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Learning Chinese Calligraphy
You have seen it everyplace. The pleasurable strokes in jet black brushed on
a canvas. Meaning something, but were unsure what. You see it in tattoos left on
the skin to declare deep significance to the wearer, and often out of curiosity
we ask what it signifies. It is a peaceful mystery, we are drawn to it
naturally. The infamy of Chinese
calligraphy has become an art to be understood and learned. Not only do
we want it on our walls and skin, we want to become even more personal with it.
You can discover Chinese calligraphy,
and earn the same pleasurable words as do the masters.
Chinese calligraphy began in 213
B.C. by Prime Minister Li Szu who made over 3000 characters to be used by the
Chinese scholars. The five different types, zhuan-shu, li-shu, kai-shu,xing-shu,
and cao-shu, are all forms employed in calligraphy. One word can be written in
various ways reckoning on the style and the execution of that style. The
expression can be liquid, formal, precise, whimsical...it all is in the hand of
the applying and unique individual deliverance of the strokes. Many masters from
the beginning of origin to now have left their help us to savor as art right
now. When you start to study calligraphy, you will adopt a style which is
characteristic to you and perfect the strokes as your own form of self
expression. The artistic value of Chinese calligraphy is in the skill and method
is exclusive to the particular creative ability delivering it. When well done,
the words interpretations are more leaning to abstract art, then anything else.
As you learn Chinese calligraphy,
you will notice that traditionally certain materials are used in a specific way
to produce the eloquent results. The Chinese use special brushes made of rabbit
hair or sheep. One brush is for sharpness in line drawing, and the other for
rhythm and depth all equaling to the subject's inner self. Also employed in
calligraphy, is a thick ground ink mixed with water and applied to Chinese paper
(also called rice paper) or silk. This form shows depth, contrast, density and
texture and creates a rhythmic balance. When the Chinese apply color to this art
form, it is to show the subject's characteristics or moods. Another unique
quality to Chinese calligraphy is the poetry inscribed within it. It becomes the
artist's signature or inscription exclusive to them.
Chinese Calligraphy minimizes the application of space, occasionally leaving a
canvas almost blank, with just more than one brushstrokes leaving a word to
contemplate on. The types of this writing don't embrace crowding compositions
with overmuch and badly placed brushstrokes. The rules behind studying Chinese
calligraphy are to invite simplicity, balance, beauty, and originality of style.
You ought to possess graceful execution and represent the depth of meaning of
each stroke, whether using a brush or ink. The concept behind Chinese
calligraphy is to find understanding and beauty is simple delivery of your
position as the artist and what you are projecting as meaning with the picked
out style adopted.
When you learn Chinese calligraphy, it is easy to turn into infatuated with the
art form and easy to be immersed entirely into cultural richness that has been
alive for in excess of a 1000 years.
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