Classic Cursive Calligraphy Lesson Plan. Above, the structure and brush techniques of Wang Xizhi's Cursive "Holy Teaching Order" are collected.

Author: Gong Chao
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Qing Dynasty scholar Jiang Heng once wrote in Zhuocun Tang Tibei: "The Buddhist monk Huairen, a descendant of Wang Xuan, inherited the family's calligraphic tradition. Therefore, his Jizifu Shengjiao Xu (Collected Characters for the Holy Teaching Order) flows with effortless grace, its spirit vibrant, rivaling the Lanting Xu in brilliance and standing as the ancestor of calligraphy for millennia. Since its creation, calligraphers from the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties have highly praised this work, calling it the 'Model for Generations.' To imitate Wang Xizhi's style, one must start with Huairen. Indeed, this stele fully embodies the exquisite elegance, fluidity, and diversity of Wang Xizhi's calligraphic art. This stele is of immeasurable merit and remains an invaluable resource for calligraphy study even today. Its main features are:
1. Numerous characters. The stele contains over 1,900 characters, each refined and elegant, complementing one another in harmonious contrast, offering ample space for learning and practice.
2. Diverse scripts. The stele blends Wang Xizhi's regular script, running script, and cursive script, boldly combining, arranging, and integrating them. The dynamic interplay of motion and stillness, along with unrestrained brushwork, provides significant inspiration for later calligraphers, especially contemporary ones.
3. Rich variations. First, its brushwork is exceptionally diverse, incorporating techniques from regular, running, cursive, clerical, and seal scripts. Second, its structure is novel and lively, displaying surprise within balance, with measured openings and closings, and a harmonious interplay of leaning and upright forms, all in a spirited and diverse manner. Third, even repeated characters and radicals are transformed in innovative ways. It is said that Huairen spent 18 years collecting the characters for the Shengjiao Xu, showing his meticulous dedication. In the history of calligraphy, it can be said that the practice of collecting characters began with Huairen. I have studied Wang Xizhi's calligraphy for many years and deeply feel that the characters in various existing copies are too small, making precise copying difficult.