Hard pens refer to writing instruments made of hard materials such as pens, pencils, and ballpoint pens. In ancient my country, it was carved with hard objects such as knives and stone flakes. This is the earliest hard-tipped calligraphy in my country. After the appearance of the writing brush during the Warring States Period, it became the main writing instrument and has been flourishing for more than 2,000 years. In the past hundred years, with the popularity of fountain pens and ballpoint pens in our country, hard-pen calligraphy has become popular again. Here, we will make some simple comparisons between hard-pen calligraphy and brush calligraphy, and talk about the characteristics of hard-pen calligraphy.
Tools: The tip of a brush is soft and elastic, while the tip of a hard pen is hard and less elastic. Commonly used hard pens include ballpoint pens, fountain pens, pencils, etc. Some people also use bamboo pens and wooden pens to create screen wall calligraphy. Hard pen calligraphy does not require rice paper.
Hold the pen: The method of holding a hard pen is: use the thumb and the pad of the index finger and the side of the middle finger to pinch the penholder from three sides, with the ring finger and middle finger close to the middle finger, place the hand on the table, with the penholder tilted, and sit down to read. . The brush is held with five fingers, and the force is gathered from all sides. The fingers are strong and the palm is empty. The penholder is upright. If the wrist is raised, the writing can be done while standing or sitting. Brushwork. The characteristics of the hard pen itself and the posture of holding the pen determine the difference between hard pen calligraphy and brush calligraphy. The most prominent manifestations are:
(1) The thickness of the strokes changes little, so do not lift the stroke too much when writing
(2) There is no need to overly pursue the effects of hiding the front, returning the front, stopping the pen, folding the pen, etc., just stop when you get it;
(3) Speed ??up the writing speed.
Structure: The same as the brush but more sparse.
Organization: Most of them are written horizontally, and the style and correspondence between characters are different from those written vertically. It can also be written vertically, using brush calligraphy techniques. The rules of layout are the same as the calligraphy method, which also emphasizes "planning white and replacing black", "width can move a horse", and "airtight", but it is not suitable to write in large sizes.
In addition, let’s talk about a few issues.
The first is the selection of pen calligraphy.
There are many fountain pen calligraphy copybooks on the market today, and it is a mixed bag, so beginners should distinguish between the good and the bad! The ancients said: "The best method is to get the best." Hard-pen calligraphy can also be practiced using calligraphy brushes, or both can complement each other.
Second, is it better to learn calligraphy with calligraphy first, or with pen calligraphy first?
It is much easier to write the calligraphy with the brush first and then the calligraphy with the pen. Writing the calligraphy with the pen first is also helpful for the calligraphy with the pen. If conditions permit, practice both at the same time to make faster progress.
Third, do you need to learn some brush calligraphy knowledge to practice hard-pen calligraphy?
Very necessary. The rise of hard-pen calligraphy is a product of recent years, and the techniques and methods of calligraphy of the ancients have been accumulated in the inscriptions of the past dynasties. Only by learning from them can we avoid detours and achieve twice the result with half the effort.
Fourth, what should I do if someone writes very dry pen calligraphy strokes with no connotation?
My method is to first enlarge the pen characters according to the writing method of the brush, so that the strokes, turns, changes in thickness, etc. are very obvious, and then gradually reduce the size, which is naturally easier to achieve. .