Official script is developed from seal script. Official script is to simplify seal script, turn circle into square and arc into straight.
Structural characteristics of official script
The horizontal (left-right) potential of Li character is changed to vertical potential to form a square, and the strokes contract the vertical potential to strengthen the horizontal potential.
This is a typical feature of the pen used in official script, especially the official script, which is horizontal in writing and horizontal in painting. The so-called "silkworm head" refers to hiding the (reverse) front in the process of using the pen, and at the same time writing the stroke shape formed in the process of starting the pen into a shape similar to that of the silkworm head. "Swallow's tail closes the pen", that is, after pressing the pen at the pen closing place, the pen is tilted to the upper right.
Turning a circle into a square and an arc into a straight are two basic methods to simplify seal script in official script. But if you don't know the circle of seal script, it is not easy to master the side of official script. Because the straight painting or square folding in official script contains the arc potential of seal script, the straight of official script often has obvious ups and downs and is full of vitality. In fact, the brushwork of official script is based on the way of stroke movement.
We know that there is no point in seal script, that is, the point used is just a dot. However, the points in the official script are independent, no longer attached to the painting, and the point methods are increasingly rich, including flat points, vertical points, left and right points, three points (by water) and four points (by fire). In addition, Lishu also broke many strokes written in seal script, which opened the door to writing. Later, regular script played like this, allowing traces of cohesion between pens, and even breaking the meaning of pens.
In seal script, there is no trace of vertical pen, while official script deliberately emphasizes the action of lifting the pen, forming a significant change in the thickness and inheritance of the stroke trajectory, which is clearly reflected in the three processes of starting, moving and collecting the pen. This is very similar to later regular script.
Dot color
The writing method of stippling in official script is obviously different from that in seal script. The stippling in seal script can be summarized into three types: point, straight and arc, and the development of official script has already possessed eight strokes in the eight methods of permanent characters. In terms of strokes, seal script is mostly round, while official script has always been used by Fiona Fang, and the thickness of strokes has changed.
The official script can be divided into three parts: middle part, upper part, left part, right part and horizontal part. The middle point is written like this: after writing, raise the pen to the front, turn the pen back to the right, pause the pen, and then turn the pen back to the front in the point. The difference between official script and seal script lies in the biased change. The writing of the upper point is slightly the same as that of the middle point, except that the last stroke did not close the front in the point, but wanted to gradually raise the front downward. The left and right points and horizontal points are written in the same way as the above points, but the starting position is different from the front direction.
The writing of "left and right" in official script is similar to "left point" and "right point", but the difference is that the last stroke is longer.
The vertical writing of official script is the same as seal script.
There are two kinds of horizontal bodies in Lishu: short horizontal body and long horizontal body. The short horizontal style starts from the pen and ends in the flat, and the horizontal style protects the tail, which is slightly like seal script. Hide the front face up with a long horizontal pen, then turn right with a Fang Bi to make a silkworm head, and then write to the right. The pen is a bit astringent and can't slide. When it reaches two-thirds of the horizontal position, it brings out a downward wave depression, and then raises the pen slightly to raise the front to form a goose tail. This kind of stroke is also called wave stroke.
Si is similar to long horizontal writing, but the strokes are down to the right, which is more stretching than horizontal writing.
Skimming is written in the same way as writing on the left and picking on the left. After starting the pen, use the pen to write down to the left, slightly increase the bending potential in the line, until the pen is forced to stop at less than two-thirds of the whole painting, twist the pen at the end of the painting, and slightly lift it to the left to make the pen return to the front of the line. There are several ways to write hooks. Only the commonly used long hook writing is introduced here. After the stroke, don't mention it. Instead, you write down with a pen. When you reach the lower end of the shaft, you draw an approximately horizontal arc to the left in turn, and then lift the pen at the end of the arc.
In addition, the writing of official script should also pay attention to the following points. If a word has several horizontal overlaps, generally the last horizontal is written as a goose tail with a silkworm head, and the rest are short horizontal. For example, there are both long horizontal lines and long horizontal lines in a word. Generally, long horizontal lines are used for long horizontal lines, not for long horizontal lines. For example, the word "big" is written as "big". If there are other strokes around, you don't have to write horizontally with a silkworm head and a goose tail. In other words, the silkworm head and goose tail can only appear once in a word, otherwise it will affect the beauty of the word, so the predecessors said that "silkworms have no two colors, and geese don't fly together."
Key points of creation
Take the Fahan stele and Qin and Han bamboo slips for example. The so-called method is to interpret and experience seriously and assiduously, rather than going through the motions. Look at the works of contemporary people less, look at the works of contemporary people more, and see their shortcomings and deficiencies.
Properly grasp the creative state of the subject. "Writing" is actually making the writing process and creative emotions into paper. Repeated strokes will form inertia. From birth to maturity, we should avoid maturity and grow.
Correctly treat the problem of style. Style is naturally generated and cannot be generalized. Style is not strong, don't worry; There is no need to be complacent, and there is no need to deliberately avoid those who have formed a style.