, and achieve harmony throughout the text. In this format, long lines should be written first, preferably about five characters, and short lines of one or two characters should be written first. The signature should be wonderful, usually written at the end of the text, and can be one line or several lines. That is, the chapter should be smaller than the words signed.
Traditional creation of calligraphy
Style signature and seal
The signature comes from "recognition of style". It was originally an inscription on the bronze vessel explaining the reason why the vessel was cast. The extension is used to explain the author and content of the calligraphy and painting works. The signature content includes the author's name (including font and number), time, writing content, and even the writing place, environment or climate, mood, etc. The signature can be divided into upper payment and lower payment. The author's name is referred to as the subsection. The person to whom the book is presented is called the first recipient. Generally, the first name is not written in the above paragraph to show intimacy. If it is a single name, the first name should be written together. Under the name, you should also write a title, usually "comrade" or "sir", and then write "zhengzhi", "zhengshu", "zhirecti" or "zhishu", "zhengzheng", "yazheng", "zhengzhi", "zhengshu", "yazheng", Huicun" etc. The upper paragraph can be written in the upper right corner of the book or after the end of the text, but the upper paragraph must be above the lower paragraph to show respect. Generally, it is not flush with the main text. It can be slightly lower and the words are smaller than the main text.
Before creating, you must first choose the content to write. The content must be healthy and positive, and you can also write ancient or contemporary poems or famous lines. After the content is determined, you can consider the writing form, whether to write in the nave, couplets, banners, banners, albums, or squares; whether to write in large characters or small characters, how many lines to write, and how big is the paper? Also leave a place for your signature. The text content cannot be written flush with the top of the head, and there must be white space around it. The upper and lower margins (called Tiantou and Ditou) of vertical calligraphy such as nave, couplets, and banners should be larger than the two sides. The upper sky of a stock is greater than the lower sky. For example, when writing a banner, leave ten centimeters of white space at the top, seven centimeters at the bottom of the ground, and three to five centimeters on each side. The left and right spaces on the banner are equal, but they should be larger than the sky and the earth. The left and right spaces on the banner should be equal. The squares and blank spaces around the album are roughly the same. After confirming the white space on the four sides, fold the lines or grids according to the number of words and the size of the paper.
When creating, after writing the big characters, change to a small pen to write the signature. The signature should be written vertically. You can write two lines, or you can write only the author's name on one line (called poor money). Depending on how much space is left for inscription, you can write the source of the content, the year, and finally your name, "someone's book." Generally, the signature characters are smaller than the characters in the main text, and the calligraphy style can be the same as the main text or regular script with lines to show the difference. Finally stamped.
钤 seal refers to a seal. There are two types of seals: Zhuwenyin and Baiwenyin. Zhuwenyin is also called Yangwen, that is, the characters are convex, and the words printed on the paper are red; Baiwenyin is also called Yinwen, that is, the characters are sunken, and the words printed on the paper are white. According to the content of the seal, there are also name seals, fasting number seals and leisure seals. Generally, a name seal is stamped after the person's name. If it is too empty, an additional name stamp can be stamped. The name stamps of two parties with the same content cannot be stamped at the same time. It can be stamped with a surname seal or a name seal, usually one in red and one in white. In order to make the upper and lower parts of the book correspond to each other, a first seal is often stamped on the upper right side of the book, also known as the first seal. Beginners can choose the content of the seal to read "Xuehai", "Quest", "Xueshu", etc. The size of the seal is related to the size of the writing and the font size of the writing. Generally, the inscriptions on large-format books are in large characters and the seals are also large, while the inscriptions on small-format books are in small characters and the seals are also small.
The organization and format of calligraphy works
1. The format of calligraphy works
Format, also called product style or width style, is the specification of calligraphy length. The formats of calligraphy works can be roughly divided into four categories: scroll, scroll, album, and sheet, including the following types:
(1) Banner
Banner refers to the rectangular format Works with a large disparity between length and width are also called straight scrolls or vertical scrolls. The rice paper is usually cut in half vertically or into long strips, and then framed to become a "vertical scroll".
