Title: Lantern Festival Concert & Chinese Calligraphy Demo (Part 1)

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Writing a name in Chinese calligraphy semi-cursive style on red gold fleck Xuan paper ( 紅色灑金宣紙 - 萬年紅 ) during a concert in celebration of lantern festival on February 28, 2010.

萬年紅 (literally "Ten Thousand Years Red") is deluxe Xuan paper that is thicker, less wrinkled after writing, and has longer lasting red dye. This 萬年紅 is three times more expensive than the other red paper I am using. As a tradition, we Chinese don't write people's names on white paper when using ink and brush.

First character 鄭 (family name)
Second character 則
Third character was not recorded. The second and third characters are the given name.

Filename: LanternFestival-calligraphy-1-ZhengZeJ.wmv

Tags:
calligraphy Chinese 書法 書道 書藝 行書 书法 书道 书艺 kaligrafi Shoudo Shodo China art 灑金紅色宣紙 萬年紅 red shuan xuan paper

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Title: Li Shu 隸書 Chinese Calligraphy Sample Characters 令輔承

More Info:
Free Chinese calligraphy models download: 
http://www.9610.com/qinhan/yyb/
http://www.wenhuacn.com/shufa/article.asp?classid=33&articleid=2647
http://www.wenhuacn.com/shufa/article.asp?classid=33&articleid=2648
http://www.wenhuacn.com/shufa/article.asp?classid=33&articleid=2649 
http://www.9610.com/qinhan/xianyu/
http://www.9610.com/qinhan/cqb/
About Chinese calligraphy clerical style http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/li/index.htm

Sample characters (not a phrase):
令 command; order
輔 assist
承 undertake

Filename: RED-LiShu-CommandAssistUndertake.wmv

Tags: calligraphy Chinese writing 隸書 臨帖 隶书 临帖 書藝 style 書道 習字 蠶頭雁尾 language Mandarin China art Shodo Shoudo shufa handwriting kanji hanji

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Title: Kai Shu Chinese Calligraphy Sample Characters 致匪曰

More Info:
Free Chinese calligraphy model books download
http://www.shufa.org/bbs/thread-26695-1-1.html 
http://www.9610.com/oyx/1.htm
http://www.9610.com/lgq/ 
http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/kai/PeiXiu/index.htm

Sample characters (not a phrase):
致 cause; result in
匪 bandit
曰 say

Filename: KaiShu-CauseBanditSay-SPEED125.wmv

Tags: 
calligraphy Chinese 书法 Mandarin China art lesson tutorial 楷書 筆劃順序 Kanji Hanji Shoudo Shodo 書道 書藝 red ink brushes

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Title: Chinese Calligraphy Demo @ China One (Part 2)

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Chinese calligraphy writing of "dog" and "tiger" for Misha & Michell's Chinese name 聞雪兒 on red Shuan paper during Lunar New Year's Eve Party @ China One Restaurant in Dallas, Texas (Feb. 13, 2010)

Michell is usually translated phonetically as 米雪兒 or 密雪兒 in Chinese. 聞雪兒 is her name as signed on the guest book during this demo.

Filename: ChinaOne-CalligraphyDemo-2010LunarEve-Mi shaTiger-Michell.wmv

Tags: 
calligraphy Chinese 春節書法 書道 書藝 书法 书道 书艺 kaligrafi Shoudo Shodo China art

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Title: Convenience Ink 方便墨 - Chinese Painting & Calligraphy

More Info: 
Where to get convenience ink ( 方便墨; Pinyin: fāng biàn mò )
1) Asiade Bookstore in Dallas http://www.asiade.com/whyp.asp 
Phone: 972-238-8408 Their brand is somewhat smaller than the one shown in this video and is not listed online.
2) Forbidden City on e-Bay http://stores.ebay.com/Big-Teapot-Brush-Jade-Dress-eStore__W0QQ_fsubZ336676QQ_scZ1QQ_sopZ1 Phone: 972-758-7238 (This is where I purchased the convenience ink in 2008. As of February, 2010, all convenience ink packs are sold out from Forbidden City. New imports coming soon.)
Phone calls preferred for these two stores.
3) Google search: "方便墨" or "convenience ink" 

About grinding Chinese ink 
http://www.art-virtue.com/principles/p7-paper-ink-stone.htm

本影像為介紹方便墨, 並非提倡以墨汁或方便墨來取代研磨 ( 請別誤會 )
This video is for introducing convenience ink which is not intended to substitute for grinded ink & inkstones.

