Ming Fu's Small Regular Script

Author: Compiled by China Book Publishing House
Publisher:
Publish Date: March 1, 1993
Features: Practicing calligraphy requires learning from stone inscriptions as a fundamental approach. Learning stone inscriptions involves two key steps: reading and writing, which can be alternated repeatedly. Reading involves identifying strokes, structure, and composition by studying the inscriptions, preparing for writing. Writing, on the other hand, includes copying and tracing. Together, these are referred to as "reading and writing" (). Copying and tracing inscriptions means replicating the strokes, structure, and composition of the characters. When copying, one should first trace 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 referring to the original, which is called "shadow copying" (). Once shadow copying is practiced well, it indicates that the learning of the inscription is nearing completion.
There are several methods for tracing inscriptions: red tracing, shadow writing, and outline writing. It is recommended that learners of stone inscriptions combine reading with copying and tracing. Additionally, copying and tracing can be combined using a three-step method: Step 1: Directly copy the inscription once; Step 2: Trace the same inscription, which will reveal errors from Step 1; Step 3: Copy the same inscription again to correct the errors discovered in Step 2. This method is highly effective in improving calligraphy practice efficiency.
Mi Fu (1051–1107), styled Wuchen, was known as the "Shangyang Manshi" and was a native of Taiyuan before later settling in Shangyang. His calligraphy, alongside Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, and Cai Jing, was known as the "Four Great Calligraphers of the Song Dynasty" and had a profound influence on later generations. His works, especially his running script and running cursive script, are particularly renowned. In his famous small regular script works such as The Nine Songs and Thousand Characters, we can see his distinctive features: heavy ink, bold strokes, and effortless penwork. These works serve as excellent models for calligraphy enthusiasts and primary and secondary school students to appreciate and practice Mi Fu's calligraphy.