Calligraphy Ink Use Theory of Ancient Chinese Calligraphy Opinions

Among the ancient Chinese literary theories, the ancient calligraphy theory is an extremely important part, and it is also the most valuable legacy of China's art theory.

Relatively speaking, the emergence of ancient calligraphy theory is a bit later than the formation of calligraphy art. According to the information available so far, the earliest writings on ancient calligraphy theory appeared in the Han Dynasty. Yang Xiong, a great scholar and writer of the Western Han Dynasty, put forward a famous assertion in his Fayan - Asking God: "The book is also the painting of the heart." Although "Shu" here does not exclusively refer to calligraphy, it was the first to discuss the fundamental propositions about the theory of Chinese calligraphy - the relationship between calligraphy and the calligrapher's thoughts and feelings, and the qualities of expression in the art of calligraphy, which had a far-reaching impact on the creation of calligraphy and the theory of calligraphy in the later generations, and became the basis for the theory of Chinese calligraphy. It had a far-reaching influence on the creation of calligraphy and the theory of calligraphy in later times, and became the source of the history of Chinese calligraphy theory.

The Han Dynasty was the initial period of calligraphy theory in ancient China. As the art of calligraphy matured and flourished, theoretical works specializing in the study of calligraphy came into being. One of the earliest essays on calligraphy was Cursive Script Potential by Cui Yuan, a calligrapher of the Eastern Han Dynasty. In this article, Cui believed that the emergence of cursive script was a reflection of the social need to move from complexity to simplicity, and described and praised the beauty of the form and dynamics of calligraphy. The artistic and aesthetic functions and value of calligraphy were fully affirmed. After this, there were several important works on calligraphy, such as Zhao Yi's "Non-cursive Script", Cai Yong's "Seal Characteristics", "Brush Fugue", "Brush Theory", "Nine Characteristics" and so on. Especially the great calligrapher Cai Yong's "Pen Theory" and "Nine Potentials" occupy an important position in the history of Chinese calligraphy.

The Wei, Jin, and North and South Dynasties were the mature period of calligraphy theory in ancient China. During this period, the art of calligraphy flourished and a large number of famous calligraphers appeared. The development of calligraphy art also led to the study of calligraphy theory. Western Jin Dynasty, there are a number of natural world in thousands of colorful objects, dynamic to depict, analogous to a variety of books form the beauty of theoretical writings, such as Cheng Gongsui's "Clerical Script", Wei Heng's "four book potential", Suo Jing's "Cursive Script", Liu Shao's "Flying White", Yang Quan's "Cursive Script", etc., showing a "still like" the aesthetic tendency. The Eastern Jin Dynasty, when calligraphers no longer wrote in cursive script. In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, calligraphers were no longer satisfied with describing the external form of calligraphy, but began to explore the laws of penmanship, stylization, and chapter techniques, and paid attention to the study of the relationship between the subjective will of man and calligraphy. For example, the "Brush Formation Diagram" of Madame Wei, Wang Xizhi's "After Inscription of Madame Wei's Brush Formation Diagram", "Theory of Calligraphy", "Theory of Penmanship", "Use of Brush Fugue", and "Remembering Mr. Baiyun's Calligraphy" are all important theories on calligraphy in this regard. To the North and South Dynasties, by the influence of the current trend, began to pay attention to the comments of the various writers. Influential writings in this regard include Yang Xin's The Names of Those Who Can Write in Ancient Times, Yu He's Table of Discussions on Calligraphy, and Yu Shouwu's Calligraphy, etc. Especially Wang Shengru's Calligraphy, which was written by Mr. Baiyun. In particular, Wang Shengru's Shu Fu, Discussion on Calligraphy, and Praise for Brushwork, which explored the process and characteristics of calligraphic creation, had a profound influence on the development of the art of calligraphy in later times.