Filename: ConvenienceInk-ChinesePaintingCalligraphy-Part1.wmv

Tags:
Chinese painting calligraphy 方便墨 sumi-e ink inkstone Hanji Shodo Shoudo Calligrafo cinese Chine China art calligraf

Comments: (important)
At night when I got home late, I usually use inexpensive bamboo paper and convenience ink to warm up and practicing painting for a while each day. Chinese say 拳不離手 (fists not away from a martial artist's hands) and 曲不離口 (singing songs not away from a singer's mouth). The more we get used to practice, it's becoming easier.
However, I must state I never use convenience ink to practice large painting or calligraphy.

Title: Chinese Calligraphy Demo @ China One (Part 3)

More Info: 
Writing a Chinese name in Chinese calligraphy Kai Shu on red Shuan paper during Lunar New Year's Eve Party @ China One Restaurant in Dallas, Texas (Feb. 13, 2010)

Filename: ChinaOne-CalligraphyDemo-2010LunarEve-3ZhengQinshan.wmv

Tags: 
calligraphy Chinese 春節書法 書道 書藝 书法 书道 书艺 kaligrafi Shoudo Shodo China art

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Title: Chinese Calligraphy Demo @ China One (Part 1)

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Writing names in Chinese calligraphy Kai Shu and Hsin Shu on red Shuan paper during Lunar New Year's Eve Party @ China One Restaurant in Dallas, Texas (Feb. 13, 2010)

=======================================
Technical Review:
0:26 Each ending of the Horizontal Stroke can be done more properly. In public, sometimes I do not have choices due to time and other factors...
0:51 The four Dots could be written slower for better positioning and shapes.
1:14 This is a more proper (not perfect) way to end the Horizontal Stroke.
2:14 Inconsistent
2:40 Rewrote the first character for better art and respect


Filename: ChinaOne-CalligraphyDemo-2010LunarEve-1.wmv

Tags: 
calligraphy Chinese 春節書法 書道 書藝 书法 书道 书艺 kaligrafi Shoudo Shodo China art

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Title: Happy Lunar New Year 祝賀虎年春節快樂 - Tiger in Chinese Calligraphy Styles

More Info:
虎 (Tiger) written in cursive Chinese calligraphy style with pictures of seal and standard styles

About Chinese cursive styles http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/

Filename: Tiger-ChineseCalligraphy-Styles-2010Luna r.wmv

Tags:
春節書法 Chinese calligraphy 虎 tiger 書法 书法 cursive style 行書 草書 書道 習字 Kanji Shodo Shoudo linsho 臨書 brush ink stone inkstone water magic paper 

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Selecting Chinese Calligraphy & Painting Brushes, Books & Four Treasures from www.asiade.com Bookstore

I have been purchasing books and supplies from this bookstore since 1998. 

How to choose Chinese artistic brushes http://www.art-virtue.com/principles/
A list of bookstores and suppliers of Four Treasures http://www.art-virtue.com/links/#4

達華書局 China Books & Arts http://www.asiade.com/ 
Phone: 972-238-8408 (preferred contact)
Address: 300 E. Terrace Drive #303, Richardson, Texas 75081 USA. (Located in China Town)

The owner Mr. Jason Liu is also a news reporter of Chinese World Journal newspaper and an experienced and knowledgable painter. If you have any special request about Chinese calligraphy and painting books and supplies, please call Ms. Liu at the store, email service@asiade.com, or visit http://www.etaoyo.com/ and use the suggested search keywords, and then let them know which items to order. They don't list many items at http://www.asiade.com/search.aspx?lid=9011&btype=11 

Suggested search keywords (copy and paste the simplified Chinese characters):
国画 画册 水墨 书法 行书 草书 书法字典 字帖

====================================
Filename: HD-asiade.com Calligraphy Bookstore.wmv

Chinese painting books calligraphy 書法 Mandarin writing Kanji Hanji Shodo Shoudo Calligrafo China art calligraf 達華書局 Xuan paper Shuan brushes Four Treasures 毛筆 宣紙