(2) Screen strips
Screen strips generally cut the rice paper vertically, and write from top to bottom, from right to left, line by line.
In addition to a single frame, multiple screen strips can also be arranged in an even number and merged into one work, but the fonts need to be unified and completed in one go. There are also multiple screen strips whose contents are independent, but the fonts and styles need to be unified. There are also multiple screens that combine calligraphy and painting to complement each other. Common ones include: four, six, and eight paintings, and there may be as many as ten or twelve paintings.
(3) Couplets
Couplets are a special format formed by writing China’s unique couplet style. It is widely used in the writing of Spring Festival couplets and on the courtyard pillars of traditional buildings, as well as on both sides of the nave painting. The right is the upper line and the left is the lower line. The characters are musically balanced, and the left and right sides should have a sense of echo when writing. If a long couplet has a large number of words, it can be written in separate lines, with the upper couplet arranged from right to left and the second couplet arranged from left to right. This type of long couplet is called a gantry pair.
(4) Horizontal draping
Horizontal draping refers to the banner work, which is long horizontally and short vertically. In this format, you can write a few numbers and write one line from right to left, or you can write straight horizontally to form a long multi-line script. Large ones can be used for hanging on buildings and halls and meeting rooms, while smaller ones can be used for decoration in studios and residences.
(5) Nave
It is named after it is hung in the center of the hall. The width and length ratio of the nave is generally one to two. Common ones are written on a whole piece of rice paper, such as four feet, five feet, six feet, etc. The content can be a long poem or short article, or just a few big characters, or even just one big character.
(6) Doufang
The doufang can be regarded as a special form of the nave. Its length and width are equal. It can be hung independently like a framed nave, or it can be hung as a frame. Made into a square mirror and embedded in the frame.
(7) Plaques
Most of them are hung on pavilions, halls and rooms. Generally, the fonts on plaques are mostly regular script, official script and running script, and there are also simple seal scripts. The characters are small but large, rigorous in structure, well-proportioned in density, majestic and solemn. Hang independently or paired with couplets.
(8) Handscroll
It is a form of calligraphy works with long left and right unfolding, because its length is much greater than its width, and the length is too long to hang, so it can only be used It can be unfolded, admired and rolled up at the same time, hence the name, also called "long roll". Most of its contents are a complete article or a poem (group of poems). The short hand scrolls are three or four meters long, and the long ones can reach more than ten meters. The width is generally between thirty and fifty centimeters. There is an "inscription" outside the beginning of the volume, an "inscription" at the beginning of the volume, and an "inscription and postscript" at the end.
(9) Album pages
It is a small calligraphy work bound into a volume, ranging from octavo, twelfth, and sixteenth, and the length of the work also varies, generally It is folded, and each page can exist independently, or you can write multiple poems like a long scroll, like the Yangtze River, which flows thousands of miles away, leaving nothing behind. The album pages can be combined with calligraphy and painting. Most album pages are used for the creations of different authors. Because they are easy to carry, they are often an ideal format for calligraphers to create inscriptions.
(10) Fan surface
Fan surface refers to works written in the shape of a fan. There are two types of fan shapes: one is a round fan that is close to an ellipse or a round fan. It should be full and full when writing, or you can take a square from a circle and create a square composition. One is the folding fan style. When writing in this format, the lines are divided by creases, radiating from the center of the circle, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, large on the outside and small on the inside. The layout is not uniform. You can arrange the layout with long and short row intervals, which is suitable for the fan-shaped arc pattern. You must pay attention not to be too dense, which will make it full; not too loose, which will make it scattered. This format looks lively and beautiful, especially the small works are highly embellished.
2. The composition of calligraphy works
The composition, also known as cloth, refers to the overall arrangement of a work and the overall treatment of each part in calligraphy creation. method. It involves dealing with the echoes and caring relationships between words and lines. In calligraphy creation, a single mistake or a word difference will affect the effect of the entire text. The so-called "increase by one point makes it longer, and decrease by one point makes it shorter" is true not only for the structure of a word, but also for the entire work.
