Tang Ouyang Xun's "Explanation of the Calligraphy Techniques in the Jiucheng Palace" (Series of "Passing the 100-Character Test" Calligraphy Technique Explanations from the Classics of Calligraphy Through the Ages)

Author: Leng Wanggao
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Calligraphy, as an important part of traditional Chinese culture, is both ancient and young, classical and modern, profound and accessible. Over thousands of years, there have been numerous masters and masterpieces, exerting a profound influence on culture and art across generations, even becoming symbols of cultural identity in certain eras. In the past two decades, calligraphy has achieved significant development and is experiencing unprecedented prosperity. However, despite the growing number of calligraphers, the popularity and advancement of calligraphy still have vast room for improvement compared to the vast population and increasing cultural and artistic demands in China.
The learning of calligraphy has its unique characteristics: it requires practicing ancient works. It is almost impossible to achieve success in calligraphy without copying classic inscriptions and steles. If learners lack a proper understanding and fail to receive correct guidance, they are bound to take detours or go astray. Moreover, many calligraphy teachers themselves have not diligently practiced copying steles or possess a fundamental understanding of calligraphy yet still conduct classes, inevitably misleading their students.
However, the numerous masterpieces left by the ancients, some of which contain hundreds or even thousands of characters, can make learners feel overwhelmed and think that learning calligraphy is too difficult. Here, we introduce a relaxed, efficient, and "rapid" method for practicing calligraphy—the "100-Character Mastery" method, which is suitable for beginners of all ages and also for calligraphy enthusiasts who have not undergone rigorous copying of steles.
As everyone knows, for the pursuit of calligraphy, copying steles is merely a means, not the end. Through studying one or more classic models that have been tested by time and history, we gain an understanding and expressive ability regarding calligraphic strokes, character structure, and other forms. Only then can we apply this knowledge to calligraphic creation.
The "100-Character Mastery" is not just a slogan; it is highly operational, making the arduous training of fundamental calligraphy skills easier and faster, significantly lowering the entry barrier, and shortening the learning time. Although Chinese characters number in the thousands, they are all composed of over 20 basic strokes. Mastering these strokes well means mastering half of the characters. Of course, these strokes vary greatly in different scripts and even in individual characters. If we select 100 characters from a specific ancient calligraphic classic, they will certainly cover all strokes of that stele and most radicals and structures. In other words, mastering 100 characters well means mastering almost all characters!
Mastering 100 characters is not difficult and does not require too much time. The key lies in truly mastering these 100 characters to the point where they closely resemble the original stele, ensuring each character "passes," and then making the entire set of 100 characters "pass." Moreover, it enables the ability to generalize and apply the strokes learned to create characters not found in the stele, ultimately achieving the goal of mastering all characters.
This "Calligraphy Practice Guide" selects 100 representative characters from classic steles of different scripts, following the progressive order of "Basic Strokes," "Radicals," and "Comprehensive Practice." It provides detailed analysis of key points for copying each character and lists similar characters to expand the learning scope, helping you achieve twice the result with half the effort.
Indeed, simply writing characters well does not mean entering the realm of calligraphy. Writing and calligraphy are entirely different concepts. If one cannot even write characters well, it is impossible to reach the level of calligraphic art. However, if one writes characters well and develops an interest and aspiration for calligraphy, continuously reflecting, exploring, and pursuing it, then they are not far from the realm of calligraphic art.