The Sui and Tang dynasties were the flourishing period of calligraphy theory in ancient China. Although the Sui dynasty was established for a short period of time, its calligraphy inherited from the North and South Dynasties' inscriptions, and started the Tang Regular Script, which laid the foundation for the establishment of the Regular Script of the Tang Dynasty. Its calligraphy theory also focuses on the exploration of the Regular Script's brushwork and style, Zhi Yong's "Eight Methods of Yong Zi" and Zhi Guo's "Ode to the Heart's Completion" are the representatives in this regard. As the art of calligraphy reached its heyday in the Tang Dynasty, there were many great masters and famous calligraphers, and a variety of schools of calligraphy, calligraphy theories also flourished, and a large number of systematic and significant treatises on calligraphy continued to be published, in which the discussion of detailed techniques and the analysis of the rules of calligraphy gradually replaced the exposition of the overall impression of the art of calligraphy, and covered all aspects of the art of calligraphy, reflecting the trend of the Tang Dynasty, which was to "honor the method". This reflects the Tang Dynasty's trend of "honoring the method". Ouyang Xun's Thirty-six Methods, Sun Gao Ting's Spectrum of Calligraphy, Zhang Huai Jade's Discussion of Calligraphy, Letter of Calligraphy, Breakdown of Calligraphy, Theory of Characters, Theory of Six Types of Calligraphy, and Theory of Ten Methods of Brushwork, Dou Consulting and Dou Meng's Description of Calligraphy, Xu Hao's Discourse on Calligraphy, Yan Zhenqing's Twelve Ideas of the Brushwork of the Chief of the Zhang Changshi Dynasty, and The Essentials of the Legal Scripts, compiled by Zhang Yanyuan, were all masterpieces of Calligraphy of the period. Especially Ouyang Xun's Thirty-six Methods, Sun Jiuting's Spectrum of Calligraphy, and Yan Zhenqing's Twelve Ideas of Zhang Changshi's Brushwork occupy an important position in the history of Chinese calligraphy theory.

The Song Dynasty was a period of change in ancient calligraphy theory. Due to various reasons, the calligraphy of the Song Dynasty could not be compared with the Tang Dynasty, but it was able to find a different way, and the Thessalonians prevailed for a while. And the theory of calligraphy has also been innovated and developed. Song people advocate calligraphy should not be bound by the law of creation, do not have to weigh on the point of painting, layout and other specific methods, but should pay attention to the works of the spirit of the rhyme and the inner spirit of the writer and temperament, free to express their feelings, and strive for innovation. It is a reflection of the Song Dynasty's style of calligraphy, which was "still intentional". Zhu Changwen's Continuation of the Book, Su Shi's Discussion of the Book, Dongpo's Inscription, Huang Tingjian's Discussion of the Book, Mi Fu's History of the Book, Haiyue's Famous Quotations, and Jiang Kui's Continuation of the Spectrum of the Book are all representative of the book theories of this period. The "Renewal of the Book Spectrum" is particularly systematic and precise, and has been highly regarded by calligraphers of all generations, with a great influence.

The calligraphic art of the Yuan and Ming dynasties was still prevalent in the Thessalonian school, which had not yet come out of the trough of calligraphic creation. In terms of book theory, by inheriting the law of jin and tang, the song people "still want to" book style to negate, and then pay attention to the beauty of the form of the art of calligraphy, marking the style of wei and jin. Yuan dynasty calligraphy is mainly concerned with the law, representative of the treatise has Zheng Piao compiled, Liu You Ding note "diffraction pole" and Chen Dizeng's "Hanlin key knowledge". The book theory of the Ming Dynasty emphasized the reverence for ancient elegance, advocating both bone strength and research and beauty. Tao Zongyi's "book history will be", Feng Fang's "book", Xiang Mu's "calligraphy elegant words" and so on are representative of the treatise.