Dong Qichang of the Ming Dynasty said in "Essays on Painting the Zen Room·Critical Calligraphy": "The ancients regarded calligraphy as a major issue when discussing calligraphy, which is why the so-called dense lines are dense. I saw Mi Chi's small regular script writing "Xiyuan Yaji Illustrated Notes", which is a Wan Fan. Straight is the string, there must be no other way, but you should pay attention to the rules and regulations in Youjun's "Lanting Xu". , so it is a divine product." This shows the importance of rules and regulations.
A calligraphy work is like a painting. The colored parts are paintings, and the colorless parts are also paintings. In the same way, there is structure where there are words, and there is structure where there are no words. Where there are words, it is called "black", and where there are no words, it is called "white". Handling the relationship between black and white throughout the article is the key to the composition. Bao Shichen of the Qing Dynasty said in "Yizhou Shuangyi·Deng Shiru Biography": "You can move horses in sparse places, but do not allow ventilation in dense places. You can always think of white as black, and the wonder will come out." This expresses the blackness of a calligraphy work. The artistic processing method of whiteness, virtuality and reality. If you don't know how to deal with the relationship between "black and white" and how to "gather many words to form a piece", even if a single word is handled well, the whole article will be messy and lack charm.
As a complete calligraphy work, it usually consists of text, signature, and seal. The three are integrated, complementary and inseparable. The specific requirements are described as follows:
(1) Text
The text is the main part of a calligraphy work, and it is also the key part of the composition. That is, the author’s writing of the selected text content is the main part of the work. According to general To appreciate calligraphy, one needs to read, which requires that the writing in the calligraphy creation process conforms to the reading sequence, so rows and columns are established accordingly. There are roughly three forms of whitening in rows and columns:
The rows and columns method: vertical rows and horizontal columns throughout the text, which is the most rigorous sequence style. It is characterized by neatness, generosity, symmetry and clarity, giving A neat and beautiful person. It is almost like a phalanx marching in a military parade. The front, rear, left, and right must be kept in straight lines, with neat steps and high spirits. When writing, the center of each word must be aligned, not too high or too low, or too left or right. Writing regular script, official script, and seal script requires neat and practical writing, so this form is suitable. This strict organization creates a high sense of order and a full sense of craftsmanship, so the suspicion of manipulation, arrangement, and production is difficult to overcome. People who are new to distribution need to start with the rules and should first master this layout form. However, we must strive to eliminate "craftsmanship" in our practice, and never relax our devotion to the laws of nature, as well as the catharsis of emotions and thoughts. Nature and strictness do not exist in contradiction in the layout of rows and columns, but are interdependent wholes. That is to say, strictness must be established in the harmony of nature, and the harmony of nature must be expressed in the strict order. If we understand the relationship between the two in a contradictory and isolated manner, it will lead to "the shape is like an operator" and it is not a book.
Rows without columns: Simply put, it is a layout with rows vertically and no columns horizontally. This kind of distribution pays attention to the thoroughness and vitality of Qi movement. When writing, you should follow the rules of text structure and pen movement, naturally deviate to the left and right of the center according to the style of writing, so that the vertical center of the line deviates left and right, and seek the unity of the center of gravity in the movement. Such a moving qi is the hashing qi. Principles to be observed. There are several lines in an article. The fluctuation of each line must not only consider the direction of the line, but also take care of the relationship with other lines. Pay special attention to the staggered relationship with adjacent lines, and strive to look left and right and avoid in a consistent manner. The row-without-column method is neat and varied, making people relaxed and happy. It is suitable for various calligraphy styles, especially running and cursive scripts. This distribution is the main form of calligraphy creation in ancient and modern times.
