Three Realms of Calligraphy Appreciation Calligraphy appreciation can be said to be "the benevolent see the benevolence, the wise see the wisdom" and cannot be generalized. However, calligraphy appreciation still has its basic rules to follow, and it is not a "metaphysical" technique. The author believes that appreciating calligraphy is the process of "re-creating" calligraphy in the human mind. Therefore, one must first "recognize the form", then "appreciate the quality", and then "express feelings". These three steps will gradually lead to perfection. The first realm of shape recognition calligraphy is the art of line images. "Shape" has four elements. If you get the "four elements", you will enter the first realm. One is format. The most classic forms of calligraphy include banners, nave, horizontal drapes, plaques, squares, fans, couplets, rulers, hand scrolls, leaf albums, and inscribed paintings. The second is calligraphy. The most common calligraphy styles are seal script, official script, regular script, running script, cursive script, Wei style, Zhangcao and Xingcao. The third is color. The color of calligraphy is the most attractive combination of white paper, ink characters and red seal. Four is composed. A complete calligraphy work is most commonly composed of text, title, and seal. The second level of appreciating quality calligraphy is different from writing. Calligraphy must pay attention to "laws" and "legality" can achieve "quality and beauty". There are four "methods". Rewarding the "Four Dharmas" will lead to the second realm. One is calligraphy. Characters are the foundation of calligraphy. Calligraphy is formed by gathering dots. The dots and paintings should be "balanced and symmetrical, contrasting and harmonious, appropriate in priority, moderate in density, and unified in variety." The second is the brushwork. The most valuable thing about using a pen is that it changes according to the body, is stable and rich; the middle and side (front) are interchanged, and the method comes from the source; the pen is powerful and can penetrate the back of the paper. The third is the rules and regulations. The composition is the "white cloth" of the entire calligraphy work. It emphasizes continuous strokes between words and lines, with smooth energy and clear rhythm, just like "moving clouds and flowing water". That is to say, "You can move horses in sparse places, but don't allow ventilation in dense places. When you think of nothing as black, surprises will come out." The fourth is the ink method. There are six colors of ink, namely "thick, light, dry, wet, dry and moist". If we can "bring away the dryness and moisten it, and turn the thickness into dryness", we can achieve the state of "silent and joyous harmony", "colorful expression", "spraying the pen to create a heartfelt song, and using the ink to talk and laugh". The third stage expresses feelings: "The book is like Ye, like his learning, like his talent, like his ambition. In short, it is just like the person" (Liu Xizai's words). The purpose of calligraphy is to "express feelings". The highest realm of calligraphy art is the human spirit, an abstract embodiment and expression of human temperament. Appreciating calligraphy is not only about the depth of skill and the exquisiteness of stippling and composition, but also about the author's spirit, mind, and temperament. Therefore, the highest state of appreciating calligraphy is to "dialogue and communicate" with calligraphers through calligraphy works. To appreciate this state requires the appreciator to "see wisdom" and "see nature", and understand the wonderful principles of "method", "artistic conception" and "temperament" of calligraphy. One is to bring out the law. Excellent calligraphers are always good at galloping freely within strict rules and displaying their creative talents. Therefore, they often let their emotions be as they please, and their writing style is so that people can see that they are "unrestrained" without being "absurd and eccentric"; they have both the legacy of the "ancestral saints" and their own "holy place" ", which is the so-called "create new ideas in the laws and regulations, and send wonderful principles out of boldness". The second is artistic conception. The artistic conception of calligraphy refers to the spiritual connotation revealed in calligraphy works, which is the deep and far-reaching image composed of vivid charm, soaring spirit and white space. For example, some are like marching troops in formation, with flags flying, and soldiers and horses studying hard; some are like large-scale paintings, with sparse forests and distant mountains, and are well-proportioned; some are like rivers and great rivers, rushing and flowing for thousands of miles; some are like winding streams and marshes, The spring water is full of flowers, quiet and graceful; some are like graceful dancing, with plain sleeves fluttering slightly, one step at a time; some are like melodious music, lingering around the beam for three days, touching people's emotions. This is the artistic conception where calligraphy is full of charm and intertwined with the rhythm of life. The third is temperament. As the saying goes, "Books are paintings of the heart" and "Words are like the person they are." Calligraphy is a special language for calligraphers to express their feelings expressively. Just like the writing of a writer, the poetry of a poet, and the voice of a singer. Therefore, the books of people who are independent and creative often have unique styles; the books of people who are highly dependent and self-indulgent often rely on the tradition and lack individuality. The writings of a man with a bold and heroic temperament are often magnanimous; the writings of a man with lingering and melancholy emotions are often more than gentle and charming, but not strong enough. Those with noble aspirations and conduct often write books that are clear and refreshing; those with low standards often write books that are tacky. Those who are in a tranquil mood tend to write books that are calm, dignified, indifferent and broad-minded; those who pursue fame and fortune tend to write books that are arrogant and flattering. How to evaluate and appreciate calligraphy works. When a calligraphy work is placed in front of us, how to evaluate, how to understand and how to appreciate it are questions that every one of us who loves calligraphy, especially those in the industry, should know. Wang Sengqian, a calligrapher of the Southern Dynasties, said in "Praise to the Intention of Writing": "The beauty of calligraphy is first in spirit, followed by form and quality. Only those who combine both can be introduced to the ancients."