The Qing Dynasty was a period of ancient calligraphy theory. From the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the pattern of postal studies and monumental studies was gradually formed, and postal studies gradually declined, and monumental studies flourished. Therefore, the first stage of calligraphy theory emphasized the exposition of brush and ink techniques, represented by Gala Chongguang's "Book Raft" and Zhu Cuzhen's "Jieyao of Calligraphy". In the later period, it was mainly the exploration of the theory of monumentalism, Ruan Yuan's "North and South School of Calligraphy", "North Monument and South Poster Theory", Bao Shichen's "Double Oars in the Art Boat", and Kang Youwei's "Double Oars in the Art Boat" were representative works in this regard, and formed a wave of suppression of posting and respect for monumentalism, emphasizing the north and lightening the south of the wind. Liu Xizai's "arts - book overview" of the characteristics of the north and south of the calligraphy style were summarized, emphasizing that they have their own strengths, it seems fairer and more objective. Not only that, the General Introduction to Calligraphy also provides a comprehensive, systematic and concise theoretical summary of the history of the art of calligraphy in ancient China, the history of the evolution of calligraphic styles, and the techniques and styles of the art of calligraphy. These treatises occupy an important position in the history of ancient Chinese calligraphy. They provide a comprehensive and systematic summary of the theory and practice of Qing Dynasty Calligraphy, which contributed to the development and prosperity of the art of calligraphy in the Qing Dynasty. They also had a far-reaching influence on the development of modern calligraphy. The general outline of the development of calligraphy theory in ancient China, as mentioned earlier, it is not difficult to find the following salient features:

First of all, the importance of summarizing and guiding aesthetic fashions. Generally speaking, a society is bound to have a social custom, and this social custom is bound to affect all aspects of social culture; and the welcome or resistance of social culture to this custom is bound to have a direct impact on the prosperity and demise of this social custom. In the same way, the aesthetic style of the art of calligraphy in each era is also different. How to guide this aesthetic fashion and make it become the dominant aesthetic fashion of the era has become the concern and discussion of the epigraphists of each era. For example, "Shangxiang" in the epigraphic theories of Han and Wei, "Shangyun" in the epigraphic theories of Jin, "Shangfa" in the epigraphic theories of Tang, and "Shangyi" in the epigraphic theories of Song, etc. All of them are not the same as "Shangyi" in the epigraphic theories of Song.

Secondly, the study of the art of calligraphy is comprehensive and systematic. As long as we roughly go through the ancient Chinese calligraphy theory works, you will see: China's ancient research and summary of the art of calligraphy is all-round, involving all aspects of the art of calligraphy, and self-contained system. If you compare it with the ancient Chinese painting theory, it can show this characteristic even more. For example, the study of the development of calligraphy, since the beginning of the Southern Song Dynasty, Yang Xin's "Collecting the Names of People Who Can Write in Ancient Times," there have been almost all such works in the following dynasties. They discussed the history of the development of calligraphy from the ancient times to the end of the Qing Dynasty, preserving the complete picture of the history of the development of Chinese calligraphy. Another example is the study of the history of the evolution of calligraphic styles, which deals with the emergence, development, and change of calligraphic styles such as the Big Seal Script, the Small Seal Script, the Eight-pointed Script, the Regular Script, the Running Script, the Zhang Cao Script, and the Modern Cursive Script, as well as their concepts and characteristics, in a systematic and comprehensive manner. The study of calligraphic techniques is also extremely thorough and comprehensive, with detailed and precise studies on the use of brushes, fronts, strokes, knots, ink, and white cloth, among others.

