Chinese Calligraphy

1. Brief Introduction
to
Chinese Calligraphy
Joanne Chen
2015

2. Calligraphy
• Chinese calligraphy is a form of calligraphy widely practiced in China
and areas including Japan, Taiwan, Korea and Vietnam.
• The calligraphic tradition of East Asia originated and developed from
China.
• Calligraphy is an art which has developed over many centuries in
China. Calligraphy (artful writing) has been considered the ultimate
art form by the Chinese educated elite since at least the Han dynasty
(206 BCE–220 CE).
Chinese Calligraphy Japanese Calligraphy Korean Calligraphy
Vietnamese calligraphy

3. What is Calligraphy?
• The characters for
calligraphy is Shūfǎ 書法 in
China, literally "the law of
writing"; Shodō 書道 in
Japan, and Seoye (서예) 書
藝 in Korea. The calligraphy
of Chinese characters is an
important and appreciated
aspect of Chinese culture.
Styles of Chinese Calligraphy

4. The Four Treasure of Study
文房四寶 筆墨紙硯
Writing Brush Ink stick
Paper Inkstone
• The nib can be made from rabbit's hair, wool,
horsehair, weasel's hair, or bristles.
• The shaft may be made from bamboo, ivory, jade,
crystal, gold, silver, porcelain, sandal, ox horn, etc.
• Both soft and hard brushes each producing their
own particular styles.
• Paper making is among
the 'four great
inventions' and one of
the great contributions
that ancient Chinese
people made to the
world.
• A good ink stick should
be ground so as to be
refined black with
luster.
• Inkstone is the most
important of the "four
treasures of study."
Because of its solid texture
inkstone can be handed
down from generation to
generation.

5. 毛笔 Pen Brush
• The earliest writing brush that has been found during the
5th century BC.
• The nib can be made from rabbit's hair, wool, horsehair,
weasel's hair, or bristles; while the shaft may be made
from bamboo, ivory, jade, crystal, gold, silver, porcelain,
sandal, ox horn, etc.
• Artist used both soft and hard brushes to produce
particular effects.

6. 墨 Ink and Ink stick
• The ink is made from lampblack (soot) and binders, and comes in
inksticks which must be rubbed with water on an inkstone until the
right consistency is achieved.
• Much cheaper, pre-mixed bottled inks are now available.
• Learning to rub the ink is an essential part of calligraphy study.
Traditionally, Chinese calligraphy is written only in black ink, but
modern calligraphers sometimes use other colors.

7. 砚台 Ink Stone
• Made from stone, ceramic, or clay from the banks of the
Yellow River, inkstone is used to grind the solid inkstick
into liquid ink and to contain the ink once it is liquid.

8. 纸 Paper
• Chinese ancestors utilized knots in cords to record events. They then
carved on bone, ivory, tortoise shell and bronzes. For very many years
they wrote on pieces of bamboo.
• During the early Han Dynasty wealthy people would write upon white
silk.
• Paper was invented by Cai Lun during the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220
AD) and spread slowly to the west via the Silk Road.
• Xuanzhi (宣紙), traditionally made in Anhui province, is the preferred
type of paper for calligrapher.

9. Famous Calligrapher and his work
Lan Ting Ji Xu 兰亭集序
Wang Xi Zhi 王羲之
Wang Xizhi (王羲之, 303–361) was a
Chinese calligrapher, traditionally
referred to as the Sage of Calligraphy
(书圣).
（Preface to the Literary Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion)

10. Famous Calligrapher and his work
• Huang Tingjian (Chinese: 黃庭堅; 1045–1105) was a Chinese
artist, scholar, government official, and poet of the Song
dynasty.
• He is predominantly known as a calligrapher, and is also
admired for his painting and poetry.
Huang Tingjian

11. Famous Calligrapher and his work
• Su Shi (January 8, 1037 –
August 24, 1101), also known
as Su Tungpo, was a Chinese
writer, poet, painter,
calligrapher, pharmacologist,
gastronome, and a statesman
of the Song dynasty.
Su Shi (蘇軾, 苏轼, 1037–1101)

12. Learn Chinese Calligraphy
• Common Learning
Methods
• Instructor
Demonstration
• Visual Instruction
• Hands-On
Learning
• Studio Practice

13. Xi-an Stele Museum 西安碑林博物馆
• Museum with exhibition halls displaying an extensive collection
of steles & stone sculptures.

14. Practice Chinese Calligraphy 书法练习
• Position the
Body
• Hold the
Brush
• Use the Wrist
• Practice