What he emphasized was to use form to describe spirit, and to have both form and spirit. I believe that before reading a work, you must first clarify the aesthetic standards for calligraphy appreciation. This is the basis for correct calligraphy evaluation and appreciation. Secondly, we must master the methods of calligraphy appreciation, which is the key to evaluating and appreciating calligraphy. 1. Aesthetic standards of calligraphy Generally speaking, "shape" includes stipple lines and the resulting calligraphy space structure; "spirit" mainly refers to the spirit of calligraphy. (1) Stippled lines in calligraphy. Stippled lines in calligraphy have infinite expressive power. They are abstract in nature, and the calligraphy image formed has no specific meaning, but it must contain all the beautiful qualities. In this way, special requirements are put forward for the stipple lines of calligraphy. It is required to have a sense of power, rhythm and three-dimensionality. 1. The sense of power. The sense of power of stipple lines is one of the elements of line beauty. It is a metaphor for the feeling of force that drawing lines evokes in the human heart. As early as the Han Dynasty, Cai Yong's "Nine Movements" made a special study of pointillism lines. He pointed out that "hide the head and protect the tail, and the power is in the words", "make the center of the pen always move in the pointillism", "use the full power of pointillism, and use the power Collect it." It is required that the pointillism should be deep in the corner, must be taken in as it goes, and have a beginning and an end, so as to show the strength. It should be noted that we emphasize hiding the head and protecting the tail, which does not mean that the middle lines can be ignored. The strokes in the middle must be centered, so that the stipple lines are round and gentle, gentle but not soft, and contain strength. However, the starting and ending points of the stipple lines are not always hidden. Both large and small seal scripts must hide their sharp edges. In calligraphy, hidden and exposed are often combined according to needs, especially in cursive script, which is ever-changing. When appreciating, you should pay attention to the continuity and response of the beginning and end, and also pay attention to whether the middle section is smooth and thin. 2. Rhythm Rhythm refers to the regular changes in pitch, strength, and length of notes in music. Due to the different force and speed of calligraphy during the creation process, calligraphy produces regular alternating changes in different shapes such as weight, thickness, length, size, etc., which creates a rhythm in the stipple lines of calligraphy. The strokes of Chinese characters vary in length and size, which further enhances the rhythm of dotted lines in calligraphy. Generally speaking, static calligraphy styles such as seal script, official script, and regular script have a weak sense of rhythm, while dynamic calligraphy styles such as running script and cursive script have a strong sense of rhythm and rich changes. 3. Three-dimensional sense: The three-dimensional sense is the result of the center's pen. The strokes written by the center, "viewed against the sun, there is a wisp of thick ink in the center of the painting, right in the middle. As for the folds, there is no deviation in the middle." In this way, the stipple lines can be full, round, thick and round. Therefore, the center's pen has always been valued. However, it is not difficult to find that side-stroke pens can be seen everywhere in calligraphy creation. Except for Xiaozhuan, all other calligraphy styles are inseparable from flanking. Especially in cursive scripts, wingers can be seen everywhere as a complement and foil to the center. (2) The spatial structure of calligraphy. The stipple lines of calligraphy intersect and combine to divide the space and form the spatial structure of calligraphy on the premise of following the principles of the shape and stroke order of Chinese characters. The spatial structure includes three parts: the structure of the single character, the movement of the entire line, and the overall layout. 1. The structure of single characters The structure of single characters requires neatness, length and length, and balanced density. In this way, we can pay attention to the decay, intricate changes, and natural image on the basis of fairness, see the dangers in the fairness, and seek interest in the dangers. 2. The movement of the whole line. In calligraphy works, the characters are connected up and down or front and back, forming a "connection", which requires up and down continuity and coherent echoes. Although the characters in static scripts such as regular script, official script, and seal script are independent, the strokes are broken and the meaning is connected. Dynamic calligraphy styles such as running script and cursive script can be used to make each word coherent and traction. In addition, the movement of Qi throughout the line should also pay attention to the changes in size, echoes, contrast between virtual and real, and the resulting sense of rhythm. In this way, the flow of qi can be naturally coherent and the blood vessels can be smooth. 