Liu Gongquan's Regular Script 2: Collection of Sentences and Couplets from the "Xuan Mi Ta Stele"

Author: Compiled by the Press
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Liu Gongquan's regular script, which inherits the style of the "Two Wangs" while extensively studying the calligraphy techniques of renowned masters from the Sui and Tang dynasties. It primarily absorbs the characteristics of the Ouyang and Yan styles, forming a unique artistic style. His calligraphy is characterized by strong and upright brushwork, combining both square and round strokes, strict adherence to rules, clarity and neatness, a balance of firmness and suppleness, and well-structured characters with a central focus and outward extensions, full of variation. The distinctive feature of Liu Gongquan's calligraphy is the combination of "square" and "round" strokes. "Square strokes" refer to the sharp angles at the beginning and turns of the strokes, giving a sense of firmness and strength. These strokes are mostly evident at the start and turns of the brushwork. "Round strokes" refer to the characters that appear rounded, giving a sense of richness, thickness, and subtlety. Liu Gongquan skillfully combines square and round strokes in every character, making them both firm and round, with both bone and flesh. The structural characteristics of Liu's regular script include a stable center, balanced density, harmonious strokes, strict adherence to rules, and each character having its own unique form.