Feibai is a special brushwork in calligraphy. It is said that the calligrapher Cai Yong was inspired by the craftsmen who built Hongdumen who used a broom dipped in whitewash to paint characters. Some parts of its strokes are parallel with dry silk, and the strokes are prominent at the turning points. Huang Bosi of the Northern Song Dynasty said: "The handwriting taken from the hair is called white, and the handwriting with the force of flying is called flying." Today, people regard the dry strokes of calligraphy and painting as part of Also commonly known as Fei Bai. It generates strength in writing, causing the dry pen to "fly white", which contrasts with the thick and swollen ink to enhance the rhythm and rhythm of the work. At the same time, "feibai" can be used to make writing appear vigorous and simple, adding interest to the work and enriching the visual effect of the picture. Of course, the skill of calligraphy can also be fully reflected in "Fei Bai".
1. The beauty of flying white
The use of flying white in calligraphy reflects an artistic beauty.
First of all, using Feibai will produce beautiful strokes. If Fei Bai is used well, some strokes will be like meteors streaking across the sky, some will be like speedboats rushing across the water, some will be like cliffs and waterfalls flying across the water, some will be like thin threads of weaving stretching, and some will be like women's hair fluttering in the wind... …It’s so diverse and beautiful.
A closer look at the Fei Bai used by ancient calligraphers reveals that its strong calligraphy style contains the pleasant beauty of strokes: Wang Xizhi’s Fei Bai is charming and moving, Wang Xianzhi’s Fei Bai is eye-catching and graceful, and Yan Zhenqing’s Fei Bai is hearty and refreshing. Pure and honest, Ouyang Xun's Fei Bai is rigorous and dangerous, Zhao Mengfu's Fei Bai is elegant and graceful, Mi Fu's Fei Bai is joyful and dripping, Huai Su's Fei Bai is free and easy...
Secondly, using Fei Bai can add a lot of sparkle to a single word. Feibai and other strokes in a single character complement each other with virtuality and reality, and have pictorial beauty and sometimes decorative beauty. Sometimes, the other strokes in a single character are plain and unremarkable. If Fei Bai is used appropriately, the character can be immediately eye-catching. Sometimes, Fei Bai can also cover up or save the less obvious flaws in a character, and have the effect of shifting the focus; sometimes , use Feibai appropriately in a vertical painting of a single character to achieve relative stability and achieve a balanced effect of keeping the words straight and in the center.
In addition, the above-mentioned beauty of flying white is reflected in a calligraphy work, which is conducive to the overall beauty. Some of the flying whites in the whole work are like a clear spring in a mountain stream, fresh and natural; some are like flowers scatteredly embellished on a girl's dress, showing affection; some are like children playing in their mother's arms, full of fun, and so on. It is worth mentioning that Fei Bai's severity and severity of illness can reflect the rhythm of writing, which is also one of the manifestations that enhances the overall beauty of the work.
2. The use of Feibai
Generally speaking, Feibai is more commonly used in running script and cursive script, but less commonly in regular script, official script, and seal script. This phenomenon is probably caused by factors such as the stroke characteristics of various fonts, the composition of the work, and the writing speed.
As far as strokes are concerned, Fei Bai is mostly used in vertical, lifting, and horizontal strokes, and is rarely used in other strokes. This is mainly determined by the shape of the strokes, the process of writing, and the writing style. As for whether Fei Bai uses the main pen or the secondary pen in a word, special attention should be paid to whether it is appropriate. Sometimes Fei Bai is used in the main stroke, and if it is not used properly, it will lose the focus. If it is used properly, it will help to fully display the beauty of the strokes;
Feibai is generally used in the middle or tail of strokes, which requires free movement and natural transition. Among them, the tail of Fei Bai has a sharp edge and some has an exposed edge. It is generally used according to changes in writing style, speed, pen handling, etc.
In addition, at the connection between the upper stroke and the lower stroke in a certain medium, or at the connection between the last stroke of the upper stroke and the first stroke of the lower stroke, the appropriate use of Fei Bai can enhance a certain aesthetic feeling. However, the width and length of the Fei Bai wire must be appropriate, and the transition must be natural but strong. It is also required that there should not be too many Fei Bai wires.
3. The Taboo of Feibai
Writing with Feibai requires just the right amount of time, so there are many things worth noting during the writing process.
It is forbidden for Feibai to appear at the beginning of a word or at the front end of a stroke, or appear too much at the beginning of a work. Otherwise, the entire character or the entire work will lose its momentum, which will significantly reduce the power of "standing", that is, it will not be able to "build momentum".
The reason is that white spots at the beginning of a single character appear to be lax and inconsistent with writing standards; too many first characters with white spots appear to be frivolous and unorganized. Both violate the general rules of calligraphy creation.
The second taboo is that there is too much whitening in one character, that is, whitening usually appears in one stroke of the character, and rarely two strokes appear at the same time. If there are too many white spots in a character, the strokes will be unrealistic and appear to be floating. The reason may be that the severity and severity of the strokes are not grasped during the writing process, the mind (eyes) is aware but the hands are not, and the rhythm is not controlled well. Of course, some writers deliberately pursue the beauty of whitening, which may be worth studying.
The three taboos are mostly in vain. Excessive use of flying white in the whole work can easily lead to looseness, lack of energy and weakness. Feibai can only play an embellishment role in the entire work. Only by defeating more with less, more with skill, and more with essence can the overall beauty be enhanced. This requires writers to fully consider the overall situation before creating. It is normal for some changes to occur during the specific creative process, which depends on the writer's control ability.
The four avoidances are that the white hair will fly too long. Some people may ask whether there are examples of ancient and modern calligraphy masters who treat Fei Bai very long. That is a display of style and a concrete manifestation of calligraphy that has reached a certain level and emotions are naturally revealed. Generally speaking, writers should not deliberately pursue the use of too long Fei Bai to highlight themselves. They must develop basic calligraphy skills, step by step, and achieve the best state of natural expression. Only then can they use Fei Bai of appropriate length and freedom.
Five taboos: Feibai is weak and unnatural. Carefully study Fei Bai, a master of calligraphy, and you will see that both hard and soft are combined, and they use many middle links. They come naturally, seamlessly, and have a wonderful look. This is the direction and goal for calligraphy learners