By: Ezequiel Davila

Chinese calligraphy is not the standard form of writing.

Calligraphy has been a custom of china for a very long time

uses Chinese characters to communicate the spiritual world of the artistall calligraphy strokes are permanent and incorrigible, demanding careful planning and confident execution, controlling the concentration of ink, the thickness, how much ink the paper absorbs, and the flexibility of the brush

Calligraphy is not only a practical technique for writing Chinese characters, but also a unique Oriental art of expression and a branch of learning or discipline as well

Like chopsticks, calligraphy used to be only practiced in China. As Chinese culture spread to Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Singapore, calligraphy became a unique feature of Oriental art

Oracle bone scriptRitual bronze vessel scriptSmall seal scriptClericalScriptStandard scriptCursive script

the quality can be defined by the type of hair the brush is made out of

the best brush is made with hair of a newborn baby.

weasel/fox then rabbit

The brush can weigh a few grams to several hundred kilograms

When it is used as a punishment or a discipline the brush becomes more heavy

oracle bones were first written on with calligraphy and then were later carved into with knives. this is proof that brushes existed in ancient times.

Ink can be made with many different materials.

perfumed incense ashes and glutted rice

These materials are blended and compressed into a stick that is decorated with different patterns and colors that bring character to the stick

Li Tinggui was the best ink because of its fluidity, sheen, harmony of thinness and absorption by the paper.

Each calligrapher makes their own ink for their own artistic needs.

The ink stone is a sculpted stone that is for placing ink.

The smoothness of the rock or the sound the ink stick makes on the rock determines the quality.

it should be sensitive and tender to the touch to the point where you can shape it – this soft texture will protect the hairs of the brush.

Some even have the calligraphers name or a poem engraved

The biggest ink stone weighs 2 tons

Paper was invented by the Chinese Rice paper is used for calligraphy (Cai

Lun)

Guo, Bonan 1995. Gate to Chinese Calligraphy. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press.

http://www.asiawind.com/art/callig/Default.ht

mhttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/china/language/callig.htmHistory-

"History of Chinese Calligraphy." History Of chinese Calligraphy. Copyright © 2003 Ministry of Culture, P.R.China. All rights reserved. 23 May 2009 <http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_madeinchina/2005-11/11/content_75739.htm>.