Yanmingta Stele - Enlarged Selection

Author: Shen Diying
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-12-01
Features: The "Series of Enlarged Ancient Stele and Calligraphy Manuscripts" takes commonly used stele and calligraphy manuscripts for basic learning as the blueprint, selects typical character examples, and categorizes them by stroke, radical, structure, or variant forms of the same character. It is supplemented with techniques such as character enlargement and stele flipping, making it the preferred calligraphy workbook or teaching reference for. This volume is compiled based on the "Small Cursive Thousand Characters" written by the Tang Dynasty monk Huaisu.
Liu Gongquan (778-865) was a great calligrapher of the late Tang Dynasty, particularly renowned for his regular script. His calligraphy inherited the strengths of Yan Zhenqing and previous generations, combining rigor with openness, roundness with sharpness, forming a unique style known as "Liu Style." The "Stele of Xuan Mi Ta" has been regarded as one of the best models for beginners in calligraphy throughout history, as its characters are large and distinct, making them easily accessible to learners. Its overall style is strict and vigorous, with bold and extraordinary brushwork, integrating the crispness and elegance of Ouyang Xun with the openness and spaciousness of Yan Zhenqing. The starting and ending of strokes are clear, with square starts and round ends, thin horizontal strokes and thick vertical ones. In structure and layout, the central part is tightly condensed, the upper right corner slightly raised, and the left side tight while the right side is relaxed. When writing, attention should be paid to combining square and round strokes, allowing slight smiles between strokes to create a sense of connection without making the strokes rigid or lifeless. At the same time, the speed should not be too slow; individual strokes and radicals within a single character should be written in a continuous and fluid manner, without deliberately focusing on details at the expense of the overall composition.
This book takes commonly used stele and calligraphy manuscripts for basic learning as the blueprint, selects typical character examples, and categorizes them by stroke, radical, structure, or variant forms of the same character. It is supplemented with techniques such as character enlargement and stele flipping, making it the preferred calligraphy workbook or teaching reference for.