Chinese Calligraphy an Art of Its Own
Chinese calligraphy is beautiful to look at, never mind that it has detailed meaning as well and at times can even tell a story. In Chinese, calligraphy is referred to as “Shu Fa” and has been around for thousands of years. The techniques for Chinese calligraphy characters have been perfected over the years as their culture and social circumstances have changed.
The characters of the Chinese language seem complicated, yet beautiful at the same time. They are very mysterious when it comes to their meaning and hold a Romanization in terms of their visual relation. They are hard to understand because they are foreign to most of us and some of the characters often imitate the strokes of other characters, but have a whole different meaning entirely. Just the addition of a dot or stroke can change the meaning all together.
The Chinese calligraphy symbol originated first from the Han Dynasty in 100 A.D. which completed the Chinese dictionary at this time. The dictionary contained around a total of 9,353 characters. The Qing Dynasty was the next to change the Chinese dictionary, calling it the “Kangxi” dictionary. This revision contained 42 booklets and over 46,964 characters. This version is no longer used today. In 1956 the People’s of China created a simplified edition of the Chinese dictionary that revised and refined the Chinese characters with a few variants. This dictionary constricted the characters down to 6,500 and is the most commonly used form today. You will find that there are some that are still committed to using the traditional versions.
Chinese history prides itself on their Chinese characters. The characters are a form of abstract art that can deliver meaning in just a few simple strokes. The thick brush stroke is a symbolism that is used over the world today.
It is not easy to learn to draw Chinese calligraphy symbols. Learning these symbols requires much patience and a lot of practice. The art also requires the proper tools and instruction. Many people who learn Chinese calligraphy often become intrigued with this art form and its history.
The style of Chinese calligraphy involves phrases that are used both vertically and horizontally. You can also find calligraphy in Chinese paintings. A popular version that calligraphy is used on is the Chinese silk paintings.
Today, Chinese calligraphy can be seen all over the world. Artist today are influenced by that Chinese masters that have perfected the Chinese symbols through trial and error over thousands of years. Each Chinese master has left his own unique mark that is a signature of his personal style.
Since Chinese calligraphy is considered a form of art, you will find that many famous artists such as Matisse and Picasso have used this method in their works of art.
You can find out how to learn Chinese calligraphy by taking classes with a group or private lessons, or if you are a self learner, the internet is a great way and offers many options on ways to learn Chinese calligraphy.