Diligence is the first secret. In fact, you can't do anything without diligence, and practicing calligraphy is no exception. Why Wang Xizhi can become a book saint is by no means achieved overnight. You only see that his calligraphy is delicate and elegant, like a dragon. But you ignored his efforts for this.
Wang Xizhi studied calligraphy since childhood, so it can be said that he spent his childhood practicing calligraphy. Many clothes worn by Wang Xizhi are worn out. Why are they broken? Because he didn't have a brush, he painted and scratched on it. And we are familiar with the story of Mo Chi, so I won't go into details.
Monk Zhiyong is the seventh grandson of Wang Xizhi and a great calligrapher in ancient China. The eight methods of eternal characters pioneered by him left a model for the practice of regular script in later generations. In order to practice calligraphy, he left some exquisite biographies, such as returning pens and iron thresholds. These are the results of hard practice, which really answers the sentence: no one can succeed casually.
In short, diligence is the first key to practicing books, and it is hooliganism not to talk about diligence and talent.
Plagiarism is the second key. Many people think that practicing calligraphy doesn't need copying, just thinking and creating. Over time, the result has become a river's lake wind, flaunting its own unique calligraphy, which is really ridiculous.
When it comes to copying, Mifei is a master of collecting ancient books. His calligraphy caught up with the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and was better than the brushwork of the two kings, which made him unique. This is because he is good at copying the calligraphy of his predecessors and seeking a breakthrough. It is said that whenever a famous post is lent to him and he wants to go back, it is very likely that what he receives is no longer the original post, but a temporary work by Miffy. It can be seen that its replication ability is amazing.
Shen Zhou, one of the four schools in Wuzhong, is a master of calligraphy and painting. After middle age, he studied calligraphy in Huanggu, obtained valley brushwork, and created Hua Xu Shu, which is full of valley flavor. This is also the extreme of plagiarism.
In short, copying is the only way to practice calligraphy. If you want to make rapid progress in calligraphy and break through the cage of predecessors, you must start with copying.
Reading posts is the third key. Before copying a book, you must read it. If you don't read it, you won't feel the charm of the work.
The so-called reading posts means reading posts carefully and analyzing the brushwork and structural characteristics of book posts. Reading posts is very helpful for us to master the brushwork and structure of book posts. As the saying goes, reading breaks thousands of volumes, and writing is like a god. Reading posts, like reading books, requires more reading and analysis. Only by constantly pondering over the works can we be fearless in writing and accurately express the artistic conception of the works.
It is not easy to learn calligraphy. There are no shortcuts, and there is no laziness. Although hard work may not make you a great calligrapher, you can't be a great calligrapher without hard work.