a family-run shop and your online resource for traditional Chinese and East Asian brush painting, Calligraphy and Sumi-e supplies.
All the products I sell have been tested by me, my family and and by my friends who are longtime Chinese brush painting masters. We now share our tools of choice with you here so you have access to the best supplies to create outstanding masterpieces.
This site is made from an artist for artists. Therefore, I included a hopefully growing knowledge section with techniques, tutorials, artist and artwork databases and a space for you to showcase your own works and share ideas for this to become not only a shop but a community.
The supplies I offer can be used for the following art-forms and techniques:
Chinese Traditional Painting / Guo Hua, Sumi-e, Chinese Calligraphy / Shu Fa, Japanese Calligraphy / Sho Do, Xie Yi Painting / Freehand Painting, Gong Bi Painting / Court Style Painting, Shui-mo Hua Painting / Ink and Wash Painting, Xi Hua / Fusion Painting
To give you an idea who I am, please read more about myself and about the wonderful the team behind The Chinese Calligraphist.
Sincerely,
May Wang & Family
$5.95
Calligraphy Practicing Xuan Paper
$9.95
Standard Round Ink Slab
Updating...
Posted in Blog
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Tagged art lovers, art styles, art supplies, beautiful art, calligraphy equipment, china, chinese art, chinese calligraphy, Chinese paintings, east asian art, exchange ideas, fellow art, high quality, new tools, passion, quality material, yi shui
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Just found a good article – written like a personal reflection or essay rather than an encyclopedic description of calligraphy – on Wikipedia:
East Asian calligraphy is a form of calligraphy widely practised and revered in the Sinosphere. This most often includes China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The East Asian calligraphic tradition originated and developed from China Continue reading →
Posted in Blog
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Tagged asian calligraphy, calligraphic, china, chinese painting, east asia, east asian, essay, japan, korea, paperweights, rhythm, silk, tradition, vietnam, wikipedia
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According to Xinhua, a painting by the contemporary Chinese artist Qi Baishi was sold in Beijing for $65 million (425.5 million Chinese yuan)! Continue reading →
Posted in Blog
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Tagged 65 millions, beijing, calligraphy, chinese artist, Chinese paintings, chinese yuan, millionaire, painting, record, sale, xinhua
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Extreme calligraphist Cao Ruiqin, 44, is doing calligraphy using his eyes, ear hole, nostrils, finger gap, wrist, armpit, belly button, elbow and knee joints..
Continue reading →
From April 5 to May 3 of 2011 the 27th Lanting International Calligraphy Festival is taking place in Lanting, Shaoxing, China’s north-eastern Zhejiang province. Continue reading →
Except the fact that finding “your” chinese name is a big thing Continue reading →
Yan Zhenqing (709-785) was a remarkable calligrapher during the Tang dynasty with the courtesy name of Qing Chen (清臣). Yan Zhenqing was honored as one of the Four Masters of Kai Shu whose writing style is recognized as Yan Style and is still appreciated and imitated by people today.
Yan grew up in a family of notable calligraphers. His great-grand father, grandfather and father were all artists excelling at Zhuan Shu and Li Shu script styles.
When Yan Zhenqing was young, his family was so poor that they could not afford paper and brushes for his studies. For them being poor and him lacking the proper supplies to practice and he then dipped the brush into puddle water to practice calligraphy on the wall of his family’s humble abode. It is remarkable that even though Yan grew up in such a modest environment, the writing style he developed later in his life is considered a treasure of the country until today.
Posted in Blog, Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan
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Tagged brushes, calligrapher, calligraphers, calligraphy, humble abode, kai shu, masters, puddle water, qing chen, tang dynasty, writing style, zhuan shu
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Yan learned Kai Shu from the Four Masters of the early Tang Dynasty all of whom were great scholars and calligraphists. His role model for Cao Shu script though was Zhang Xu. He also learned Zhuan Shu and Li Shu and the writing style of the Western Wei Dynasty. Later, Yan developed his own writing style. In contrast to the calligraphic styles during the early period of the Tang Dynasty which were very thin and stiff, Yan’s writing style was vigorous and magnificent and its structure was broad and imposing. He was thought to be the most innovative calligrapher during his time. His unique writing style was then named after him and known as “Yan Style” (Yan Ti / 颜体). Yan’s writing style was found to fit his noble personality and considered a reflection of the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. Yan Style made Yan immortal in the history of calligraphy.
