What kinds of calligraphy are there?

Calligraphy is a unique traditional art in China, which evolved from practical characters. After thousands of years of evolution, different font types and writing styles have emerged in order to be convenient to use and meet the requirements of appreciation.

The types of calligraphy can be roughly divided into the following categories.

True book: also known as "regular script" and "true book". Its characteristics are: square and straight strokes. Ou Yangxun's European Style, Liu Gongquan's Liu Style, Yan Zhenqing's Yan Style, Zhao Meng? "Zhao Ti" and so on are regular script.

Cursive script: a font produced for the convenience of writing. The cursive script is divided into Cao Zhang, Jincao and Crazy Grass. The basic artistic characteristics of cursive script are vigorous and lively, majestic and free and easy.

Seal script: it is a general term for big seal script and small seal script. Dazhuan refers to Oracle Bone Inscriptions, Jinwen, Zhou Wen and the six countries. Small seal script, also known as the simplified form of big seal script, is the transition between big seal script and official script and regular script. Official script: it is a font based on the big seal script to meet the needs of convenient writing. The appearance of official script is a great change in ancient writing and calligraphy.

Running script: a font between regular script and cursive script. Not as scribbled as cursive script, nor as correct and slow as regular script.

Who are the most famous calligraphers in the history of China?

China has a long history of calligraphy, and there are many calligraphers in past dynasties. Their calligraphy art has been handed down to this day, leaving a valuable cultural heritage for future generations.

Cai Yong: A calligrapher of the Eastern Han Dynasty, especially famous for his seal script and official script. He once wrote a "Flying White Book", in which the brushwork is white and vigorous.

Wang Xizhi: an outstanding calligrapher in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, good at various forms. The cursive script is elegant and smart, the regular script is smart and dense, and the running script is vigorous and changeable. Especially his running script, has a great influence on later generations.

Ou Yangxun, a calligrapher in the early Tang Dynasty, had the most exquisite regular script skills and created a unique "European style". His structural characteristics are that he sees danger in the middle, is moderately fat and thin, and is equal in flesh and blood.

Yu Shinan: A calligrapher in the early Tang Dynasty, whose seal script is as famous as Ou Yangxun's.

Yan Zhenqing: A calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty, he is good at writing regular script with the meaning of seal script, which is characterized by beauty, health, smoothness and distinct ups and downs. His Yan Ti is a model for later generations.

Huai Su: A calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty, famous for "Wild Grass".

Liu Gongquan: A calligrapher and regular script writer in Tang Dynasty. Characterized by thin and powerful, clear and bright. "Liu Ti" is mainly an attack on beginners' works of Xi.

Huang Tingjian, a calligrapher in the Northern Song Dynasty, was also called "Song Sijia" with Su Shi, Cai Xiang and Miti. Good at cursive writing.

Zhao Meng? Painter of Yuan Dynasty. Especially good at regular script and running script. Sui generis, known as "Zhao Ti".

Zhu Yunming, a calligrapher in the Ming Dynasty, is also known as "the Four Masters of Wuzhong" with Tang Yin, Wen Zhiming and Xu Zhenqing. Grass and grass will do.

Bao: calligrapher of Qing Dynasty. He is the author of calligraphy theory's masterpiece "Two-cylinder Art Boat".