Styles of Calligraphy

 

 

 

 

There are five major styles in Chinese calligraphy - 篆書ZhuanShu, 隸書LiShu, 草書CaoShu, 行書XingShu and 楷書KaiShu – the Seal, Clerical, Cursive/Grass, Semi-Cursive and Official scripts. Each style has gone through changes and evolutions throughout Chinese history in terms of their character form and artistic styles and structures. At first, each style was created for writing rather than for art. Chinese calligraphy masters and practitioners in each dynasty enriched the styles and structures of the characters with their insight, emotion, and artistic creativity.

 

 

Features of Zuan Shu

 

 

The structure of each Zuan Shu or Seal Script character looks solid and stable and brings to the viewers an interesting mood and artistic feeling. Basic features of the style include:

 

 

·           A character has to be tall. The ratio of length of height to width is about 3 to 2.

 

 

·           Symmetric. Left and right sides of a character are usually symmetric.

 

 

·           Vertical strokes are straight. Horizontal strokes are flat.

 

 

·           Curves and circles are smooth, not rugged.

 

 

·           Spacing between strokes is adequately and delicately designed

 

 

·           Strokes don’t usually vary in thickness and thinness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With all of those features combined, each character will render a sense of stableness in structure.

 

 

 

Features of Li Shu

 

 

The Li Shu simplified the more complicated strokes of Zuan Shu and used a bend instead of making a roundabout turn. The structural design of Li Shu is somewhat similar to Zuan Shu. Their principles focus on the spacing between strokes. The spacing and position of strokes are well designed to render a sense of elegance and beauty. Compared to Zuan Shu, round edges were squared off and curves became straight in Li Shu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of all the five major styles of Chinese calligraphy, the Clerical Style is probably the easiest to learn. All a beginner has to learn first is the wavelike horizontal stroke ("Goose Tail"). Then one may realize that Na ( 捺 ) is in the variant direction of Goose Tail and Pe ( 撇 ) is the mirror image of Na, also a variant of Goose Tail. Then the easier vertical stroke, Su ( 豎 ), shorter non-wavelike horizontal strokes, and composition of structures are almost self-explaining and intuitive to most learners. In fact, many people can learn Li Shu better in a shorter time than Kai Shu as the requirements of basic strokes in Kai Shu are the most strict from artistic points of view.

 

 

 

Features of Cao Shu

 

 

Cao Shu (also known as Grass Style or Cursive Script) is the most simplified but abstract and difficult form of writing in Chinese calligraphy. Among all Chinese calligraphy styles, Cao Shu usually demands the highest levels of techniques while expressing the maximum freedom (in conformity with many complex rules.)

 

 

 

The main feature of Cao Shu is to simplify the left sidepiece (radical) of a character and focus on the right sidepiece (“Yi Zuo Yang Yu   抑 左 揚 右,” literally simplify the left and focus on the right.) Thus a calligraphy work in Cao Style will look more smooth, connecting and faster with abrupt turning and dramatic effects.

 

 

 

The following is a chart that lists each character in Kai Style and three ways of writing that character in Cao Style. Like Zuan Style, a character can be written in many ways in Cao Style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the above examples, we may know that “simplifying the left and focusing on the right” is a major rule for creating a Tsao Style character by different ancient calligraphers. The calligraphers obey the prototype more strictly on the left side while they have leeway for artistic design on the right side. If a laymen tries to coin his way of creating a Tsao Style character without learning and basis, he may end up making mistakes. Adding or removing a single dot in one position can turn a Tsao character into another one. For example, “Wei #2” and “Zu #3” are just different in one dot.  There are innumerable close differences or similarities like this since the total number of Chinese characters is so large.

 

 

If art does not impose some norms or standards, everybody can do it in his own way without learning and practicing. Consequently, people won’t appreciate or recognize each other’s efforts and contribution. Just as languages and music have their own grammars, Chinese calligraphy has sets of strict rules, especially for Cao and Zuan Styles.

 

 

 

Features of Hsin Shu

 

 

A calligraphy work in Xing Style will look more smooth, connecting and faster than Kai Style, but less than Cao Style. This is why Xing Shu is known as Walking Style and Cao Shu as Running Style. Xing Shu usually simplifies the strokes and changes the sequences of strokes from Kai Shu writing. Sometimes a Xing Shu calligrapher will mix some Cao Shu or Kai Shu with Xing Shu.

 

 

The following two works of the Buddhist “Heart Scripture  心 經 ” were done in Kai Shu and Xing Shu:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Features of Kai Shu