Posted in Blog, Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan
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Tagged calligrapher, calligraphic styles, history of calligraphy, kai shu, masters, personality, prosperity, reflection, role model, tang dynasty, wei dynasty, writing style, zhuan shu
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In traditional Chinese sources, Yan Zhenqing is often referred to by the term “Muscle of Yan and Bone of Liu” (Yan Jin Liu Gu / 颜筋柳骨), together with Liu Gongquan – a later calligraphist during Tang Dynasty.
The reason for this lies in the fact that even though the two styles share a certain similarity when it comes to their basic patterns, there is a striking difference in the last finish of each stroke distinguishing them. Despite this distinction which opposed the two styles, there is a certain harmony to this dissimilarity as if they were complementing each other. Like a living structure can only be recognized as such due to the flesh it has on the bones, the bones are necessary to carry the flesh and give it structure. Basically this term reflects the philosophical Chinese thinking that something only exists if there is an opposite to it. That black can only be black if there is white and only white if there is black. Because of these opposites complementing each other in life there can be beauty.
Calligraphy reached its peak in the mid-period of the Tang Dynasty which was a peak time for traditional Chinese arts in general and then started to lose significance. Even though Liu Gongquan was an outstanding calligrapher at this time he was still not comparable to Yan Zhenqing. Liu’s strokes were slim while powerful with sharp edges making his writing style bold and heroic. But Yan Zhenqing’s calligraphy style was magnificent and broad which was more valued by Chinese people.
Posted in Blog, Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan
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Tagged basic patterns, bones, calligrapher, calligraphy, chinese sources, dissimilarity, distinction, flesh, harmony, jin liu, opposites, peak time, sharp edges, similarity, striking difference, strokes, tang dynasty, traditional chinese arts, writing style, yan jin
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Liu Gongquan (778-865) was a calligrapher who lived during the Tang Dynasty and became famous for his unique writing style which was recognized as Liu Style and his remarkable influences on Chinese calligraphy. His is sometimes referred to with his courtesy name Chen Xuan (诚悬).
During his childhood Liu was so keen on studying that he could already write poems at the early age of twelve. He later became a well respected and widely known calligrapher of his time. Especially his Kai Shu calligraphy style was widely celebrated due to its charming and vigorous structure and powerful strength of the strokes. Compared with “Yan Style”, the style defined by Yan Zhengqing, Liu’s style was not so chubby but slimmer.
When Emperor Muzong of Tang Dynasty once asked Liu how to write to make his handwriting beautiful, Liu Gongquan answered in the following way: “I practice calligraphy with my heart. Only with noble integrity can your calligraphy be upright”. On hearing this, Muzong who was criticized for his careless style of administering his country, got serious since he was not used to people speaking to him in such a direct way. The scene became known in Chinese history as “expostulation to the emperor through calligraphy”. In Chinese history people often could not criticize high officials in a direct way and then had to develop skillful workarounds to express their opinion.
Posted in Blog, Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan
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Tagged calligrapher, chinese calligraphy, chinese history, emperor, expostulation, handwriting, heart, kai shu, liu, moral integrity, poems, strokes, tang dynasty, workarounds, writing style, xuan
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Liu’s style of Kai Shu and Xing Shu was the best of the fine arts at his time. He also reached remarkable attainments in Cao Shu. His style originally was inspired by Yan Zhenqing’s writing but then soon developed into a more powerful and broader style. That is why he became a master of calligraphy.
Liu Gongquan first learned from Wang Xizhi, and then he carefully studied the styles of Ouyang Xun and Yan Zhenqing. After investigation the contemporary calligraphy of his time, he then attempted to create his own writing style on basis of Wang Xizhi’s writing style.
Liu Gongquan learned from others’ strong points and then formed a unique style of his own characterized by the fact his works were neat and graceful in strokes, powerful in strength and tight in structure.
Liu Gongquan’s most prominent calligraphic works include Xuan Mi Ta Bei (玄秘塔碑), Shen Ce Jun Bei (神策军碑), Jin Gang Jing (金刚经) only to name a few.
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Liu Gongquan – Jin Gang Jing
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Liu Gongquan – Shen Ce Jun Bei
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Liu Gongquan – Xuan Mi Ta Bei
Posted in Blog, Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan
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Tagged calligraphic works, calligraphy, cao, fine arts, kai shu, liu, strokes, strong points, wang xizhi, writing style, xing kai, xun
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