BRUSH

There are a lot of types of brush in calligraphy.
We mailnly use big brush and small brush called "oofude" and "kofude".


Also there are a lot of kinds of it which made by different type of pelage.

This is made by sheep wool. This is good for writing gyosho and kaisho because its so soft and you can write flowingly. I think it is very typical brash.




This is Mamouhitu(馬毛筆). It made by hair of horse. The characteristic of this brash is a bounce so it is good for writing kaisho.

Then I want to introduce very unique brash.


This is made by feather of peacock! It's so beautiful. I have watched this brash when I was a high school students. My shodo teacher had it and she said when we write some work by using it, it will be very nuanced work.

Kana-Moji

Today I would like to introduce about kana-moji.
Kana-moji is a very japanese shodo style. In heian period, distingue lady used it. For example, Murasakishikibu or Seishounagon. Kana-Moji has many kinds and masterpices.
This time, I want to introduce "Kouyagire(高野切)".

This is Kouyagire. Do you know "Kokinwakashu(古今和歌集)"? This work wrote about it. This work has three parts and each parts were written different person. The most famous writer of them is Kinotsurayuki(紀貫之). It told that he made a fair copy of this and gave to Godaigo empire(後醍醐天皇).

I've written this when I  was a high school students. Actually, the picture is a part of kouyagire. It is so long work about 2m so it took about a half of day. I don't want to write it again so I will post my work of this next time!

Masterpiece of Reisho

Today, I introduce about Reisho. I really like to write Reisho. I introduced it before post so I explain it more.
 There are many kinds of types in reisho.

• reikihi（礼器碑）
• Itsueihi（乙瑛碑）
• souzenhi（曹全碑）

Reikihi (礼器碑)

This is reikihi. It is typical type of reisho. Also it is preliterate style. The hataku is very sharp and it gives us hard impression.
　
Itsueihi(乙瑛碑)

This is Itsueihi. This work gives us powerful impression. The hataku is little modest but the line has rough atmospere. I think this work has naive beauty.

Souzenhi(曹全碑）

This is Souzenhi. This is very femmine style of reisho. The hataku is very soft and natural wave. It it very beautiful but I think it is difficult to write it with femmine atmospere.

These are famous works of reisho. I want to try them and distinguish their chracteristic!

Masterpiece of Gyosho

Today I would like to introduce masterpiece of gyosho. Also gyoso has long histroy so there were a lot of masters.

The most famous master of gyosho is Ougishi(王羲之).
His work of gyosho called Ranteijo(蘭亭序).
Here is a work of ranteijo.
　
This is a so famous work. Also to practice this work, you will aquire gyosho style.
There are some same kanji(之), and he wrote this font different style.

I want to try it to improve my ghosho!

Masterpiece of kaisho

Today, I introduce about masterpiece of kaisho. Shodo has a long history and there were a lot of  masters.

There are four czar of kaisho.

• Ouyoujyun(欧陽詢)
• Ganshinkei(顔真卿)
• Ryukoukenn(柳公権)
• Choumoufu(趙孟フ)

Ouyoujyun and Ganshinkei are especially famous so let's watch their art works.
Both of them are kaisho but the style and air are different.

Ouyoujyun (kyuseikyureisenmei 九成宮醴泉銘)
This work is very classic style of kaisho. This gives you such impression like hard and cultivation.


Ganshinkei (ganshikabyouhi 顔氏家廟碑)
This is a very new style of kaisho. Ganshinkei created "zouhou(蔵鋒)"
Zouhou is one of the technique. When we put the tip of fude at first,  we don't put the tip but crumple the tip up and start writing. Please check the picture and attention the beginning of the font. They are circle. This style has powerful and kingly air.


To practice these masterpieces and immitate is one of good way to improve your shodo skill.
Next time, I want to try these works!

Shodo Styles

Today I would like to introduce sho do style.
The styles are separated mainly three types.
・Kaisho
・Gyosho
・Sousho
Also I introduce add more two style.
・Reisho
・Tensho

Also I introduce add more two style.to use same kanji(香).
I hope you can distinguish and understand the differences.

Kaisho

Kaisho is the square style of letters handwriting. I think this style is most popular and easy to read and write.

Gyosho

 

 

Gyosho is the semi-cursive style of writing letters characters. The intermediate style in calligraphy, neither as stiff as kaisho nor as flowing as sosho.

 



Sousho

 

 

Sosho is the running style of writing letters characters.  The highly cursive style written with swift stroke in calligraphy.

Reisho

 

 

 

Reisho belongs to kaisho. Reisho is really easy to read for ancient people. The name of this style means easy to read for people who don't have enough knowledge.

Tensho

 Tensho is used for personal seal so we don't write but carve in stone. However the way to write is similar to Reisho. The font is very old style so it is diffficult to read but the style is unique.

 

Kana-Moji

Today, I introduce "kana-moji".
Kana-moji is really Japanese style of calligraphy, I think. In Heian Period, this font was used by women. They used this font on their dairies or love letters so it is very feminine font.
This is my work of kana-moji.

 

 

I wrote waka by kana-moji. I think it is difficult to read because it is very old style and the fonts is like a kind of cursive writing in English. This waka has beautiful meaning so I like it so much.
Writing kana-moji is very difficult but it is so beautiful style.

 

 

Meaning of this waka: "May the wind uo above shut the Heavenly gate That the Aery Maiden's dance we may here longer "

Reisho

Today I introduce about one of shodo font "reisho". I practiced it for three years when I was a high school student. This font is really unique style. I think you may see this font on advertising display, book cover and so on.

This is my reisho work. Also there were some types in reisho. This font is called "reikihi(礼器碑）".

One of a typical type of reisho. The biggest charateristic of this is "hataku". Hataku is sweep part. When we write this font we must use hataku. It is very dificult to write so I practiced only the sweep part for three months. However this sweep makes this font more beautiful. I really love to write reisho!

Introduction

Hi! I'm Kanako. I'll write about calligraphy (shodo).  I've practiced shodo for 10 years. When I was a high school student, I belonged shodo club so I practiced it almost every day. However I don't practice it at all now so I try to make some worrks and post them. Also I introduce about the works. There are a lot of types of character. I practiced "reisho" when I was a high school student but I want to try a lot of types of character this time.

https://shodocalligraphy.wordpress.com/2016/09/27/new-workshops-from-this-autumn-in-freiburg-germany/#respond

I'll refer to this blog. She is a calligrapher, artist and experienced teacher. She works as a freelance artist and a professional calligrapher in Europe and Japan. She posts some articles which were about her lessons and art works.