Once again, the relationship between the character of the book and the character of the person is emphasized. As early as in the Western Han Dynasty, Yang Xiong put forward the famous point of view of "calligraphy is the painting of the heart", that calligraphy is a direct reflection of the ideology of the calligrapher, virtue, character. This viewpoint has had a profound influence on later generations. The Northern Song Dynasty book theorist Zhu Changwen in his "continued book breaks" that the high and low of a person's calligraphy art and his character cultivation has a great relationship, and cited the following example: "Lu Gong can be described as a loyal minister, ...... its hair in the brush, it is rigid and majestic, the body of the strict law, such as the loyal and righteous, the color of the standing dynasty, in the section and can not be taken away. The book is the heart of the painting. Yangzi cloud to book for the heart painting, in Lu Gongxin carry on." This actually means that Yan's dignified and robust style came from his high moral character. Liu Xizai, a great writer of modern calligraphy, said even more explicitly in "The Art of Calligraphy - Book Overview": "The book, such as also. Such as their learning, such as their talent, such as their ambition, in short: such as their people only." He believes that through the calligraphy can not only see the calligrapher's "learning", "talent", "will", and can see the calligrapher's person. The character of a good calligrapher must be good.

In addition, good use of vivid metaphor to express the feelings of the reviewer, in order to fully display the appreciation process of a variety of psychological activities intertwined with the situation. As early as in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cai Yong's "Theory of the Pen" used rich, beautiful metaphors to emphasize that the calligraphic creation of the body should be integrated into the various vivid forms of nature. Since then, calligraphy theorists have inherited this tradition. For example, Sun Tou-Ting wrote in his "Book of the Spectrum": "The difference between the view of the hanging needle and the dew, the oddity of the thunderbolt and the falling stone, the capital of the Hong Fei and the beasts, the luan dance and the snake's shock, the situation of the decadent peaks of the absolute shore, and the danger of the form of a haggard according to the. Or heavy as collapsing clouds, or as light as a cicada wing; guide the spring injection, ton of the mountain safe; delicate like the first moon out of the sky cliff, fall down to the stars of the list of the River Han ......." Here, the author uses a series of vivid metaphors - in fact, metaphors - to compare the wonderful sights of the calligraphy of Zhong Yao, Zhang Zhi and Er Wang, so that people can gain a sense of understanding and make it easy to comprehend. The list is endless.

Li Si - penmanship

The penmanship of the method of the first rush back, back to the next; as the eagle looking at the Peng passed away, the letter of nature, shall not be re-altered. Send feet, if the swimming fish get water; dance pen, such as Jingshan Xingyun. Or volume or Shu, at first light at first heavy, good deep thought, reason should see themselves.

Zhao Yi - non-cursive

Yu County, Liang Kung Da, Jiang Mengying, all of the world's elite philosophers, but adore Zhang Sheng's cursive too Hikong, Yan Yan. Kongda wrote a book to show Meng Ying, all oral recitation of its text, hand script, no slack. So the students of the latter school competed to admire the two sages, the guard order to make a chapter, people write a volume, as a secret game. I am afraid of its back of the scriptures and tend to vulgar, this is not why the road to prosperity; and want to see Luo, Zhao's thumb frustration, so for the said cursive book this and that, to comfort Luo, Zhao, rest Liang, Jiang Yan.

Taking a look at the road Zhang Jun and Zhu Envoy book, saying that the gas can eliminate evil, people do not have their own side, the demon does not make, can be said to believe that the road to hold true, know that the life of heaven is also. If the commendation of Du, Cui, frustrated Luo, Zhao, Xin Xin have since Zang's intention, is not close to the reserve Kabuki, cheap and expensive me! The rise of cursive writing, its in the near ancient? On the non-heavenly image of the vertical, the next non-helo spit, non-sage made. Cover the end of the Qin, the penalty is steep net dense, official book redundancy, war and attack and make, military book cross, feather diatribe flying, so for the scribe grass, tend to rapid ear, show simple finger, not the saint's industry. But you delete difficult to save trouble, loss of complex for a single, easy to take easy to know, very instrument also. Therefore, it is said in its praise: "Pro matter from the appropriate." And today's learning cursive, do not think of its simple purpose, straight thought Du, Cui's law, turtle dragon also see. Its * support on the observation, cross-examination of the Dragon B, can not be lost. Above the replacement of teeth, if any involved in the study, are abolished Cangjie, Shi Zhou, even to Du, Cui for the model; private book with each other, each book cloud: the appropriate forced rapid, so less than grass. The grass is easy and fast, this anti-difficult and late, lose finger more.