Title: Kai Shu Chinese Calligraphy Sample Characters 冥唯修

More Info:
Free Chinese calligraphy model books download
http://www.shufa.org/bbs/thread-26695-1-1.html 
http://www.9610.com/oyx/1.htm
http://www.9610.com/lgq/
http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/kai/PeiXiu/index.htm

Sample characters (not a phrase):
冥 obscure
唯 only
修 fix; repair
Simple copy and paste each Chinese character to the search box at http://www.9610.com/zidian/index.htm
Enter twice
Click on each picture for higher resolution

Steps for searching a Chinese character in different styles from www.9610.com Free Online Chinese Calligraphy Dictionary (免費書法字典) will be added in Playlist "Free Utilities & Resources for Chinese Calligraphy, Painting, Seals & Mandarin" 

Filename: RED-KaiShu-Nov1.2009Ln2-SPEED135.wmv

Tags:
calligraphy Chinese 書法 德藝書法網 书法 免費書法字典 Mandarin China art lesson tutorial 楷書 筆劃順序 Kanji Hanji Shoudo Shodo 書道 書藝 red ink brushes

Annotation:
Step by Step illustrations will be edited with Camtasia Studio - starting with free Mandarin Chinese learning software
Three of the characters here are written differently from the typed fonts. They were mostly written like this in ancient China or in brush calligraphy as shown in the slides from www.9610.com

For the right part of 唯, it's a Dot in the typed font but can be a Dot or a Left Diagonal in brush calligraphy. 
If we write it as a Dot, the Vertical Stroke should be the second stroke.
If we write it as a Left Diagonal Stroke, the Vertical Stroke may be the second or the third stroke. Here I am writing the stroke sequence as derived from Seal and Semi-cursive Scripts.

This is probably the more popular way to write 修 in "brush" calligraphy.

Chinese Calligraphy & Painting during 2004 and 2009 (Part 1)

以上約略為德藝書法網2004年設立時至2009年期間部份平日書畫練習. 國畫部份大多為未完稿或臨摹練習.
Selected pictures, practice sheets, activities, and videos of Chinese calligraphy styles and Chinese painting of figure and landscape during 2004-2009 period. The landscapes are left unfinished because I may come up with new ideas and techniques later.

Calligraphy Styles http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/ 
0:21 How to hold a Chinese calligraphy brush http://www.art-virtue.com/principles/index.htm 
0:26 Three Chinese seals (chops) carved by friends
0:30 和平愛喜 peace, love, joy in semi-cursive & cursive styles (dedicated to Russian friends) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9inwFWJWwdU 
0:34 Chinese Calligraphy (Over 300 Characters of Art and Beauty) (Hardcover) from Borders and Amazon, published by http://www.thecadencegrp.com/ The book could be perfected with more time before printing date in Singapore. (I don't have inventories.) 
0:39 Zen board or Buddha board for water writing http://mysticartpainting.com/
0:45 Cursive style copied from Wang Xizhi's 十七帖
1:02 1:08 Two poems copied from Pu Ru's inscriptions on his paintings
1:12 香 (fragrant) copied from Pu Ru's Kai Shu "丁頭鼠尾皴"運用於楷書點劃

1:28 白描人物畫 Chinese figure drawing
1:50 Traced from Mustard Seed Garden Painting Manual 芥子園畫傳, a famous Chinese painting textbook
1:57 Traced from 陳少梅 work
2:04 unfinished figure drawing
2:08 Copied from 芥子園畫譜

2:20 Water writing with 水書紙板 Zen board 坤堅 禪(Zen)

2:53 初學山水畫臨摹 Early stage of copying landscape paintings using 紫圭毛筆 fine detailed brush    H1e brought from http://www.orientalartsupply.com/products/brushes_specialty.cfm
4:10 copied from 馬駘畫寶 Ma Tai's Painting Treasures
4:19 warm up exercise in light ink

4:28 彝 (wine vessel) in Oracle Bone Inscriptions 甲骨文
4:34 武當 (Wudang martial arts) in 篆書 (seal scripts)
4:42 長生長樂居 (House of Longevity & Everlasting Happiness) in 隸書 (clerical scripts)
4:55 武 in semi-cursive style
5:00 德州儀器 Texas Instruments on dragon prints scroll

