The ancients also called using a pen or lifting a pen, that is, the way the pen runs on paper. The skill of brush calligraphy is the key and the most basic rule of stroke writing. Below I have collected and sorted out the methods and skills of using a brush for you, hoping to help you!
The method and skill of using a pen is the main operation mode of writing brush calligraphy. Cai Yong's "pen heart" refers to the pen tip and the pen tip. "Always painting" means always running in the middle of strokes. Because the brush is conical, the middle brush is thicker and more inked than the two sides, so the strokes written are round and full. This is called "middle stroke".
But sometimes, although the pen tip is in the middle of the strokes, the brush is not conical, but flat like an oil painting pen. At this time, the texture of the strokes written will appear flat and thin, so Cai Yong should put the word "round pen belongs to paper" on the front. If there is a "flat pen" in the writing process, one way can be to put the brush on the edge of the inkstone to restore it to a conical state; Another method is to rotate the pen holder with the finger holding the pen, so that the flat pen meets the circle when writing; Another method is to round the pen tip by adjusting it during writing. However, it is still difficult to understand the explanation method of the central stroke, that is, "the pen center often stippling", because the pen tip is distributed in the middle and both sides of the stroke when writing, and it is difficult to find the so-called pen center. Therefore, it should be interpreted in a more accurate and scientific way. When the brush runs on paper, the belly of the pen is in front of the running, and the nib is behind the running. The nib is always repeated on the ink formed by the belly of the pen, and the pen is transported as the center. When the pen is carried in the center, the direction from the pen tip to the pen belly is consistent with the running direction of the brush.
In brush calligraphy, the strokes written by the center stroke will have different textures due to the different writing strength and speed. It can be roughly divided into two categories: one is that the edges of strokes are smooth and smooth, like a knife, which was called "ancient hairpin feet" in ancient times; Another kind of strokes with rough edges, such as Wannian rattan, was called "leak mark" or "golden stone spirit" in ancient times.
The former writes a little faster, even harder, showing the beauty of vigor and power. The latter writes a little slower and harder, and the fingers tremble. It shows the beauty of richness and maturity. Beginners should practice the neat lines in front first. Don't pursue "leak marks" before you master them. In fact, the "leak mark" is natural, not man-made, and it is impossible to do it deliberately by shaking or twisting.
The ancients often used "through the back of the paper" and "through the wood" to describe the lines of strokes. The so-called "force through the back of the paper" means that when writing, the pen is strong and the ink can penetrate the back of the paper. The teacher checks whether the students' calligraphy is serious, and often turns over the book paper to see if the ink in the middle of the strokes is understood thoroughly. If the two ends of the stroke are as black as the middle, it shows that the student is serious and not careless. If it is found that the head and tail of the stroke are black, but the middle part is not black, it means that the student wrote carelessly and passed it by. "Three points into the wood" comes from Wang Xizhi. He wrote a sacrificial prayer board (wooden board). Because he wanted to rewrite a new message, he asked the carpenter to cut off the words, and as a result, he cut off three points before the ink disappeared. It shows that Wang Xizhi's brushwork is vigorous, and his pen and ink can go as deep as the chessboard. "Through the paper back" and "through the wood" are all about the strength and ink color of the center.
The oblique brush and the middle brush are different. The tip of the stroke is not in the middle of the stroke, but on the side; That is, the pen tip is on one side of the stroke, the pen belly is on the other side of the stroke, and the pen tip and the pen belly walk side by side. The strokes on the front of the pen are smooth and even, and the ventral side of the pen is dry and uneven. This kind of brush stroke with light on one side and hair on the other, because of its imperfection, has always been regarded as a sick pen by calligraphers.
;