All people are different from each other in terms of gas and blood, and different from each other in terms of sinews and bones. The first thing you need to do is to get your hands dirty. The book of good and ugly, can be strong? If the human face has beauty and evil, can not learn to be similar? In the past, Xi Shi heart rash, holding the chest and knit, all fools effect, only to increase its ugly; Zhao female good dance, line step Mei compulsion, scholars Fou obtained, lost section prostrate. Fu Du, Cui, Zhang Zi, all have the talent of the world, the spare time of erudition, hand in hand, the future generations Mu yam. Dedicated to business, drilling hard and high, forgetting their fatigue, vigilance, oblique not to eat. Ten days a stroke, months several pills of ink. Although the seat, no time to talk about the theater exhibition painting, to grass 60000 wall, arm through the skin scraping, fingers and claws broken, see the gills bleeding, but not stop. However, its word, not beneficial to the work of clumsiness, but also as a scowl of the ugly, learning to step of the loss of joints. And cursive people, cover the fine art of the ear. The countryside is not already more capable, the court does not use it for the officials, the doctor does not use it for the lectures, the four departments do not use it for the preparation, the recruitment does not ask for this intention, and the performance appraisal does not classify this word. The good is not up to the government, and clumsy not detrimental to the rule, push the word, is not fine? The person who is in charge of internal affairs will be outside the queue, and the person who aspires to be small will ignore the big. Stoop down and look at the lice, do not have time to see the sky. Heaven and earth to the great and not see, Fang Rui Jing in nymphs, is not flawed.

This chapter of the study of the sharp essence, if it is used in the Bible, the calendar and the law, the push step period of time, explore Ze hooks deep, praise God, see the heart of heaven and earth, push the feelings of the saints. They analyze the doubts and the arguments of the common Confucians. The right way is based on the evil doctrine, and the elegant music of the peers is based on the sound of Zheng, so that the harmony of the highest virtue and the mystery and clarity of the Great Lun can be realized. The poor can keep their bodies and leave their names, and the rich can honor their masters and make peace, so that they will always be able to learn from their descendants, is it not abundance?

C崔瑗-草书势

书契之兴，始自颉皇；写彼鸟迹，以定文章。 I have been to the end of the period, the canonical books are very complicated; the time of the more remote, the government of the more power. The official affairs of the barren, eliminating its ink Han; but more Zuo Li, the old word is deleted. The law of cursive writing, cover and brief; should be Oracle finger, used for the pawn forced. The method of cursive writing is simple; it is used to meet the needs of the time and for the purpose of the soldier's compulsion. The calligraphy of cursive is simple and concise; it is used to meet the needs of the times and to save energy; it is pure and frugal, not necessarily ancient. The square is not in a straight line, and the round is not in a straight line. The beasts and birds are crawling, aiming to fly; the cunning rabbits and hares are afraid, about to run but not yet sped. Or they are like a series of pearls; they are never separated from each other. The animal is angry and anxious, and it is strange after it has been released. Or they may be deep and fearful, as if based on a high danger, or they may be attached to an evil side point, like a praying mantis and holding a branch. Absolute pen to close the trend, the remaining cap tassels tangled; if the mountain wasp poison, look at the gap edge of the ravine; Teng Snake to the cave, the head did not tail drooping. Therefore, from a distance and look, the depth if the injection of the shore to run to the end of the world; on the inspection, a painting can not be moved. A few subtle subtleties, temporary from the appropriate. The first thing I'd like to say is that I don't know what to do.

