Liu Gongquan's Great Script Collection of the Xuan Mi Tower

Author: Lu Youzhu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-05-01
Features: This book has the following characteristics in its editing: First, it is highly practical and meets the needs of beginners in calligraphy, with easy-to-use features. The authors who compiled this calligraphy character book are all teachers with long-term experience in calligraphy teaching. They are not only diligent calligraphers with successful creations but, more importantly, they possess rich experience in teaching calligraphy. They start from the practical aspects of calligraphy teaching, draw on various strengths, and provide targeted analysis and explanations that align with students' learning of calligraphy. This ensures precision and effectiveness in addressing issues. Their analysis is concise, straightforward, and easy to understand. They tell you where the difficulties in learning calligraphy lie, where details are easily overlooked, and how to overcome challenges and improve shortcomings. This focused approach will inspire and benefit beginners in calligraphy.
Second, the book is arranged in a progressive and systematic manner, with clear and concise content that is easy to learn and teach. For example, in the character book of the Qinli Stele, the stroke techniques are explained first with horizontal strokes, followed by vertical strokes. A horizontal and a vertical stroke together form the character "" (shí). Next, diagonal strokes are introduced, and adding a long diagonal stroke creates the characters "" (zài) or "" (zuǒ). The character "" (piàn) is formed by combining the basic horizontal and vertical strokes with a diagonal stroke. This step-by-step approach is logical and interconnected. In terms of learning, it starts from the simple to the complex, making it particularly suitable for beginners in calligraphy—even young children in kindergarten would enjoy this progressive teaching method. We follow the same principle in arranging other character books.
Third, the editing of this book combines vertical and horizontal elements organically, making the content more comprehensive. Most standard character books follow a single-line structure, focusing only on vertical arrangements—starting with stroke techniques, then moving to component structures, and finally discussing overall composition. However, in calligraphy teaching practice, we have found that many excellent calligraphy teachers combine stroke techniques and structure together. For instance, when explaining a basic stroke, they demonstrate its position in a character, its length, thickness, direction (straight or curved), etc., thereby integrating vertical and horizontal elements organically. This helps beginners in calligraphy develop an understanding of structure even when they first encounter strokes. Since Chinese characters are an organic whole, stroke techniques and structure are closely related. In teaching, we often separate stroke techniques, components, and structure for convenience, but in reality, they are inseparable. This is especially true in cursive and semi-cursive scripts. Zhao Mengfu once said, "The use of the brush is timeless, while the structure varies with the times." However, this is not entirely accurate. The use of the brush is not timeless, and the structure does not only vary with the times but also changes with the variation of stroke techniques. This has led to the diverse styles and forms of countless calligraphy works throughout history. On the surface, it may seem like structure is the key, but fundamentally, it all comes down to the brush. The brush techniques of Yan Zhenqing differ greatly from those of Emperor Zhenzong of Song, and they also differ from those of Wang Duo, Zhang Ruili, and others. Therefore, combining stroke techniques and structure in analysis aligns more closely with the essence of calligraphy art and the realities of calligraphy teaching. This can be seen as a new attempt and breakthrough in calligraphy teaching.
This series of Grand Calligraphy Character Books also has another feature: it analyzes and explains the typical characters from a single work by a famous calligrapher of ancient times. It provides both a detailed breakdown of each stroke and an overall understanding of components, structure, and composition. The original calligraphy is enlarged and printed in relief for easy observation and appreciation. Each volume focuses on a single work by a calligrapher, and when combined, the entire series presents a magnificent collection. It covers five major calligraphy styles: Seal, Clerical, Regular, Running, and Cursive, forming a perfect combination. Readers can purchase the entire series to grasp the big picture, avoiding repetition and waste from buying individual volumes separately. Alternatively, they can buy single volumes as needed for independent use, catering to readers of all levels.
We also hope to gain the understanding and support of teachers, parents, and all calligraphy enthusiasts.