No rows and no columns method: It means that the white space of the work is divided into vertical rows, horizontal columns, up, down, left and right, well-proportioned and natural. This form mainly appears in some calligraphy relics in ancient times, because the shapes of pre-Qin characters were directly based on nature, which is quite natural, and no attention has been paid to the vertical and horizontal arrangement. Later, this form was also used in the creation of cursive script.
In fact, the true meaning of "no rows and columns" is a visual illusion. If you follow the reading sequence, either vertical rows or horizontal columns, the vertical and horizontal relationships will appear confusing and mysterious. , like a street paved with rubble, with glyphs of varying sizes and shapes, varied and integrated.
This form cannot be measured in advance using the concept of size, but is performed by well-educated people in an improvised state. When writing, people are usually excited, even get carried away, and are unrestrained. They can express themselves to their heart's content and only seek natural fit. Therefore, it has a strong artistic quality and is only suitable for viewing. It has little practical value and is even more difficult for beginners to grasp. Many works by Zheng Banqiao are distributed in this way. In addition, Zhang Xu's "Four Notes on Ancient Poems" and Huai Su's "Autobiography" are also distributed in this way.
(2) Signature
Signature is a characteristic of Chinese calligraphy and painting, also known as inscription and inscription. Originally created for practical needs, it is intended to explain the source of the text, the recipient of the gift, the author's name and place of origin, the place and time of creation, and the expression of creative feelings, etc. After long-term development, it has become an inseparable part of the artistic content of calligraphy works, playing a supplementary, coordinated and foiling role in the entire composition. Although the signature is not an important part of the work, the appropriate arrangement of the signature directly affects the overall artistic effect of the work. The ancients said: "One word of wonderful style is worth a thousand pieces of gold." The word "style" often reflects the author's artistic accomplishment and creative level. Therefore, in calligraphy creation, not only the text layout of the work should be paid attention to, but also the signature should be paid attention to.
The signature can be divided into three types: single style, double style and poor style.
"Single paragraph" refers to the name of the person who signed it, or the source of the text, the time, place and reason for writing, etc.
"Double paragraph" includes upper and lower paragraphs. Usually the upper paragraph writes the name and title of the recipient of the gift, often with the word "qian". The word "qian" differs according to the relationship between the author and the recipient: superior and equal. You can use words such as "Ya Zheng, Fa Zheng, Jiao Zheng, Zheng Zhi, Zheng Zhi, Ya Shi, Hui Cun" and so on. For subordinates, you can use "Mian, Ya Shi, Cun Nian" and so on; the lower paragraph should include your own name. , writing time and place, etc.
If only the name is written, it is called "poor money". If the space left in the work is limited and the name is not even written, just stamp it, and it is also called "poor money".
Whether a single style, double style or poor style should be used in a work should be used flexibly according to the specific situation, and there is no fixed format. Such as when creating couplets. It can be placed in the poor section, single section or double section; if it is a long couplet, it should be placed in double sections, and the upper and lower sections should be placed at the end of the upper and lower couplets forming a gantry style. If it is a banner, a nave, a square, or a fan, the upper and lower paragraphs should generally be placed after the main text. If the paragraphs are small, they should be placed below the main text. If the paragraphs are large, they should be placed separately. Choosing the location of the signature according to different formats can add a lot of color to the entire work. In addition, you must pay attention to the following points when signing:
l. The font of the signature must be coordinated with the main text. The calligraphy of the paragraph characters and the main text can be completely the same, they can be different, or they can be completely different. It needs to be determined according to the main text font. Generally, seal script is not used for official script, official script is not used for regular script, and regular script is not used for cursive script. The traditional approach is to "reflect the past on the present", "reflect on the current with the correct text", "keep quiet when moving", and "do not surpass the past in the present". If large and small seal characters are used as the main text, then official script, regular script, running script, and cursive script are used for inscription; if official, Wei, and regular script are used as the main text, then regular script, running script, and cursive script are used for inscription; in fact, more inscriptions are usually made in running script, which is easier Identify and avoid dullness.
