Chinese calligraphy : an introduction to its aesthetic and technique : with 6 plates and 155 text illustratons

COMPOSITION both contain two very similar sweeping strokes to the right. The procedure is to change the upper Sweeping stroke of Féng and the lower % % # one of Tsou into dots. This obviates A the effect of the characters being, as it were, on two levels.

(3) Ch'uang-Cha (3 #8), Piercing . Through and Inserting. Some characters A comprise spaces traversed or intersected ‘ by strokes. Here the problem is to knit the skeleton of the character together.

In the characters in Fig. 113, Chung, Shen, T‘sé, and Shuan, the Chuang principle can be seen at work. The first two are pinioned by the vertical stroke, which must ‘ pierce ’ Hr the remainder of the char-

acter securely. The second Chung T'sé Shuan (middle) er Sot (a record) (clear)

FIG. 113

Féng (to meet unexpectedly)

Tsou (to report) FIG. II2

two have, respectively, a horizontal stroke and two curved strokes sweeping in opposite directions into which the remaining elements of the characters are ‘ inserted ’.

The Ch‘a principle can be

observed in the four char- Wy pe) a Wh acters in Fig. 114: Ch‘i, "

Wang, San, and Yii. Two cri

‘ ee 5 (crooked) Ss Gate as vertical strokes are ‘ inserted FIG. 114 into Ch‘ii, two crosses into Wang, four Jen symbols into San, and four dots into Yii. The shaping and placing of piercing and inserted strokes has to be done with tact. In Chung and Shen, for example, the

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