Xu Shen - Shuowen Jiezi preface

The ancient Bao Xi's king of the world, also, up is to watch the image in the sky, down is to watch the law in the ground, depending on the birds and animals of the text and the ground of the appropriate, close to take the body, and then began to make the "Yi" eight trigrams, in order to垂宪象。 And Shennong's rope for the rule and unity of its affairs, commonwealth of its prosperous, decorated with false sprouts. Yellow Emperor's history of Cangjie, see birds and beasts swallowed the hoof track, know the reason for the difference can be different, the first bookmarks. The first book and deed were created. "A hundred works are regulated, and ten thousand products are examined, which are taken from decisiveness"; and "decisiveness is raised in the court of the king". The words of the writer were preached in the court of the king, so the gentleman was able to give the next and the next, and the residence of the virtue was also taboo. In the beginning of the Cangjie's book, it was called "Wen" because it was based on the image of the class. Afterward, the sound and shape of the book were complemented by the sound, which was called the word. Wen, the image of this; the word, the word yield and dip more also. Written on bamboo and silk called the book, the book as well. Until the five emperors and three kings of the world, the change is different. Sealed in the Taishan seven have two, and all have the same.

Cai Yong - Seal Script, Pen Theory, and Nine Seal Scripts

Seal Script

The beginning of the word "seal" was the bird's mark, and Cangjie, following the sage, made the system of writing. There are six seals of the seal, and they are all very wonderful. They may resemble the text of a tortoise, or compare it with the scales of a dragon, with a twisting body and a long wing and a short body. It is as decadent as the hanging grain of millet and grain, and as confused as the beams of insects and snakes. The waves are raised and vibrated, the eagle and the goblet and the bird are shocked, the neck is extended and the wings are harmonized, and the momentum is like the clouds. Or lightly lifting the inner cast, the micro-principle thick end, if the absolute if even, like dew edge silk, condensation hanging down the end.

Far away, if you look at the swan group swimming, deduction and extension. The scholarly writers were so clever as to be able to bow and give way. The prehistoric writers were so skillful in their speech, and the prehistoric writers were so skillful in their writing. The wielders of the wares and colors are in the dandyism, and they are the model for the learning of art. Jia Wen De's Hong Yun, for the author of the publication. I think that the font of the pitch, to cite the outline of the discussion of Sen.

Pen theory

Books, also scattered. The first thing you need to do is to disperse your embrace and let your emotions run wild, and then write the book. If you are forced to do something, even if you are in the middle of the mountains, you can't be good at it. The book, the first silent meditation, at will, the appropriate, words do not speak, gas is not full of breath, sinking dense God color, such as the supreme, then no good carry on.

The body of the book, must enter its shape. If you sit if you walk, if you fly if you move, if you go if you come, if you lie if you get up, if you are sad if you are happy, if the insect eats wood and leaves, if the sword is long, if the strong bow and hard vector, if the water and fire, if the clouds, if the sun and the moon. Vertical and horizontal can be like the person, the party has to be called the book carry on.

Nine potential

The book was born in nature, nature is established, yin and yang is born, yin and yang is born, the situation is out. Hidden head and tail protection, the country in which the pen force, the skin of Li. Therefore, it is said: the potential to come can not be stopped, the potential to go can not be curbed, but the pen is soft strange birth.

Where the pen is knotted word, on all over the next, the next to bear the top, so that the situation is reflected with each other, without making the potential back.

Turning the pen, it is appropriate to review the left and right, so as not to make the program alone.

Hiding the brush, pointing and drawing in and out of the traces, want to left first right, to return to the left also.

Hiding the head, the round pen belongs to the paper, so that the heart of the pen is always in the dot painting line.

Protecting the tail, drawing the end of the momentum of the point, the force to collect.

Speed, out of the pecking limbs, and in the vertical strokes within the tight stroke.

Sweeping strokes are used to make a sharp stroke.

The sharpness of the brush lies in the method of tightening the hin and the battle line.

Horizontal scales are the rules for vertical strokes.

These are called the Nine Positions, and even though they are not taught by a teacher, they are still a good match for the ancients. The first thing you need to do is to make a lot of ink, and then create a wonderful world

The second thing you need to do is to make a lot of ink.