Calligraphy practice requires passing six levels
1. Pass the center level well.
What is the center? The calligrapher Cai Yong of the Eastern Han Dynasty once said, "Let the center of the pen always move in the dots." If the front of the pen runs in the middle of the dots, this is the center. "It is a time-honored conclusion that it is important to use a center pen when writing a book. In the past, I only had some superficial perceptual understanding of the concept of using a center pen. I knew it but I didn't know why. For example, I often had one edge on the edge of the stipples I wrote. It was puzzling to see that the neat and smooth surface had jagged edges on one side or the ink was thicker on one side and lighter on the other, and the three-dimensional effect was not strong. Later, during the practice process, I strictly followed the requirements of the center’s pen. After a period of practice practice, I accidentally discovered The previous phenomenon gradually disappeared, the three-dimensional sense became stronger, and the stippling became more rounded, graceful and subtle. Only then could I truly experience the feeling of using a center brush. As the practice gradually deepened, my understanding of the center also increased. It deepened. I found that it is good to use a pen in the center, but in addition to keeping the center of the pen in seal script and official script, if the regular script, Xing, and cursive characters are also in the center of the pen, will it lack a kind of interest and emotion? With this Doubtful, in order to further analyze and study, I consulted some books and famous works, and then I understood the principle that cannot be applied mechanically to anything; I understood that "the right way to establish the bones, the partial way to gain momentum", do whatever you want, The ever-changing dialectical relationship between center and wing forwards.
2. Pass the Zangfeng Pass well.
The so-called hidden edge means to use a reverse edge when starting the pen, and use a back edge when closing the pen. The tip of the pen is hidden within the strokes. The stipples written are strong and straight, giving people a feeling of subtlety, vigor and calmness. The hidden edge is particularly important in seal script, official script, and regular script. In seal script and official script, almost every stroke of seal script and official script has a hidden edge. Therefore, Zangfeng must train and master the brushwork. When writing, I write casually, so that the written words are exposed everywhere, and the stipples have sharp edges and corners. There are many broken pens, shaped like broken wood, and the stipples have sharp edges and corners, and there is no vigor, composure, or implicitness at all. When I started to study Han Li's "Zhang Qian Stele", I felt quite strenuous. Faced with the difficulties, I made up my mind to practice hard according to the basic essentials of Zangfeng's pen. Finally, after a month, I felt that it was difficult to adapt to it. I was not accustomed to starting and ending the pen. I basically passed the Zangfeng of Zhuan and Li. close. When I was writing the "Yan Qin Li Monument", the words I wrote at first had no "Yan" flavor at all. What is the reason? After observation and analysis, it was found that the main reason is the failure to hide the edge when starting and closing the brush. Horizontal paintings, especially long horizontal and vertical strokes, cannot form a "dry bone" shape, and long strokes cannot reflect the "silkworm head and swallow tail" etc. Effect. The problem has been identified, and the key is to practice according to the requirements of Zangfeng for starting and closing the pen in regular script, find out the rules, develop the feeling, and make it a habit. Only in this way can we write stipples that are similar to the Dharma stickers. Only by making dots and drawings can you get the image of the calligraphy. Only by writing the characters can you get the magic of the font of the Dharma calligraphy, and can you really get the calligraphy into the calligraphy. Later, in the process of practicing, I also realized that Zangfeng and Lufeng are twin brothers. Zang and Lu often complement each other in the same character. When it is hidden, it is hidden, and when it is exposed, it is exposed. The combination of Zang and Lu will have a natural character. , beautiful, vivid look and charm.
3. When you have passed the test, click the button.
The change in thickness of the strokes is completed in the pressing action, which is the key to writing a good stipple painting. Liu Xizai once said, "Any book must be written with each stroke, and each stroke with reference." He pointed out the continuity and necessity of mentioning in the process of writing. The process of writing is actually the process of exchanging notes. When the strokes of the brush are running on the paper, it is always through the handover of strokes, coupled with rich changes in weight and urgency. Only in this way can the stipple painting have the vitality of life and produce wonderful charm and vivid images. If the lines of the written words are the same thickness, they will be the same as hard-pen calligraphy, without any spirit or beauty. This is caused by the lack of support in stippling. It's easy to master by pressing, but difficult to submit. It's even more difficult to complete it in one stroke and submit by pressing. In order to better master the technique of pressing and pressing, when I was studying "Shupu", I selected some characters that were basically written in one stroke and had obvious characteristics of pressing and handing to practice, such as "Jin" , "Zhe", "Qi", "Crane", "Zhi", "Zhi", "Zi", "Shao", "Shi", "Hai", - etc. At the same time, we should also pay attention to the training of certain point paintings that use light entry, heavy pressure, and light exit, such as willow-leaf-shaped strokes and strokes that use light entry, heavy pressure, and closing strokes. After training, you can master the rules and characteristics of these calligraphy and stipple paintings.
