The Chinese Calligraphy Bible : The Essential Illustrated Guide to over 300 Beautiful Characters

Calligraphy enthusiasts can expand their horizons and augment their repertory of scripts with this detailed excursion into the method of creating beautifully inscribed Chinese characters. Organized into sections, this book presents Chinese characters that embrace a diversity of themes, including peace, happiness, love, long life, and many others. Each of 300 characters is presented with an explanation of its meaning and a note on how it is pronounced. Clear, step-by-step directions show beginning students exactly how to render the series of strokes which, when combined, create each elegant Chinese character. The author lists all necessary tools and materials, which include different kinds of paper, brushes and brush stands, paperweights, ink sticks, and ink stones. A chapter titled "Gallery of Chinese Calligraphy" presents many examples of traditional and contemporary Chinese calligraphic art from a variety of renowned artists. A glossary defines all items and terms that are cited in the book.

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Practice the ancient art of Chinese calligraphy with this step-by-step guide to rendering more than 300 individual characters. As beautifully decorative as they are meaningful, the characters of this elegant script can be used to embellish just about anything, and a single character can convey myriad thoughts and emotions.

Organized into sections embracing themes such as peace, happiness, love, and long life, this book helps you select an appropriate character to express that special sentiment.

Each character is accompanied by an explanation of its meaning and pronunciation, and features clear, illustrated instructions on the order and direction of strokes.

Includes advice on the tools and techniques for graceful application, from the correct way to sit and hold the brush to the rhythm and quality of the line.