Chinese calligraphy writing is an art that has been around for centuries. Calligraphy is practiced by masters who have studied the techniques of writing. There are eight basic strokes in Chinese calligraphy, and the length, direction and placement of the strokes are very important to the proper execution of each letter. If your goal is to replicate the look of the letters without the required expertise, you will be satisfied with the letters you produce using the basic strokes.
Lay out your paper and brushes. Place a few drops of ink in the bowl.
Practice the strokes before attempting to write a letter. These strokes include: dot, dash, vertical downstroke, left downstroke, right downstroke, hook, twist and right upstroke. Each stroke should be executed with one brushstroke and most are thicker at the starting point, tapering to a point where the stroke ends and the brush is lifted from the paper.
Practice the letters you want on your painting. The strokes should all go in the same direction. If your letter uses strokes that are down and to the left, the dots should follow the same pattern.
Write your letters on the paper for your finished painting once you have practiced them until they are the way you want them. Remember Chinese writing is read top to bottom rather than left to right.
