The square small seal script writing method in the prosperous years
The small seal script was implemented after Qin Shihuang unified China (221 BC) and implemented the policy of "writing with the same text and carriages with the same track" and unifying weights and measures. Prime Minister Li Si was responsible for simplifying the large seal script originally used by the Qin State, canceling the other Six Kingdoms scripts, and creating a unified Chinese writing form. It was popular in China until the end of the Western Han Dynasty (about 8 AD), and was gradually replaced by official script.
Characteristics of Xiaozhuan font
Firstly, it is rectangular, with one and a half characters in square regular script as the measure, one character as the main body, and half characters as the vertical feet. The approximate ratio is about 3:2.
Second, the strokes are horizontally and vertically, evenly rounded, and basically the same thickness. All horizontal and vertical paintings are equidistant and parallel, and all strokes are mainly circles, with circles rising and closing, circles within squares, and squares within circles, making the circles flexible and interesting.
The third is balance and symmetry. The balance and symmetry of space division are the unique charm of seal script. Symmetry not only exists in left-right symmetry and up-down symmetry, but also exists in the local symmetry of the characters and the symmetry of the left and right inclinations of the arc-shaped strokes.
The fourth is to tighten up and loosen down. The main part of most characters in Xiaozhuan is in the upper half, and the lower half is a telescopic hanging foot. Of course, there are also characters with no feet at the bottom. The main strokes are in the lower part and the upper strokes can be raised.