2. The font size of the signature must be coordinated with the main text. In general, the paragraph font should be smaller than the font size of the main text. When writing the payment, the wording should also be determined according to the size of the blank space. If the white space is large and the typeface is too small, the focus of the work cannot be stabilized; if the whitespace is small and the typeface is too large or even larger than the main text, the weight will be out of balance and the focus will be taken away from the main text. There is also a situation where there is still a large space after the main text is written. The author can follow the writing style of the main text and the words and characters will be integrated with the main text. The same size of fonts is also allowed.
3. The upper paragraph cannot be the same as the main text, and should generally be one word lower than the main text. The lower paragraph should be a single paragraph on a separate line from the main text (except for
plaques). The seal, including the one after the payment, cannot be flush with the main text and should leave a certain amount of space. Otherwise, it will give people a dull and stuffy feeling.
4. If the text in the last line of the work is less and there is a lot of white space at the end, the paragraph should be added to fill the remaining space; if the text of the work itself is small but there is a large blank space at the end, the paragraph should be less There are numbers, crosses, and up to hundreds of words, but the size of the paragraph must not exceed the size of the main text.
5. If the signature and the main text go together, there should be a gap between them and not be squeezed too tightly. The gap is generally about one character.
6. If the work is about modern poetry or modern manuscripts, the time in the signature can be used in AD chronology. This will give people a sense of coordination and unity and is more conducive to reflecting the flavor of the times. If the work is written in ancient poetry or ancient manuscripts, the time of inscription can be determined using the zodiac calendar method. The way to mark the months is: in the four seasons of the year, the first month of each quarter is called Meng, the second month is called Zhong, and the third month is called Ji, such as Mengchun, Zhongchun, Jichun, etc. But you must not mix the Yu Zhi year and the AD year. 7. It is worth mentioning that the places appearing in the signature should not use common names, but elegant names, so as to match the elegant art of calligraphy. The elegant names can be ancient place names that everyone is familiar with, or they can be well-known nicknames. For example: Hefei was once called Luzhou, Nanjing was once called Jinling, and Guangzhou was also called Huacheng. These can all be signed. Especially those very specific street names and inelegant village names cannot appear in the signature.
(3) Seal
Sealing is the last step in calligraphy creation. In calligraphy works, in addition to serving as the author's letter of credit, the seal also coordinates the content. More importantly, it not only has the function of decoration and foil. The white paper, black characters and red seal complement each other and play a role in the composition and distribution of the work. It plays the role of adjusting the rhythm, stabilizing the center of gravity, getting rid of rigidity, and strengthening balance. The seal is just right, like the icing on the cake, the finishing touch.
Prints can be divided into Zhuwen and Baiwen. Zhuwen is also called Yangwen, which means that the characters are red, with less color staining and light weight; white characters are called Yinwen, that is, the characters are white, with more color stains and heavy weight. . According to the location of the seal, seals can be roughly divided into two categories: famous seals and casual seals.
l. Name badge.
It is mainly used to reflect the flow of lines and the overall layout of the composition. It is divided into two types: name stamp and tail stamp.
Name seal is the general term for surname seal and name seal. The common form is square, there are also round ones, and the bell is usually under the inscription. Calligraphy works can use either combined name printing or separate name printing, depending on the needs of the work. When the surname seal and the name seal are used at the same time, the surname should be printed first and then the name. It is also appropriate to use one red and one white seal. The former is slightly smaller than the latter. When covering the bell, the two seals should not be too close to each other. Generally, they should be separated by a gap of one seal. There should also be a certain distance between the seal and the text, with the top and bottom forming a vertical line.
The seal at the end of the paragraph is mainly used to perfect the form of calligraphy. It is usually the creator's word, number, or advocating sentences or idioms. It is usually square, and the bell is placed at the end of the paragraph or the name depending on the situation. After printing, the work is made red and black, and the yin and yang change each other, which plays the role of condensing the momentum and adding the finishing touch.
In a perfect calligraphy work, the famous seal is indispensable. If it is missing, it will leave something to be desired.
