How to adjust the stroke of a stroke to the stroke of the center is a basic skill of calligraphy training. Generally speaking, there are two ways: one is to correct the style of writing in the process of writing, as Yan Zhenqing did when he wrote regular script. The second is turning, which is slightly more difficult to turn the pen holder gently during the writing process so that it becomes the center from the side. It is said that Liu Yong used this method, and sometimes even turned off his pen, hehe. Of course, this technique of adjusting the front should be constantly experienced and practiced in practice, so that practice makes perfect. In the process of learning calligraphy, teachers often say that if you want to write well, you must first pass the technical barrier. The most important technique is brushwork. If a person can't master the brushwork, it's no use practicing calligraphy. So what is brushwork, including what content, and how to master brushwork? We invite Mr. Liang Deshui, a member of China Book Association, to answer this question.
The brushwork, as its name implies, refers to the method of using the pen, including the method of holding the pen and the method of lifting the pen.
Mastering the pen method is the first step to enter the writing stage. To write with a pen, you must have a certain grasp of the method of using a pen, so I won't go into details here.
The most important thing in calligraphy is to pay attention to brushwork, which we call brushwork. Some people will use brushwork to break it down into pen-starting method, pen-moving method and pen-closing method, which is more complicated. Mr. Zhang summed up his pen essentials in two words: using the front. The so-called ability to use a pen means to "use the front", and physical strength is transformed into pen power, that is, into the power of using the front.
So how to use the front?
First, learn how to use the center pen. That is to say, the pen tip always runs in the middle of the line, so that the lines written are round and thick, which is the effect of leakage marks and cone painting sand mentioned by predecessors. The center should first hold the pen firmly, and the pen should be static (static here means that the pen should be focused and calm). When there is deviation, it should be adjusted in time, otherwise it is easy to flatten the line even if it is in the middle. Therefore, the center pen plays an important role in brushwork. When the center is proficient in using a pen, he can also write on the side and back, thus changing the lines.
Second, learn to use a pen. The method of lifting pressure can show the writer's ability to control the writing brush, master the skills of lifting pressure, and can be said to have a certain grasp of the brushwork. Lift means you can lift it with a pen. You should not only have the power to press the pen, but also have the power to lift it. Lift to the tip of the pen, not as a spent force. Pressing can best reflect the strength of the pen, but it is not well controlled. Pressing blindly will often blunt the lines and form ink pigs. Some people write with a pen belly, which is more than enough to press the pen, but it is not enough to lift the pen. This is the result of lack of experience and practice in lifting and pressing the pen. We will talk about the effect of lifting and pressing the pen and the power of the pen in future questions and answers.
Third, we must learn to adjust the front. There will be various changes in the writing process of the pen tip. If the pen tip is not timely, there will be deviation and twisting, which will not only affect the quality of lines, but also bring many difficulties to the pen. Therefore, in the process of writing, we should always adjust the nib to make it reach the center pen. How to adjust the front? On the one hand, we should pay attention to the different changes of the pen tip and flexibly grasp the push and turn of the pen tip; On the other hand, it is necessary to carefully understand the sense of strength generated by strokes in the process of marching, and adjust the strokes for the purpose of expressing the quality of lines. To express different feelings such as procrastination, stagnation, dryness and moistening, we need to grasp and adjust the writing style differently.
Some people don't know how to use oblique when writing. They often adjust on the edge of the inkstone after writing a stroke or a word, but they don't know how to react quickly and adjust the front. Zhou Xinglian said in "My humble opinion on Linchi": "When you write a word, you must start with a pen, and everyone who knows a little about books knows it. However, if you often want to raise it, people who come back will not escape. The word' escapement' is the secret of calligraphers. With escapism, you have restraint, and you are killed. Wake up with a pen, and when you wake up, you are psychic. You won't get tired of lying on paper. " This passage is very useful for us to use the front, so we should repeatedly experience and think in the writing process.
The process of learning a book is a process of mastering and mastering brushwork. Only after this pass can we reach the state of being able to handle pens with ease like fingers. Mastering brushwork takes a long process, so we should not rush into it, haste makes waste. As long as we earnestly study the experience of predecessors and contemporary calligraphers and practice hard, we will certainly be able to master the brushwork skills.