Li Gongquan's Small Regular Script

Author: Compiled by China Book Publishing House
Publisher:
Publishing Date: March 1, 1993
Features: Practicing calligraphy and learning from stone inscriptions and rubbings are essential steps. Learning from stone inscriptions involves two aspects: reading and writing. These two can be alternated repeatedly. Reading involves identifying strokes, structure, and layout by studying the calligraphy, preparing for writing. Writing, in turn, includes copying and tracing. Together, they are referred to as "copying and tracing." Copying and tracing calligraphy means imitating the strokes, structure, and layout of the characters. When practicing calligraphy, one should first copy the characters by comparing them with the original. This is called "direct copying." After mastering direct copying, one can write the characters entirely from memory without looking at the original, which is called "back copying." Once back copying is proficient, it indicates that the study of the calligraphy has reached a certain stage. There are several methods for tracing calligraphy: red tracing, shadow tracing, and outline tracing. It is recommended that learners of calligraphy combine reading with copying and tracing. Moreover, copying and tracing can be combined. The three-step method—copying, tracing, and then copying again—can be practiced repeatedly. The first step is to directly copy the calligraphy once; the second step is to trace the same calligraphy, which can reveal errors from the first step; the third step is to directly copy the same calligraphy again to correct the errors discovered during the second step. This method is very helpful for improving calligraphy practice efficiency.
Liu Gongquan, styled Chengxuan, was a native of Huayuan, Jingzhao (now Yaoyuan, Shaanxi Province). He served as a Vice Director of the Secretariat, a Censor, a Vice Minister of Works, and a Guest of the Crown Prince, eventually becoming the Senior Master of the Crown Prince and enfeoffed as the Earl of Hedong. He was skilled in calligraphy, particularly in regular and running scripts, and was known as the "Liu Style," alongside Yan Zhenqing, who were collectively called "Yan and Liu." Although Liu Gongquan lived in the late Tang Dynasty, when the flourishing period of calligraphy had passed and there were many renowned calligraphers, he refused to be overshadowed. He diligently summarized the successes and shortcomings of the four masters of the early Tang Dynasty and Yan Zhenqing, leveraging his erudition, sharp wit, and quick thinking to adopt the strengths of various schools and forge his own style. He created the "Liu Style," becoming the second innovator on the Tang Dynasty calligraphy scene. This book selects from the Diamond Sutra (Saddharma-Praj?āpāramitā H?daya Sūtra), a representative work of Liu Gongquan's small regular script, widely practiced and appreciated by calligraphy enthusiasts.