3. Overall layout. In calligraphy works, dots are combined into characters, ligatures are formed into lines, and lines are combined into chapters, which constitute the cutting of space by dotted lines, and thus constitute the overall layout of the calligraphy work. It is required that words and words, lines and lines should be spaced appropriately, white should be used as black; it should be smooth and balanced, and the right and wrong should complement each other; it should be scattered and varied. Among them, static calligraphy styles such as regular script, official script, and seal script are mainly balanced and balanced; dynamic calligraphy styles such as running script and cursive script have intricate changes and ups and downs. (3) The meaning of spirit in calligraphy. Spirit originally refers to the look and brilliance of a person’s face. The spirit in calligraphy refers to the spirit, style, temperament, interest and meaning revealed in the stipple lines and their structural combinations. "Appearance is the most important, followed by form and quality. Only those who have both can be introduced to the ancients." It shows that the spirit is higher than the "form and quality" of the stipple lines and the shape and appearance of their structural layout. The form and quality are the premise and foundation for the existence of the spirit; therefore, the essence of the spirit of calligraphy art is the overall harmony of the pointillism lines and their spatial combination.
Pursuing brilliance and expressing one's soul has always been the highest realm that calligraphers strive for. The acquisition of spirit in calligraphy, on the one hand, depends on the proficiency of creative skills, which is the premise and foundation; on the other hand, only when the creative mind is calm and comfortable, the hands in the center of creation are smooth, and the things and I are forgotten, can we write the true feelings and nature. Integrate your own knowledge and aesthetic taste. 2. Methods of appreciating calligraphy. Appreciation of calligraphy is consistent with the appreciation of other arts and needs to follow the general laws of human cognitive activities. Due to the particularity of the art of calligraphy, the method of appreciating calligraphy is unique. Generally speaking, we can proceed from the following aspects. 1. From the whole to the part, and then from the part to the whole. When appreciating calligraphy, you should first look at the overall situation and have a general impression of its expression techniques and artistic style. Then pay attention to whether the pen, word knotting, composition, ink rhyme and other parts are both dharma and meaning, vivid and lively. After partially appreciating the work, stand back and look at the overall situation from a distance, correct the "rough impression" gained from the first viewing, and grasp it from a rational perspective again. Pay attention to whether the artistic expression technique and artistic style are consistent, what parts of the work are excellent and where there are shortcomings, and fully appreciate them from both macro and micro perspectives. 2. Restore the static image to the process of movement. As a result of creation, calligraphy works are relatively static. When appreciating, you should follow the author's creative process, use the method of "moving your eyes", follow the language and time sequence of the work, imagine the rhythm and intensity of the author's pen during the creative process, and the different changes in the author's emotions, and restore the static image to The process of movement. That is to imitate the author's creative process and correctly grasp the author's creative intentions, emotional changes, etc. 3. From calligraphy images to concrete images, correctly understand the artistic conception of the work. In the process of appreciating calligraphy, compare the calligraphy image with similar things in real life to make the calligraphy image concrete. Then, from the aesthetic characteristics of things similar to the calligraphy image, we associate it with the aesthetic value of the work, so as to understand the artistic conception of the work. For example, if you appreciate Yan Zhenqing's regular script, you can compare the image of his calligraphy with specific images such as "Jing Qing presses his sword, Fan Kuai holds his shield, King Kong dazzles, and a strong man shakes his fist". From this, we can draw the following conclusions: Physically strong - masculine - It is full of heroic qualities - the characteristics of being dignified and inviolable, which reminds us of the dignified and majestic artistic style of Yan Zhenqing's regular script. 4. Understand the creation background of the work and correctly grasp the mood of the work. Any calligraphy work is the accumulation of a certain culture and history, and is the product of a specific historical and cultural background. Therefore, understanding the creative background of the work includes the creative environment, clarifying the unique cultural atmosphere contained in the work and the author's personality, aesthetic taste, creative mood, creative purpose, etc., which is essential for correctly understanding the author's creative intention and correctly grasping the work. The mood goes a long way. Wang Shu of the Qing Dynasty's "Xuzhou Inscription and Postscript: Tang Yan Zhenqing's Report to Uncle Haozhou" says: "The heart and liver of the "Ji Ming Manuscript" are split and unbearable, so the book is frustrated and uncontrollable. This "Gao Bowen" is full of heart and soul. Peaceful, so Ke Yi Wan Chang does not have the strangeness of "Sacrifice to My Nephew". It is said that when people are involved in music, they have to sigh. The situation is different, and the calligraphy is also different. "It can be seen that no matter the author. Personality cultivation, creative mood, or creative environment all have a considerable