【Translation】The three basic skills of calligraphy

I. The ability to handle a writing brush: The ability to handle a writing brush refers to the skill of controlling its tip. The ancients said, “A good calligrapher does not choose a pen.” ”The essence is that those with strong writing skills (the ability to control a writing brush well) do not care about the quality of the brush. No matter what type of writing brush it is, it can be well controlled by a skilled calligrapher, enabling the creation of strokes that are in accordance with the rules of art and are of excellent quality. Different fonts (which refer to general styles of writing such as seal script, official script, regular script, running script, and cursive script) and calligraphic styles (which refer to specific writing styles with distinct characteristic styles, such as Yan style or Ou style) have different rules regarding the techniques of drawing strokes, and these differences are mainly reflected in the shape of the individual strokes. The key to mastering the techniques of brushwork lies in using the brush bristles and adjusting the tip of the brush to accurately shape the strokes, while also achieving rich expressiveness and aesthetic effects. The skill of brushwork is essentially the skill of controlling the brush tip. “\"It is only with a soft brush that such wonderful effects can be achieved.\" One must be able to make good use of the versatile properties of the brush bristles in order to create high-quality, beautiful, and diverse brushstroke patterns. This is the most core and crucial part of the basic skills in calligraphy.

II. The ability to control ink usage: The creation of calligraphy relies on the specific use of ink to shape the strokes, thereby determining the form of the characters as well as the flow and structure of the entire piece. Therefore, the issue of ink control is a very important aspect of basic skills; ink is used to write on rice paper, and this raises the question of the relationship between ink and paper. This issue is mentioned in Sun Guoting’s “Treatise on Calligraphy,” within the concept of “five disharmonies and five harmonies,” specifically regarding the interaction between paper and ink. “\"The interaction between paper and ink\" is the key to ink technique. The so-called \"harmony between ink and paper\" refers to the fact that the density of the ink should be in harmony with the absorbency of the paper. Papers vary in their degree of ink absorption, as well as in terms of water absorption and thickness. The greater the water absorption of the paper, the stronger and faster the ink diffusion will be; whereas if the water absorption is low, the ink diffusion will be weaker and slower. Thick paper takes longer to absorb ink, while thin paper absorbs ink faster. The greater the moisture in the ink, the faster it will flow; the less moisture there is, the slower its flow. It is necessary to have an understanding of the properties of paper and ink. The most crucial aspect of ink technique is the application of ink. The variations in ink tones in calligraphy works are entirely achieved through control. It requires the writer to have a strong ability to control the speed of the pen as well as the amount of ink in it. When the pen is full, write quickly; when it is dry, write slowly.

III. The ability to control composition: The skills involved in controlling the composition of a work include three aspects: the first is the ability to control the shape of characters. The characters can be neat, slanted, large, or small. Neat without being rigid, slightly tilted without losing shape; substantial without being bulky, small without appearing shabby. The second is the ability to regulate qi flow. In seal, official, and regular script, the flow of the strokes must be even and orderly, with an emphasis on harmony and unity; in running and cursive scripts, the flow of the strokes must be continuous and smooth, with an emphasis on rhythm and cadence. This is a technique that must be mastered and fully demonstrated in regulating qi flow. Third is the ability to control the overall composition of a work; or rather, the ability to manage the composition between lines—that is, the ability to handle the overall structure. Seal, clerical, and regular scripts must be harmonious as a whole, with consistency from beginning to end. In running script, techniques such as the contrast between different strokes, the interaction and give-and-take between them, as well as their interweaving, must be demonstrated in a thorough manner.

Generally speaking, the ability to create a distinct aesthetic atmosphere for an entire work is a sign that the calligrapher has reached a high level of artistic maturity. The composition of cursive script possesses both aesthetic beauty in form and quality and aesthetic beauty in emotion; it can convey emotions and express feelings of joy and sorrow, making it a sophisticated form of aesthetic activity. It is said that Wang Xizhi remarked, “The art of calligraphy is most difficult; dragons and snakes compete at the tip of the brush.” Those skilled in composition must have a clear plan in mind before deciding what to use as white and what as black. As the saying goes, “Read ten thousand books, and writing will flow like magic.” The value of Sun’s approach to the composition of cursive script lies in the fact that it combines wisdom and skill; both the mind and hands function seamlessly, with every stroke being purposeful and well-founded. ”

