J's Culture Shodo

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What you need to start calligraphy

・Suzuri (Ink container)

・Sumi (Black stick) or Bokueki (Black ink)

・Fude (Brush)：The material of brush and the thickness of it are different by the usage.

・Bunchin(weight)

・ Shitajiki (Black soft mat)

・Hanshi (Calligraphy paper)：There are different quality of papers.

What is Calligraphy?

Traditional Japanese calligraphy is called Shodo.
The origin of shodo is from China, and introduced to Japan about two thousand years ago.

It is an art that has been studied.

Tools of Shodo are Japanese traditional stationery.
The knowledge of Shodo is an important step in understanding of Japanese culture.
Shodo is not only an exercise in good handwriting, but rather the foremost art form.

It is a combination of the skill and imagination of the person using only lines.

Styles are highly individualistic, and differing from person to person.

Characters must be written only once.
There is no altering, touching up, or adding to them afterwards.

Richly expressive calligraphy

Shodo (Japanese calligraphy) is art which cannot be erased after you dropped black ink (sumi) on the paper.

You create characters with a combination of thickness, blotting, and the speed of brush stroking.

Let’s relax your shoulders, take a deep breath, and start writing.

It is difficult to write with a brush at first but do not think to write well.

Enjoy the rhythmically writing.

Shodo has some writing patterns for one character.
For example, you may use dark ink, light ink , or use the different amount of ink on the brush at each case.

You will feel and know your best writing by keeping practice.

Shodo is composed by unlimited combinations of writing ways.

How do you depict characters as your personality or emotion?

Dynamic, warmth, clear, rhythm, or special effect?

Here is a few guideline to improve good writing of calligraphy

・Create an natural balance in both characters and a composition

・Straight lines are strong and clear

・Curved lines are delicate and mobile

・Differentiate between thickness and thinness

・The amount of ink on the brush, or lack of it, is consistent throughout

・Feel a rhythm in the whole work

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