impact on the mood of the work. Towards. In addition, calligraphy works are influenced by calligraphy styles and aesthetic trends of a specific era, making calligraphy works reflect diverse cultural atmospheres. This undoubtedly increases the difficulty of calligraphy appreciation, and at the same time makes it more interesting. In short, the process of calligraphy appreciation is affected by personality psychology, so there is no fixed model for the appreciation method. The above is only one method for appreciating calligraphy. Several methods can be used alternately during the appreciation process. In addition, during the appreciation process, you must comprehensively use various calligraphy skills, techniques and calligraphy theoretical knowledge, maximize your own aesthetic evaluation ability, and try your best to appreciate the artistic conception of the work according to the author's creative intention. Efforts should be made to appreciate and appreciate, and to examine the works in a specific historical environment, so as to make correct appreciation and fair and objective evaluation of the works. Of course, after mastering the correct appreciation method, doing more appreciation is an important way to improve the ability of appreciation. Yang Xiong said, "Be able to observe a thousand swords, and then be able to sword; be able to read a thousand poems, and then be able to write them." This is exactly what Yang Xiong said This means. It is very difficult to judge the quality of calligraphy, and the subjective factors of the reviewer often play a decisive role. First of all, people have different hobbies. Everyone has their own preferences for radish and cabbage. Some people like slender and beautiful, some like thick and rough; some prefer upright and calm regular script, and some prefer lively and smooth cursive. Secondly, there are different levels of literary and artistic accomplishment, and different levels of aesthetic taste.
Some people pursue realism, some pursue freehand brushwork; some admire tradition, and some admire innovation. The general method of evaluating calligraphy is to first look at whether the overall layout, color and other external forms are unified and coordinated, and whether it is attractive. The first purpose of calligraphy itself is the overall layout (composition). The entire regular script, official script, and seal script are somewhat similar to group exercises and require neatness; cursive script is like walking in a queue and must be smooth and flowing; cursive script is like a leaping and dancing dance, which requires seamless integration. Mixed but not messy. The first thing that impresses people about a work is its color. The poor quality of paper, ink, ink pad, and seal does not determine the quality of the calligraphy, but it affects the effect of the work. Then look at the local details (strokes, structure, writing force, rhythm, etc.) to see if there are changes in skill and vividness. Stipple is the building material for calligraphy, and the quality must be excellent. Writing without paying attention to basic strokes is equivalent to just picking up some branches and stones and building a house with mud. Calligraphy works are composed of a single Chinese character, which is composed of a variety of strokes. Each stroke has multiple shapes. Combining dozens of lines of different shapes can form a variety of pictures. The shape includes length, thickness, square and circle, curve, etc. The structure includes horizontal and vertical, oblique, vertical and horizontal, turning, etc., hard and rigid, soft and soft, rich and plump, slender and beautiful, round and gentle, rough and wild. The completion of each stroke is divided into three steps: starting, extending, and closing. The starting stroke has a square, round tip, or a concealed tip. The trajectory of the stroke should be thick and three-dimensional, and the closing stroke should be clean and neat. The basic requirements for composition are: regular script, running script, official script, and seal script must be balanced, and the writing must not be too flat; the cursive script must not be too straight, and the writing must not be too crazy. The same font, the same word, and the same combination of strokes can be written by one person and have the same appearance as the other person. Just like the facial features and body have certain shapes and certain parts, it does not prevent each person from having his own unique appearance and posture. To see whether a single word is written well, in addition to strokes and spacing, another important factor is pen strength. Strong pen power means a person is full of energy, while weak pen power means a person is depressed. There are two types of expressions of strength: explicit and implicit. Exposed It is suitable for expressing cheerful content, and implicit is suitable for expressing deep content. When writing, the pen is lifted or pressed, moved or stopped, and the writing speed is sometimes fast and sometimes slow, thus forming a rhythm. Each word has the rhythm of a word, and a word has the rhythm of a word. The beauty of the form depends on the strokes. , The frame and layout are determined, and the expression is determined by the intensity and rhythm. When evaluating calligraphy, you can also evaluate it from other different perspectives. Any art must pay attention to difficulty, and calligraphy as an art must also pay attention to difficulty. Calligraphy that is not difficult or difficult cannot actually be called calligraphy, it can only be called writing. The strokes