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Shodo: The Art of Japanese Calligraphy

Aepsilons

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The Japanese calligraphy (Shodo) is one of the most popular fine arts of Japan. Calligraphical works are appreciated not less than products of painting. But this kind of the fine arts possesses also philosophical sense. In the simplest understanding the calligraphy is an art to write beautifully. The master creates a work of art by bamboo brush and inks on the rice paper. It transfers harmony and beauty. The parity of simple and graceful is embodied in calligraphical works as one of main principles of Japanese aesthetics wabi sabi.

There is nothing casual in Japanese calligraphy. The beginning, the direction, the form and the ending of lines, the balance between elements are important for each line and point, and even the empty space testifies about many things.

The hieroglyphs are harmonious, proportional, balanced.

Hieroglyphs of happiness

The Japanese calligraphy is not only the beauty, but also the sense more complex frequently, than value of written by brush hieroglyph. Harmony and elegance of lines create not only aesthetic pleasure but transfer also thousand-year wisdom. Each line is meaningful; each movement of calligrapher’s brush creates something fine. East inhabitants trust that the hieroglyph has also sacral value because the letter in the East is considered as the epistle of the Heavens that’s why the calligraphical sign bears the power charge in it. Considering calligraphical work think about success, light, loved, pleasure, creativity, about everything that does you happy and the happiness will fill your life.

The Japanese calligraphy is one Zen practice same as art of tea ceremony, ikebana, Japanese fencing on swords (kendo) and other fighting arts (budо). Traditional ways of calligraphical symbols transfer are laconic: they are written on a white paper which personifies emptiness in Zen philosophy, and black signs on a white background seams concepts of Yin and Yang as female and man's origins.

There is a way of calligraphy, a way of writing Shodo where Sho means the calligraphy, do means the way. It is also one of ways leading to comprehension of life’s meaning and eternal trues, also as well as the Way of the Warrior (Busido), the Way of Fighting Art - Budo (Karate-do, Judo, Kendo), the Way of Tea (Chado) and other ways. The calligraphy is the integral attribute of tea ceremony. The masters of tea ceremony study calligraphy not less carefully and long as tea action. Outstanding masters of fighting arts wrote by the brush the hieroglyphs in which force of the master is felt. The calligraphy was studied by Japanese aristocrats and Samurais.




7961701292_82d4de3296_b.jpg
 
are thoz words or difft snap shots of human routine :)
 
japnese painting and wooden work is awesome... just becasue of its simplicity..i saw a doc of jap furniture w/o nails hammered in it...
the colour used in one painting were just orange and black... and scene was one man watching a sunsett..it was amzaing. all are in doc shared on youtube channel "china unsensored"

the only way to upload it.... pic seems like of ancient age adn a man of far land, enjoying a sunset...overall its like aportal to other world
jap art.png


however many colors are used ;)
 
japnese painting and wooden work is awesome... just becasue of its simplicity..i saw a doc of jap furniture w/o nails hammered in it...
the colour used in one painting were just orange and black... and scene was one man watching a sunsett..it was amzaing. its a doc shared on youtube channel "china unsensored"


Its beautiful, my friend. Beautiful !


Here's a beautiful one, as well:


dd651a709285102d00938fba9581254c.jpg


This is standard traditional painting, you will notice that landscapes usually occupies only the peripheral, the central part of the painting is unoccupied. :)

sel-Hsia-Kuei-fl.-1180-1230-View-of-Streams-and-Cliffs.jpg


traditional-landscape-painting-1cgeyhusk.jpg
 
喜 is more balanced.

the first 勇 and 氣 look good too.

Its beautiful, my friend. Beautiful !


Here's a beautiful one, as well:


dd651a709285102d00938fba9581254c.jpg


This is standard traditional painting, you will notice that landscapes usually occupies only the peripheral, the central part of the painting is unoccupied. :)

sel-Hsia-Kuei-fl.-1180-1230-View-of-Streams-and-Cliffs.jpg


traditional-landscape-painting-1cgeyhusk.jpg
if you say this is Chinese drawing i'll believe you...:enjoy:
 
if you say this is Chinese drawing i'll believe you...:enjoy:

Haha, well, we can't deny the influence from China, of course. The techniques are very similar, but I believe some aspects are refined in the Japanese style. :D

the first 勇 and 氣 look good too.


This one, too, bro.

I'm 'Happy' to see this one. ;)


9343337_orig.jpg
 
How you people remember hundreds of characters and write them ?

Any technique ?

Hehehe, just have to remember it buddy. We not only have to know Kanji (Hanzi) characters which are thousands of them; but we also have to master Japanese writing style of Katakana , and Hiragana.

So its like we have to know Japanese and Chinese lol. ^^
 
Haha, well, we can't deny the influence from China, of course. The techniques are very similar, but I believe some aspects are refined in the Japanese style. :D




This one, too, bro.

I'm 'Happy' to see this one. ;)


9343337_orig.jpg
aww..weddings.:).


bro on double check these two are actually chinese painting...

first one by Xia Gui, a famous Song Dynasty painter.
Xia Gui - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

second one says 蜀国秀色, should be about Sichuan landscape.
the artist's name is Huang Xin-An.
Beauty of Sichuan - Landscape Painting - Landscapes of Asia Paintings - Asian Art
 
Hehehe, just have to remember it buddy. We not only have to know Kanji (Hanzi) characters which are thousands of them; but we also have to master Japanese writing style of Katakana , and Hiragana.

So its like we have to know Japanese and Chinese lol. ^^

I wonder how you type them .... Lol
 
bro on double check these two are actually chinese painting...

first one by Xia Gui, a famous Song Dynasty painter.
Xia Gui - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

second one says 蜀国秀色, should be about Sichuan landscape.
the artist's name is Huang Xin-An.
Beauty of Sichuan - Landscape Painting - Landscapes of Asia Paintings - Asian Art


Just checked the link, well you're right bro, they really are Chinese then.

How to Differentiate Japanese from Chinese Calligraphy and Art Apart?


You can tell at least make an educated guess even if you don't know the specific styles of art, if you know things like:

  • how the landscapes of each country were usually depicted
  • how people used to dress and what hairstyles they had as well as what was considered to be beautiful/attractive
  • popular folktales or parables in either country
  • symbolism unique to either (this one is a bit tricky though since a lot of symbolic things were popular in both, e.g. dragons and tigers)

However, sometimes its hard to distinguish between the two.
 
Just checked the link, well you're right bro, they really are Chinese then.

How to Differentiate Japanese from Chinese Calligraphy and Art Apart?


You can tell at least make an educated guess even if you don't know the specific styles of art, if you know things like:

  • how the landscapes of each country were usually depicted
  • how people used to dress and what hairstyles they had as well as what was considered to be beautiful/attractive
  • popular folktales or parables in either country
  • symbolism unique to either (this one is a bit tricky though since a lot of symbolic things were popular in both, e.g. dragons and tigers)

However, sometimes its hard to distinguish between the two.

800px-SesshuShuutouTou.jpg


this one is Japanese, by 雪舟, Sesshu Toyo. beautiful art.

Japanese painting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

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