1. In terms of layout, it should be such that there is deviation without violation, and harmony without uniformity. First, Sun Guoting set clear requirements for the layout within a composition from a macro perspective: \"Deviation without violation, harmony without uniformity.\" ”“\"To violate yet not break the rules, to harmonize without becoming identical\" is a true manifestation of the \"beauty of balance,\" and it outlines a fundamental principle of the aesthetic principles in cursive script: the unity within diversity. Layout is an external, objective form of expression; it emphasizes the appearance. The beauty of form primarily emphasizes the contrast between thick and thin strokes as well as between square and round shapes; it highlights the difference in size of the forms as well as between vertical and horizontal orientations; it focuses on the contrast between dark and light shades of ink as well as between dry and wet textures; and it stresses the contrast between dense and sparse areas as well as between solid and empty spaces. Firstly, there is the variation between sparse and dense elements; the cursive script fills the page with misty effects, like summer clouds adorned with numerous peculiar peaks. The structure should be varied, with areas of density and openness. Sun Guoting’s cursive script is such that there is enough space in the sparse areas for a horse to pass through, while the dense areas are tight enough to prevent air from passing through. ”(As said by Deng Shiru of the Qing dynasty) Next is the balance between emptiness and solidity; whether it’s individual characters or the overall layout, there should be a balance between these two elements, so that the empty spaces contain elements of solidity, while the solid areas hide elements of emptiness. The key to arranging elements realistically and imaginatively lies in the imaginary spaces; by arranging these spaces in a well-structured manner, a strong rhythm can be created, giving the work a sense of rhythm. Once again, it’s movement and stillness. There is stillness within movement, and movement within stillness; it is necessary to combine the two. The volume on calligraphy begins with a pace as gentle as that of a trickling stream, becomes more dynamic and vigorous in the middle, and finally returns to calmness; throughout it, there is a unity of movement and stillness. Finally, right and wrong, as well as roundness and squareness ； The Book of Calligraphy states: “It disregards the rules of square and circle, and avoids the constraints of straightness and curvature.” Measuring without rulers and compasses can bring squares and circles into proper proportion; abandoning the use of hooks and ropes ensures that curves and straight lines are appropriately matched ； Curves and straight lines refer not only to the strokes in calligraphy but also to the arrangement of characters in the composition. Squares store static potential, circles store dynamic potential. Wang Xizhi’s “Inscription for Lady Wei”

2. The movement of qi encompasses \"bone strength\" and \"elegance\"; \"If all the finest qualities are to be embodied, one must maintain bone strength.\"； The bone is already there, with suppleness and luster added to it. ”Sun Guoting explicitly stated that cursive script should possess \"strength and vigor\" as well as \"elegance and grace\" in terms of composition. The flow between characters is achieved mainly through variations in the tilt and alignment of characters above and below each other; they complement one another. Sometimes, it is accomplished by emphasizing certain strokes to connect the upper and lower parts, while at other times it is achieved by quickly retracting strokes to contain that flow, thereby creating a sense of dynamism on the otherwise static surface of paper. Writing enables the simple strokes of calligraphy to give rise to a rich beauty in expression, rising to a level of rational understanding – where the aesthetic essence of composition is embodied in the strokes of the pen, and the rhythmic quality of composition finds expression on paper through logical arrangement. In a work, the quality of the flow of energy directly determines the success or failure of its structure. Regulating qi manifests as a certain charm. “\"Accumulating strokes to form characters, accumulating characters to form lines, and accumulating lines to form passages\" are the basic elements that constitute the flow within cursive script. The \"Treatise on Calligraphy\" also offers its own unique approach to managing this flow: by reducing the spacing between lines and increasing the spacing between characters, it enhances the tension within the composition. Every stroke and every character forms part of the overall structure, resulting in a cohesive whole.

3. The artistic expression conveys qualities such as elegance, grace, vigor, and refinement. Generally speaking, the ability to create a distinct and beautiful aesthetic atmosphere in an entire work is a sign that the calligrapher has reached a high level of artistic maturity. The composition of cursive script possesses both aesthetic beauty in form and quality and aesthetic beauty in emotion; it can convey emotions and express feelings of joy and sorrow, making it a sophisticated form of aesthetic activity. Therefore, he put forward the overall requirement for beauty in composition: \"Elevate it with spirit and vigor, soften it with grace and delicacy, invigorate it with strength and simplicity, and harmonize it with elegance and tranquility.\" ”Its sternness is imparted by rigorous brushwork; its gentleness, by graceful and charming demeanor; its robustness, by dry and terse strokes; and its elegance, by a relaxed and composed bearing. The beauty of lines, structure, ink texture, and composition are organic components of the beauty of artistic expression. This is undoubtedly a major highlight of Sun Guoting’s cursive script in terms of composition, and it also provides a unique new framework for later generations to study the composition of cursive script.

I bought a set of writing brushes, intending to practice*, but I gave up because my handwriting looked too ugly. . .