5:18 bamboo and flower exercises

Filename: Chinese-Calligraphy-Painting-2004to2009-part1(rotate).wmv

Chinese painting calligraphy grass style 書法 德藝書法網 cursive 行書 草書 行书 草书 Mandarin writing Kanji Hanji Shodo Shoudo Calligrafo cinese Chine China art calligraf linsho 臨書

Title: Semi-cursive & Cursive Chinese Calligraphy - Models Download, Dictionaries & Resources

More Info:
Semi-cursive Chinese calligraphy style 行書 http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/hsin/index.htm
Cursive style 草書 http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/tsao/index.htm

Online bookstores that sell calligraphy models and copy books:
http://www.books.com.tw/
http://www.bookseed.com/
http://www.asiade.com/ (Most items are in Dallas store but not listed online. Please contact their service or try etaoyo.)
http://www.etaoyo.com/ 
Suggested search keywords: 書法 行書 草書 书法 行书 草书 书法字典 書法字典 字帖

More resources mentioned in this video http://www.art-virtue.com/links/index.htm

中國書法大字典 videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhpglsl3VQg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPvGFC05VKg

Filename: Semi&Cursive-calligraphy-download-models-dictionaries.wmv

Tags:
Chinese calligraphy grass style 書法 cursive 行書 草書 行书 草书 Mandarin writing Kanji Hanji Shodo Shoudo Calligrafo cinese Chine China art calligraf linsho 臨書

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Title: Victor & Archer in Chinese Calligraphy @ 2010 Music Concert

More Info:
Chinese calligraphy demonstration at Elite Multi-Arts Center (EMAC) 2010 New Year party.
Writing Chinese names for the sister Archer and her brother Victor in Kai Shu style on red gold fleck Shuan paper, and signing their names in semi-cursive style on Chinese panda painting sheets provided by Wendy Lin.

Filename: Victor-Archer-calligraphy-SPEED120KaiShu-OriginalCursive.wmv

Tags:
calligraphy Chinese 书法 書藝 書道 Mandarin China art Shodo Shoudo Kanji Hanji

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Title: Names Written in Chinese Calligraphy 陳琳 陳龍 @ 2010 Music Concert

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Chinese calligraphy demonstration at Elite Multi-Arts Center (EMAC) 2010 New Year party.
Writing Chinese names for the sister 陳琳 and her brother 陳龍 in Kai Shu style on red gold fleck Shuan paper.

Meanings of the characters:
陳 Chen, a popular Chinese surname
琳 beautiful jade
龍 dragon
Different ways to write dragons in Chinese calligraphic styles
http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/mixed/dragons/1.jpg
http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/mixed/dragons/2.jpg
http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/mixed/dragons/3.jpg

Filename: ChenLin-ChenLong-calligraphy-SPEED112.wmv

Tags:
calligraphy Chinese 書法 书法 書藝 書道 Mandarin China art Shodo Shoudo Kanji Hanji

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Title: Maurice 莫理士 in Chinese Calligraphy @ 2010 Music Concert

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Chinese calligraphy demo at Elite Multi-Arts Center (EMAC) 2010 New Year party.
Writing "Maurice" with phonetic translation as 莫理士 in Kai Shu style on red gold fleck Shuan paper.
Filename: Maurice-2010-EMAC-Jan2.wmv

Tags:
calligraphy Chinese 書法 书法 書藝 書道 Mandarin China art Shodo Shoudo Kanji Hanji

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Title: Kai Shu 楷書 Chinese calligraphy characters 墟絹蜀

More Info:
Free Chinese calligraphy model books download: 
http://www.9610.com/suitang/wangzhijing.htm
http://www.9610.com/lgq/01.htm
http://www.9610.com/lgq/02.htm
http://www.9610.com/suitang/1.htm
http://www.shufa.org/bbs/thread-26695-1-1.html (one of Ouyang Xun's famous models) 

Complete download of Pei Xiu's calligraphy model book: http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/kai/PeiXiu/index.htm

Sample characters (not a phrase):
墟 ruins (Variant Chinese characters shown in the slides)
絹 silk
蜀 another name of Sichuan Province

Filename: RED-KaiShu-RuinsSilkSichuan.wmv

Tags:
calligraphy Chinese 书法 Mandarin writing China art lesson tutorial 楷書 Kanji Hanji Shoudo Shodo 書道 書藝

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Title: Kai Shu 楷書 Chinese calligraphy characters: 莒侍給

More Info:
Free Chinese calligraphy model book download: http://www.shufa.org/bbs/thread-26695-1-1.html (one of Ouyang Xun's famous models) 

Complete download of Pei Xiu's calligraphy model book: http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/kai/PeiXiu/index.htm

The calligraphy style is based on the two models.

