Example of Calligraphy and Emotion

祭侄文稿

A draft of a funeral oration for Yan Ji Ming, Yan Zhen Qing's nephew. Yan Ji Ming was killed by An Lu Shan. His arms were cut off before he was killed. This is draft was wrote with grief and indignation.
The calligraphy is powerful with unconstrained brush. Grief and indignation appear between the lines.
Xian Yu Shu of Yuan dynasty said :" this is the second best Xing Shu calligraphy under the sky. Lan Ting Xu is the best." The style of Lan Ting Xu is totally different from Ji Zhi Wen Gao. It's hard to say which one is the best, which one is the second best. Maybe we should say these two are all the best.

Process of practicing Chinese Calligraphy

The effective, traditional process of practicing handwriting consists of three steps: mo, Lin and xie. Mo means tracing. There are two ways to trace: Trace the calligraphy printed in red in the copybook, or use the model in the exercise book to trace the character on semitransparent or transparent paper. Mo means to practice wielding the brush. You must acquaint yourself with the process of basic stroke writing and the order in which you write your strokes. In practice, attention should be focused on the strokes of your model, the structure and the style of calligraphy. This lays the foundation for the next step, Lin, which is to put the model on the desk for you to copy.

Proud of student win the national calligraphy competition top award

Proud of student win the national calligraphy competition top award

Francesca recently won a national competition in Chinese Calligraphy. She came first in the category for non native speakers, using brushes rather than pens, which is considered to be more difficult. There were a total of 473 participants from 39 schools, 22 of which were Chinese schools. The work of the first prize winners is being displayed around the country, arriving in London on 28 June.

Chinese Brush Painting Demonstration

Chinese Brush Painting Demonstration at Edinburgh Corn Exchange Exhibition Centre

23th April 2009

The painting process starts out with the application of ink to frame out the forms. Later, color can be applied in a wash process. The brush stroke must be applied with deliberation and without hesitation. In the ideal process, the forms should just flow naturally from the mind out of the brush onto the paper. The painting process itself has a spiritual dimension to it. It requires a mental state of effortless focus, a Zen-state of calm and awareness.

four treasures 文房四宝

The four treasures of a Chinese calligrapher's (or scholar's) studio are paper, brush, ink stick, and ink stone. Paper is one of the most famous Chinese inventions. Chinese practice calligraphy on Xuan Paper that is used uniquely for calligraphy and painting. Chinese calligraphy brushes have such a long history that prehistoric painted pottery, bamboo slips, and silks are all writing materials for brush. The characteristics of softness and unrestrained freedom of a Chinese brush make Chinese calligraphy look more vivid, spirited, and rich in different styles. The ink stick is the unique pigment used for Chinese brush painting and calligraphy. The raw materials of ink stick are pine, oil, lacquer, and etc. A good ink stick can produce beautiful shades of ink density on a good and smooth ink stone. The nuances of ink textures make Chinese calligraphy look more diversified and rich in expressions.