pass by in one stroke, and are weak and weak. There is no ups and downs, and there is no contrast in thickness, curvature, squareness, length, etc., so it cannot be said to be difficult. So from a certain perspective, to evaluate the quality of calligraphy, just look at whether it is difficult or not. Difficult calligraphy is generally good, otherwise it is bad. Any art must pay attention to basic skills, and calligraphy as an art must also pay attention to basic skills. If a piece of calligraphy fails to pass even the basic strokes, cannot achieve uniform structure, and has problems with the composition and inscription, it must be bad. Therefore, when we evaluate the quality of calligraphy, we can first look at whether the basic skills are passed, and then look at the intensity of innovation. People who don’t know calligraphy often ask me, what kind of calligraphy is good? Then I have to answer this big question in an easy-to-understand way. Generally speaking, you only need to look at whether the strokes resemble a cylinder. If the strokes are flat, thin, rough, and cannot even write basic center strokes well, then the calligraphy is definitely not good. For seal script, official script, and regular script, you only need to check whether the structure is symmetrical. If the structure is not symmetrical, there must be problems in other aspects. When it comes to cursive writing, you only need to look at whether the thickness of the strokes changes. If you don't even have an awareness of the thickness of the strokes, then you will definitely not be able to write cursive writing. People outside the calligraphy circle often evaluate the quality of calligraphy based on whether it is good or bad: the strokes are smooth and crisp, the structure is firm and not slanted, the fonts are beautiful and beautiful, and if you can understand what calligraphy is called, they say it is good. On the contrary, if the strokes are hairy, the structure is dangerous, and the fonts are simple and thick, such as seal script, cursive script, etc., it will not be able to read well if the characters cannot be read. This lacks an in-depth understanding of the calligraphy tradition and the necessary aesthetic knowledge of calligraphy. In fact, for those who learn calligraphy, the minimum requirements are to have clear strokes, correct structure, and beautiful fonts. At this time, they are still beginners in calligraphy and still in the state of writing. If you continue to study more deeply, you must pursue contrasting changes such as dryness and wetness, shades, obliqueness, thickness, squareness and circle, straightness, discontinuity, virtuality and reality, etc. You must regard calligraphy as a culture and a philosophy, and understand the meaning of it. The Tao of Yin and Yang emphasizes "harmony without difference, violation without violation", so as to achieve the state of "unity of nature and man". Commenting on seal script requires knowledge of ancient philology, while commenting on cursive script requires considerable artistic accomplishment.
It is very elementary and superficial to evaluate calligraphy based only on whether it looks good or not. The quality of judging calligraphy cannot be equated with others. The quality of calligraphy is indeed related to the author's fame, identity, status, knowledge, position, level, etc., but it is not absolute. To evaluate the quality of calligraphy is to evaluate art, not people. It is true that members of the Provincial Calligraphy Association have better calligraphy than members of the Chinese Calligraphy Association, and there are also members of the Municipal Calligraphy Association who have better calligraphy than members of the Provincial Calligraphy Association. The calligraphy of the chairman and vice-chairman of the calligraphy association may not necessarily be the best, nor may the calligraphy of members and non-members of the calligraphy association be the worst. The quality of calligraphy cannot be judged by one piece. Just because a certain work is well written does not mean that all its works are good. If someone writes well in regular script, it is assumed that his cursive script must also be very good. If someone is famous for cursive script, it is assumed that his seal script and other calligraphy must also be very good. Great, that’s not right. We know that there are very few people who can write well in every calligraphy style. Most calligraphers generally only have one or two specialty calligraphy styles in which they can write better. Writing well in one calligraphy style only means that they are good at writing in one calligraphy style. This kind of calligraphy has reached a high level, but it does not mean that his other calligraphy styles are all very good. Besides, even the calligraphy style he is best at may not necessarily be good in every painting. The quality of calligraphy cannot be determined simply by competition results. If someone's calligraphy is selected, exhibited, or wins a prize in a national calligraphy competition, it is considered that his calligraphy is good. If someone's calligraphy is not selected, exhibited, or wins a prize, his calligraphy is considered not good. The selection, exhibition, award, etc. of any calligraphy competition can only be relatively fair, but cannot be absolutely fair. Different judging teams and different judging angles will produce different judging results, including luck. , favors and other bad factors. In short, the quality of calligraphy must be judged by artistic standards, not by personal preference, let alone by hearsay.