Ying Bei Stele Full Copy

Author: Chen ShenDao
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: "Yi Ying Stele," full name "Han Lushang Yi Ying's Request to Establish Hundred-Rank Attendants in the Confucius Temple Stele," also known as "Hundred-Rank Attendants Stele" or "Kong He Stele." It was erected in the first year of the Yongxing reign (153 AD) during the Eastern Han Dynasty and is now displayed in the Stele Forest Exhibition Hall of the Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong. Together with the "Lijing Stele" and the "Shichen Stele," it is known as the "Three Steles of the Confucius Temple" and is one of the best models for beginners learning clerical script. The "Yi Ying Stele" was carved during the mature period of Eastern Han clerical script. Its character forms are horizontally inclined, with varying thickness of strokes, where the beginning of strokes is hidden and the end is returned, with long strokes often curved, the wave tails frequently showing a large upward sweep, displaying variations in light and heavy pressure, full of charm. In terms of structure, it pays great attention to interweaving and avoiding overlap, resulting in a graceful, elegant, and full of artistic spirit. The overall layout is particularly charming, with the interplay of stroke thickness, spacing, and character size creating a wonderful effect. Fang Shuo once wrote a postscript on this stele: "The characters are square, solid, and profound, enough to be called the beauty of the temple and the wealth of officials. Wang Ruo, the Grand Historian, called it majestic and ancient; Weng Tan, the Academician, said its bones and flesh are well-proportioned, its emotions and texts flow smoothly, and it is indeed a model worth learning from in Han clerical script." When practicing the "Yi Ying Stele," note the following key points:
1. Do not overly emphasize the tapered beginnings and sweeping ends.
2. Pay attention to variations in character forms.
3. Appropriately study some seal script and Han bamboo slips.
4. Alternate between practicing enlargement and practicing at original size.
The above are several general key points to note when practicing the "Yi Ying Stele." For more detailed, intuitive, and systematic practice introductions, refer to the "Examples of Characters to Practice" later in this book. Readers can first practice the example characters individually to quickly and effectively master the calligraphic techniques and structural characteristics of this stele. Then, they can proceed to practice the entire stele, which will yield twice the result with half the effort.