Sample characters (not a phrase):
莒 a fibrous plant

Differences regarding the stroke sequences of the 艹
Grass and other Section Headers

http://shuowen.net/BiShunGuiZe.htm 筆順規則的兩難
http://stroke-order.learningweb.moe.edu.tw/index.jsp from Ministry of Education in Taiwan with Traditional Chinese Characters ( 繁體字 )
More search results of 草字頭筆劃順序 from Google

There have been controversies, dilemmas, and even paradoxes of normalizing the stroke sequences as adopted by scholars and people in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other Mandarin speaking countries. If we have examined carefully and broadly the Chinese calligraphy writing, documents, and letters of ancient times, we will understand why different people write in different sequences.

侍 wait upon; serve
給 give; grant
======================
銀京忠
莒侍給
復雖縱
啟勤裕

Filename: RED-KaiShu-Ouyang-FibrousPlantServeGive.wmv

Tags:
calligraphy Chinese 书法 Mandarin writing China art lesson tutorial 楷書 Kanji Hanji Shoudo Shodo 書道 書藝

Comments: (important)

I can't help but notice your stroke order for 艹. Why do you write it that way? 

There are alternative stroke orders for some section headers. They might be different between calligraphers and different styles and sub-styles of Kai Shu, Li Shu, Hsin Shu, or Zhuan Shu. 

OK. Does Pei Xiu write it that way? 

artvirtue Thank you for your concern. There have been controversies, dilemmas, and paradoxes of normalizing the stroke sequences as used in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. I have included some links in more info. I am not sure whether Pei Xiu, Ouyang Xun, or other masters preferred certain stroke orders or they had alternatives. (Personally, I write the stroke sequences of "Grass" Section Headers in alternative ways in different styles and sub-styles. The one shown here is not my only preferred way.) 

Title: Kai Shu Chinese Calligraphy Sample Characters 至於其

More Info:
Free Chinese calligraphy model book download 書法字帖下載
http://www.shufa.org/bbs/thread-26695-1-1.html 
http://www.9610.com/oyx/1.htm
http://www.9610.com/lgq/
http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/kai/PeiXiu/index.htm

About Kai Shu calligraphy http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/kai/index.htm

Sample characters (not a phrase):至 to; until
於 in; at
其 such; that; his

Filename: RED-KaiShu-ToAtThat.wmv

Tags:
calligraphy Chinese 書法 书法 Mandarin China art lesson tutorial 楷書 筆劃順序 Kanji Hanji Shoudo Shodo 書道 書藝 red ink brushes

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Title: Li Shu 隸書 Chinese Calligraphy Sample Characters 曹音銘

More Info:
Free Chinese calligraphy models download: 
http://www.9610.com/qinhan/yyb/
http://www.wenhuacn.com/shufa/article.asp?classid=33&articleid=2647
http://www.wenhuacn.com/shufa/article.asp?classid=33&articleid=2648
http://www.wenhuacn.com/shufa/article.asp?classid=33&articleid=2649 
http://www.9610.com/qinhan/xianyu/
http://www.9610.com/qinhan/cqb/
About Chinese calligraphy clerical style http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/li/index.htm

Sample characters (not a phrase):
曹 a Chinese surname Cao
音 sound
銘 inscription; engrave

Filename: RED-LiShu-CaoYinMing.wmv

Tags:
calligraphy Chinese writing 隸書 臨帖 隶书 临帖 書藝 style 書道 習字 蠶頭雁尾 language Mandarin China art Shodo Shoudo shufa handwriting kanji hanji

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Title: Kai Shu Chinese Calligraphy Sample Characters 偶無南

More Info:
Free Chinese calligraphy model book download 書法字帖下載
http://www.shufa.org/bbs/thread-26695-1-1.html 
http://www.9610.com/oyx/1.htm
http://www.9610.com/lgq/
http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/kai/PeiXiu/index.htm

