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Chinese calligraphy, the writing of characters, is an art form that
has developed over many centuries in China and is the oldest known system
of writing in the
world. Chinese calligraphy writing has hardly changed in the last 4,000
years and is thought to have originated as pictures around 2,000 BC.
The word "calligraphy" has it's origins in the Greek language and the
dictionary defines calligraphy as "the art of fine handwriting."
There is no finer example of fine handwriting than Chinese
calligraphy. Most people associate the word calligraphy with
good penmanship, but in China calligraphy is an art form in itself.
Chinese calligraphy writing is practiced by people in China from
an early age, and all school children learn how to write
calligraphy. This art form permeates every facet of Chinese culture
and is often used to adorn everyday articles such as clothing,
household items, jewelry, tea sets, dishes and much more.
Chinese calligraphy writing can be found in museums all over the
world and is prominently featured in nearly every museum in China.
Chinese calligraphy writing and artworks are becoming much more
popular in Western cultures. This can be seen in many areas of
Western culture, including the fact that calligraphy symbols
have become one of the most popular tattoos in the United
States.
The art of Chinese calligraphy writing reaches from
tattoo parlors all the way to the White House. Mrs. Laura Bush recently wrote a Chinese character meaning eternity, during a lesson
at the Suchiya-cho Townhouse in Kyoto, Japan. Visit our
Chinese Calligraphy page to see the photo of her holding the calligraphy
painting she wrote.
Chinese Calligraphy Writing Styles
There are only two styles of calligraphy writing commonly used in
China today, the Clerical Style and the Regular Style. These two
styles are known as the modern styles, though in truth they are over
1500 years old. The other forms of calligraphy are often
referred to as "traditional" or ancient styles and are only
practiced by a limited number of Chinese calligraphy artists who wish to
preserve this ancient form of writing.
Some of the ancient calligraphy writing styles include Oracle
Inscriptions, the Great Seal Style, the Small Seal Style and the
Running Style. Among the various calligraphy writing styles
there are further divisions of these styles, which artists use in
writing Chinese calligraphy characters.
There are thousands of styles of Chinese calligraphy writing, but
only Zhuan Shu, Li Shu, Kai Shu, Xing Shu, and Cao Shu can generally
be recognized by Chinese people. JiaGuWen and Jin Wen are two
additional styles that are very ancient and few people can recognize these styles, even in China. The style you are most likely
to see in modern Chinese calligraphy paintings is known as Kai Shu.
Even within the style of Kai Shu you will find countless
additional styles
which appear to be completely different from each other, but in fact
they are just variations of this one style of writing. Most calligraphy characters
you see in advertising, product packaging, on general household
items and in daily life are of the Kai Shu style.
Learning Chinese Calligraphy Writing
The Chinese Calligraphy Store offers books, calligraphy kits,
ink, brushes, rice paper and other calligraphy supplies to help you
learn the art of Chinese calligraphy writing. To get started you
will need some basic tools and at least one book on this subject.
You can buy one of the books listed on this Web site or visit your
local public library for books on this subject. You will also
need some basic supplies, which we have listed below.
- Brushes - Some Western style paint brushes can be used,
but we highly recommend investing in a set of Chinese calligraphy
brushes. These brushes are made specifically for calligraphy
writing and we provide the best results.
- Paper - For beginners you should considered practice
sheets or practice books which allow you to paint with only water,
this will save you a lot of money as you will not be wasting paper
and ink while you are learning how to write. After you have a
better feel for writing calligraphy characters you should purchase
ink and rice paper which are made specifically for calligraphy
writing.
- Paper Weight - Rice paper is very thin and light, so it
will want to slide and move as you paint. Chinese artists
have special paper weights they use to hold their paper in place
while they are working. We offer a beautiful set of these
paper weights on this Web site, and one paper weight is included
in our large calligraphy set.
- Ink - There are two types of ink used for writing
calligraphy, ink sticks and liquid ink. Most people prefer to buy
the liquid ink which can be found at many arts supplies stores. If
you are patient and would like to use the traditional ink sticks
you may purchase those from this Web site. Though ink sticks
take a little time to grind and make your own ink with, many
traditional Chinese artists will use nothing else.
- Backing Material - An old synthetic blanket is ideal
for this purpose, and Chinese artists use a material just like
this to paint watercolor and calligraphy paintings on.
Chinese Calligraphy Writing Products
One of our best selling products for Chinese calligraphy writing is our large
Chinese calligraphy set which provides nearly everything you need to get
started including brushes, ink stick, ink well, paper weight,
porcelain brush holder, porcelain water dish, a Chinese seal
(un-carved) and red
seal ink in a porcelain container.
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Featured
Calligraphy Writing Products
@ The Chinese Calligraphy Store |
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