What to learn first in calligraphy

Learn calligraphy first by learning big characters.

Wei Xiang, also known as Mrs. Wei, was Wang Xizhi's initiation teacher of calligraphy, and she said in her "Brushstrokes" that the first time you learn calligraphy you have to learn the big characters first, and you cannot start from elementary school. When there is a foundation, then slowly transition to small characters, small characters are actually very kung fu test, to complete very complex movements in an instant, just as martial arts masters, seemingly simple a movement, in fact, contains a very large number of small actions, beginners are not easy to see.

So when you start to learn calligraphy, it's best to buy a magnifying book to observe the brushwork and structure. Jiang He in the "calligraphy authentic" also has a similar statement: the first learning should be the first big book, do not quickly make a small cherish, from the lowercase to start, after the book are no bone force, cover the wonderful lowercase, pen to intentionally powerful, a moment can not catch, so it is desirable to be from the diameter of inches outside of the word to try to send, officials pen pen all have a standard, and then can be the next to close the small.

Wang Xizhi, in his "Theory of Penmanship", said: "At the beginning of the book, we must not exhaust the situation; once again, we must be on the right foot; twice, we must get less of the situation; three times, we must be slightly like this one; four times, we must add to it; five times, we must add to it, and then we must draw it out. If it is raw, can not be rest, two lines of three lines, the creation of the Pro but must slip key, not count the number of times also. Beginning to learn calligraphy, to copy the main, at the beginning and can not grasp the overall situation, so start from the point of painting. The whole word first split into strokes for training, and then assembly training, from local to whole, so it will be more profound.