Calligraphy Beginner's Tutorial

Author: Guo Yongqing (Editor)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: In the vast history of Chinese calligraphy, numerous calligraphic masters have emerged, but only a few have played a decisive role in shaping the history of calligraphy, such as Cang Jie, Li Si, Cheng Miao, Zhang Zhi, Zhong Yao, and Wang Xizhi, among others. Among them, Zhong Yao from the Wei and Jin periods is immortalized in history as the ancestor of modern regular script. Today, when we study regular script, we often know only Ou, Liu, Yan, and Zhao, but not Zhong Yao, which is due to insufficient promotion of calligraphy. Principles like "The Wei and Jin valued charm, while the Tang valued rules" and "Calligraphy without the Wei and Jin is merely inferior" are well-known to many calligraphers. To enable calligraphy enthusiasts to directly enter the realm of mastery and improve their skills, it is essential to vigorously promote and popularize Wei and Jin calligraphy, especially Zhong Yao's regular script.
Zhong Yao (AD 151–230), styled Yuan Chang, is renowned for his representative works such as the Xuanshi Table, Hejie Table, Jianji Table, and Huishi Table. His calligraphic style is known as the "Zhong Style," and he is often paired with the "Sage of Grass Script" Zhang Zhi as "Zhong and Zhang," and with the "Sage of Calligraphy" Wang Xizhi as "Zhong and Wang," underscoring his significance in calligraphic history. His regular script broke away from the angular brushwork of ancient regular script, adopting a rounder style instead. This was his primary innovation. Additionally, his characters are square and slightly flattened, retaining traces of clerical script, with a round, thick, and expansive font. His style deeply influenced Yan-style regular script.
We have selected his highly detailed Xuanshi Table for stroke and structural analysis. Additionally, we have compiled over 20 couplets and some idiomatic