About Kai Shu calligraphy http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/kai/index.htm

Sample characters (not a phrase):
偶 even number
無 nothing
南 south

Filename: RED-KaiShu-EvenNumberNothingSouth.wmv

Tags:
calligraphy Chinese 書法 书法 Mandarin China art lesson tutorial 楷書 筆劃順序 Kanji Hanji Shoudo Shodo 書道 書藝 red ink brushes

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Title: Li Shu 隸書 Chinese Calligraphy Sample Characters 薛淮功

More Info:
Free Chinese calligraphy models download: 
http://www.9610.com/qinhan/yyb/
http://www.wenhuacn.com/shufa/article.asp?classid=33&articleid=2647
http://www.wenhuacn.com/shufa/article.asp?classid=33&articleid=2648
http://www.wenhuacn.com/shufa/article.asp?classid=33&articleid=2649 
http://www.9610.com/qinhan/xianyu/
http://www.9610.com/qinhan/cqb/
About Chinese calligraphy clerical style http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/li/index.htm

Sample characters (not a phrase):
薛 a Chinese surname Xue
淮 a river in China - the Huai River
功 merit; achievement

filename: RED-LiShu-XueHuaiAchievement.wmv

Tags:
calligraphy Chinese writing 隸書 臨帖 隶书 临帖 書藝 style 書道 習字 蠶頭雁尾 language Mandarin China art Shodo Shoudo shufa handwriting kanji hanji

Comments: (important)

Title: Basic Stroke of Chinese Calligraphy Kai Shu: Left Diagonal 撇 (Version1A based on Pei Xiu's Model)

More Info:
Chinese calligraphy basic stroke - 撇 Left Diagonal Stroke (Pinyin: Pie)
http://www.art-virtue.com/tutorial/index.htm

Their directions are from northeast corner to southwest corner at different angles and different lengths.

基本筆劃 撇
撇 藏鋒 http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%E6%92%87%E8%97%8F%E9%8B%92&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
The left diagonal strokes ( 撇 Pie ) always precede the right diagonal strokes ( 捺 Na ). 

The strokes in this video are based "partially" on Pei Xiu's model
http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/kai/PeiXiu/index.htm


Methods in writing Pie : Visualize a beautiful image before writing; get a good angle for good shape and structure; reverse the brush tip at the beginning; press slightly harder at the start and lift up eventually in a decisive manner to form a sharp ending.

filename: BasicStroke-Pie-Version1A(PeiXiu).wmv

Tags:
calligraphy Chinese basic stroke strokes 書法 書道 書藝 书法 书道 书艺 inkstone ink sticks stone kaligrafi Shodo Shoudo Hanji Kanji Mandarin China art brush Shuan paper

Comments: (important)
so the main question is, if we don't have a teacher with us, how can we figure out how to correct our mistakes? They say practice makes perfect, but if you practice sloppy, you'll become perfect at sloppy. HELP!!!!!! 

There are ways to figure out our weaknesses and mistakes by being strict and honest, reading related books of history, theories, aesthetics, philosophy, and spiritualities, making friends with others or other teachers, attending exhibitions, or consulting a native Chinese regarding calligraphy topics, and etc.

Godowsky and Busoni as great pianists and Pu Hsin-Yu as a Chinese brush painter were largely self-taught. They all emphasized the importance of self observation in great details. To observe oneself without knowing more related materials may be difficult. Generally, the more we read and know, the easier for self correction. 

Chinese calligraphy models by ancient calligraphers and one’s self observation are indeed one’s best teachers in learning this art, whether we have a teacher or not at any moment. The ancient calligraphers had shown hints of techniques (which are unsurpassed by no one today!!!) and philosophy in their work. Just as practicing a martial arts form, to decipher the meanings of different movement becomes the application. To improve and self correct based on ancient models and our observation lead to enlightenment and progress.

The aspects for observing may include the angles, directions, speeds, and pressures of the brush “tip“, the angles and thickness of each character and the related structures and strokes. These are technical aspects worthy of our observation and practice for long time. Chinese are very critical about Chinese calligraphy as a national art. And we are very concerned about the basic strokes of Chinese calligraphy since these are the cornerstones of this art. I have been working on videos about the basic strokes for several years and I still feel there are rooms for improvement.