2. Leisure chapter.
The content of Xian Zhang is relatively extensive. Although it is called "Xian Zhang", it is actually not Xian. The ancients called it "Xian Zhang is not Xian". It plays an important role in adjusting the layout of calligraphy works and perfecting the composition of calligraphy works. Xianzhang can be roughly divided into the following three types.
The first seal is also called the following seal. It is suitable for calligraphy works written vertically from right to left. Generally, the bell is placed in the empty space on the right side between the first and second characters of the first line or at the top right of the first character to serve as a primer and filler. The forms include rectangle, oval, gourd shape, natural shape, etc. Square is generally not used. Seals are often written in red inscriptions, mostly with one to four characters, and their contents are mostly meaningful words such as Ming Zhi and Zi Mian, aphorisms, idioms, excerpts from poems, or the name of a restaurant, place of origin, year number, Zhai sentence, etc. It must not be repeated with the signed content. The first seal should generally not be larger than the name seal to avoid being top-heavy.
The waist seal is mainly used to adjust the overall effect of style and calligraphy, stippling and structure to eliminate some unsatisfactory stippling. The structure is remedied and the composition has a sense of rhythm.
The waist seal is mostly used for banners. The bell is in the middle of the right side of the first line or at the top and bottom of the middle. The content is mostly the author's place of origin, attributes, etc., and should be smaller than the first seal and name seal. Generally small round, small long, small square, mostly used in cursive and cursive writing works.
Xiao-shaped seals are the seals of the twelve zodiac signs or the various animals and plants that the author particularly likes and are related to the content of the book. This seal is more flexible to use. Depending on the situation of the work, it can be used as either the first seal or the waist seal. When used as the first seal, it is generally used in conjunction with a square name seal.
When using leisure chapters, their content should be naturally relevant to the main text, and be interesting when used well. It can not only expand the meaning of the topic and express opinions, but also deepen the artistic conception of the work and give people endless thoughts, thus greatly improving the artistic appeal of the work.
The following points should be noted when sealing:
l. In a calligraphy work, it is generally appropriate to use one or two sides for sealing, and no more than three sides at most, which is called " Can’t print more than three”. If there are too many bells, the whole paper will be red, which will make people look like they are taking over the host.
2. The size of the seal used in calligraphy works should match the inscription. Generally speaking, the seal cannot be larger than the inscription. When printing with one side, white text is mostly used, because there is more red and it can be suppressed. For example, when seals with ink and white inscriptions are used at the same time, under normal circumstances, the ink ink is printed on top and the white ink is printed on the bottom. This is because the white ink with red ink is heavier and the red ink with less red ink is lighter. The red seal on the top should be slightly smaller than the white seal on the bottom, so that people feel stable, otherwise it will appear top-heavy.
3. When sealing, the position should be straight and the height should be appropriate. If it is too high, the upper part of the work will be heavy and the lower part will be light, and it will feel like it is hanging in the air; if it is too low, it will lack the ethereal spirit and appear depressing. At the same time, the position must be correct. For works written vertically, the seal should be stamped below or on the left side of the text, and the lower end of the seal should be slightly higher than the text, and not lower than or flush with the bottom of the text; for works written horizontally, the seal should be stamped on the right side of the text, But do not be flush with or exceed the right side of the text. In addition, the seal must be stamped straight, neither crooked nor slanted, otherwise it will appear to be sloppy.
4. When signing a name seal, the signature should be the name and the seal should be the character; the signature should be the character and the seal should be the name. If the money has a surname, the name seal should be used; if the money does not have a surname, or a road number or alias is used, the name seal or name separation should be used depending on the situation, so that the appreciator can understand who the author of the book is.
5. The seal text should be modern, usually in large and small seal characters, with ancient official scripts occasionally used. Regular script, running script and cursive script used in work and life cannot be used.
(There are too many words and the details cannot be listed one by one. Let’s learn from each other and make progress together when we have the opportunity!)