If you want to "get started" with hard-tipped calligraphy, you mainly need to solve two problems, namely "strokes" and "structure", which are also two topics throughout the entire calligraphy learning process.
Strokes are the basic units of character construction, and it is necessary to master their basic writing rules and techniques. However, because the shapes of strokes in specific characters are ever-changing and cannot be repeated one by one, it is recommended that you practice strokes in characters instead of simply practicing strokes. Otherwise, once you enter a specific character, there will be a lack of variation and appear stiff, such as " There are four strokes in the character "Duo". Their lengths, directions, and arcs are different and cannot be the same length or direction.
Structure is the rule of word formation
The structure of Chinese characters is related to whether the font looks good or not. If there is a problem with the structure of a character, no matter how beautiful the strokes are, the character cannot be considered a good character. So Mr. Qi Gong said:
Why is it difficult to write with a pen? Vertical and horizontal gathering and dispersing are the most relevant.
As soon as I realized the Golden Rule, I suddenly felt that the bones of the whole cow were wide.
Although the knotting of Chinese characters is ever-changing, there are rules to follow, regardless of the situation of single characters, left-right structure, left-center-right structure, upper-lower structure, upper-middle-lower structure, semi-enclosed structure, or full-enclosed structure.
For structure learning, beginners can refer to Huang Ziyuan's "Ninety-Two Methods of Frame Structure".
Strokes and structure are equally important and cannot be neglected
Many friends will spend a month or two simply practicing strokes when they first learn. I feel that this approach is not advisable. First, practicing strokes is relatively boring. You should practice calligraphy carefully at first and then imitate mechanically in the end. Don't be distracted and just write. not good. Another point is that it is easy to feel frustrated when you only practice strokes, because you can practice the strokes well, but you can't write them when you start writing. The structure is regular and easier to master. Therefore, it is recommended that beginners practice strokes and structure at the same time.
In addition, when practicing calligraphy, you must practice calligraphy. Find a copybook that you like and practice it for a year and a half, and you will gain a lot.
Attached is my post exercise:
