Arts-Chinese Calligraphy on the Fingertips
Have you heard of " the Bite of China"？ That's the name of a new TV show that's sparked a wave of food buying among gourmet-seeking gastronomes, eager to taste something new. Just as Chinese cuisines, Chinese calligraphy also need some unusual and important ingredients to finish a good calligraphy work. The most important part is your fingers. You use your tongue to bite China, use your finger to finish Chinese Calligraphy and use your mind to win your life.
Chinese calligraphy pays great attention on details. A masterpiece should be precise and vivid to represent and show the calligraphers’ ideas and thoughts. That’s why so many people fond of painting and writing. Not only your aesthetic realms but also your realization towards life and value can be greatly promoted and beautified. Now focus on your fingers and learn the tricks of Chinese paintings and calligraphy.
Chinese Artistic Calligraphy
The important thing about holding a Chinese brush is the rational way of holding the five fingers and the coordinated use of them. In Chinese, they are called ye, ya, gou, ge and di, all of which are very difficult to give precise definitions or translations to them. What we can do is just paraphrasing them, the rest just rely on your self understanding and exploring. Enjoy the wonderful Chinese calligraphy and appreciate the exquisite traditional Chinese culture.
“Ye” means to press down and refers to the use of the thumb. The thumb should press the brush slantwise from inside to outside.
“Ya” refers to how the index finger holds the brush handle. Move the finger slantwise and bend it slightly from outside to inside. The index finger and the thumb coordinate, so that one presses and the other holds the brush handle.
“Gou” (hook) is the way the middle finger hooks the outside of the brush. Move this finger forcefully from left to right to hook the brush. The middle finger must coordinate well with the third finger to write characters.
“Ge” refers to the way the third finger press the brush. The third finger is placed on the inside of the brush handle pressing the handle from the inside to the outside. It coordinates with the middle finger, so that the two fingers exert an even and balanced force.
“Di” refers to the work of the little finger, which is placed under the third finger to help it.
(asianart.org/pdf/education/Brushstrokes-vocabulary)
When you can achieve the standards made by Xu Chengyi, a famous calligrapher and I believe you have acquired the basic skills and techniques of holding a Chinese brush and you can really begin to paint and write.
“The tiger's mouth is like a crescent moon.
The palm is shaped like hiding an egg.
If the five fingers coordinate with each other,
The movement of the brush will be agile.”