4. Make a good transition.
The application of "turning" in calligraphy is very important. "Zhuan" is a writing technique that uses a pen to write circular and convoluted strokes without square or angular strokes. The key point is that the pen does not stop at the joints of the turn. There are only changes in lifting and pressing, and there are no folds or pauses. "For example, "Zhechaigu" is the most commonly used brushwork in seal script, Xing script, and Cao script. "Zu" is the opposite of "turn" and is a stipple method for writing squares. The folding method is mostly used in the starting point of Yi Fangbi calligraphy (the means of starting the pen with the hidden edge of regular characters), the ending point of the pen, and the junction of horizontal and vertical paintings. This method is mostly used in regular script and official script, and can also be seen in running and cursive scripts. In terms of practicing "Zhuan", I mainly selected words with obvious characteristics in "Shu Pu" such as "Si", "Hui", "Yin", "Guo", "Wu", "Xi", "Hu", Practice the upper part of "Li" and "Cui", the right parts of "Han" and "Ti", the lower right part of "Wall", the lower part of "Qi", etc. At the same time, we also pay attention to the training in retaining the folding meaning in certain transfers. "Zhuan" is the most basic way to write line, cursive, especially grass. Only when you master the "Zhuan" method can you write the cursive characters in one stroke, and then you can write the cursive characters running and flying. For the practice of "folding", I specially Select the words "Chang Heng", "Tian", "Men", "Bei", "一", "日", "月", etc. from "Yan Qin Li Stele" and Wang Xizhi's "Holy Religion Preface" as examples. The characters were practiced according to the "folding" method and achieved good results.
5. Pass the speed barrier.
The speed with which you move your pen is crucial in writing. The urgency and slowness of the writing are the main reasons for the different styles of the works and the changes in rhythm and rhythm. The writing must be done late and with great emphasis, and only by hasting it fast can it be smooth and powerful. Only by organically combining the urgency and slowness of the strokes can we obtain more ideal results. Otherwise, if we are too slow and heavy, we will lose the spirit, and if we are too fast, we will lose the situation. It is a mistake to think that "fast" is the best expression of proficiency. It is wrong to think that the essence of "cursive script" is to be fast. I practiced with such mistakes at the beginning of learning calligraphy. As a result, I could not write the "form" of the original script, let alone the "spirit". After learning from the pain, after some thinking, I realized that the speed of calligraphy is divided into fast and slow. Different fonts and stipples have different writing speeds. When we practice, we can only write at a speed close to the original calligraphy. Only by listening to music and rhythm can we get its "shape" and "spirit". Generally speaking, the writing speed of seal script, official script and regular script is relatively slower, the speed of writing in line and cursive script is faster, the speed of horizontal and horizontal drawings is relatively fast, and the speed of vertical and horizontal drawings is slower. "Be in a hurry and don't worry" "Slow down, you can be heavy and light." After repeated training, as you gradually become more proficient in the use of rapid and slow writing and rhythm in writing, you slowly enter the stage where you can use it more freely "at will". You will also understand the principle of "you can do it quickly, so you can get the spirit, you should be late but not late, but you will lose power ".
6. Pass the major and minor hurdles well.
The lightness and weight of the pen directly affect the style, characteristics and artistic effect of the work. Using a light brush will make people feel relaxed, beautiful, elegant and elegant; using a heavy brush will make people feel calm, heavy, condensed and simple. The weight of the pen is mainly based on the "strength", and this strength depends entirely on the control of the force when using the pen. This kind of strength is felt by the friction between the brush and the paper. If the pen is not empty, it will lack roundness; if the pen is not solid, it will lack composure. A special virtual pen will seem slippery; a special real pen will seem sluggish. In terms of writing skills, weight, virtuality and reality are a pair of unified and opposing contradictions, and there is an inseparable connection between them. The so-called virtual and real complement each other. To achieve this, we must be good at using the pen through hard practice. In order to make better use of the brush strokes, during practice, one must pay great attention to the movement of the brush strokes and grasp the balance between reality and severity. Supplemented by the high pen holding method used in the past, the wrist and arm strength are used to push the pen tip forward to spread the brush; pay great attention to the tip of the pen to the end, such as "skimming" paintings and the last strokes like "autumn" and "fire". After hard training, the strength and texture of stipple lines will be significantly improved.
The above six aspects of pen usage are not independent, but complementary to each other. Only by combining them organically during the writing process can high-level works be created.
