So I Tried To Write In Kanji...

[stilllo]

I don't know any Japanese or Chinese. I spent about 4 minutes reading how stroke order works for Chinese characters, then attempted to replicate a Kanji piece of writing I found on something about "Ronin". If anyone who actually speaks Japanese is seeing this, I apologise.

 

It's a Pelikan M nib with Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo. Since I have no idea what it means, I think it looks cool, but it could be extremely wrong. I used a "rolling" technique at the ends of some strokes to get an extra fine trail, reminiscent of a brush. If I practice at this and learn the actual character maybe I'd be able to write properly someday.

 

Whether it's correct or not, it's still fun, haha.

[GabrielleDuVent]

I think you already write better than I do :S

But there are basics to eastern calligraphy, which are always followed. Including the grip. Here are the three basic strokes that you need. (Look down for the section "3 types of endings"). The stroke order is important as well (there are set stroke orders for characters, so everyone writes in the same order if they remember correctly).

This is what the proper pen calligraphy is supposed to look like. The tapering strokes are made far more obvious with calligraphy brush or brush pen. The six-degree writing method evidently makes calligraphy look far better, but I just can't write with it.

Edited March 16, 2014 by GabrielleDuVent

[stilllo]

Thanks so much for that invaluable info! I've been trying so hard to find how calligraphy is actually done with a fountain pen, since they are the writing tool of choice in Japan these days. I understand that each radical inside of a character is made the same way each time so if I can memorise a couple dozen it will help me on my way to being better at writing. I figure I should learn their correct form first, before trying to emulate brush strokes like in this photo.

 

My Pelikans are not set up for that low writing method so I can't really swing it. I saw someone do it using a type of Waverley nib on a Sailor pen and it looked absolutely amazing. I'll focus on the Chinese characters first and then gradually learn to use them in Japanese. Thanks again!

[Earthdawn]

GabrielleDuVent ~ Thank you as well for those links !!!

 

Great information and something I could not find when I was looking.

 

Bookmarked them both!

[HDoug]

Slightly off topic, but timely. I was unpacking some stuff from a recent move and came across a document someone sent me over 10 years ago. It's a copy of the "Makahanya Haramita Shingyo," the Buddhist Sutra at the heart of Zen Buddhism. I can't read it so don't know if it would be considered "good" or "bad" but I am assuming it must have been written with some care.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2138/12981125514_da3589c615_c.jpg

Here's a closeup:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3779/13187672695_bd74098cc4_c.jpg

 

The multiplicity of strokes just amazes me. I could never learn how to write this kind of language. I'm glad the 26 old characters I learned are enough for where I am.

Anyway, for your enjoyment...

Doug

[andybiotic]

Slightly off topic, but timely. I was unpacking some stuff from a recent move and came across a document someone sent me over 10 years ago. It's a copy of the "Makahanya Haramita Shingyo," the Buddhist Sutra at the heart of Zen Buddhism. I can't read it so don't know if it would be considered "good" or "bad" but I am assuming it must have been written with some care.

 

The multiplicity of strokes just amazes me. I could never learn how to write this kind of language. I'm glad the 26 old characters I learned are enough for where I am.

 

Anyway, for your enjoyment...

 

Doug

 

I see whoever wrote this puts in a lot of effort, the column of writings are very well spaced out but individual character-wise, not the best I've seen. Chineses characters (Japanese Kanji) is about "filling up the imaginary square" where the edges of each character is suppose to form roughly a square (with some exceptions to some strokes...). Consider in the second picture, on the left where there are two exactly the same character, they are both too squashed up to the right. Also the bottom left character on the second picture, it seemed too top-heavy, the bottom horizontal stroke should be longer to form the solid base of the imaginary square.

Having said all that I understand that writing small letters (which I assume this is) with a calligraphy brush is very difficult and so it is already very well done! (way better than anything I can do). Some very good examples in the second picture are the second and the forth characters from the right of the top row. Those are rather beautiful!

Edited March 17, 2014 by andybiotic

[andybiotic]

I don't know any Japanese or Chinese. I spent about 4 minutes reading how stroke order works for Chinese characters, then attempted to replicate a Kanji piece of writing I found on something about "Ronin". If anyone who actually speaks Japanese is seeing this, I apologise.

 

It's a Pelikan M nib with Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo. Since I have no idea what it means, I think it looks cool, but it could be extremely wrong. I used a "rolling" technique at the ends of some strokes to get an extra fine trail, reminiscent of a brush. If I practice at this and learn the actual character maybe I'd be able to write properly someday.

 

Whether it's correct or not, it's still fun, haha.

 

 

Ronin means nomad, a person (usually a samurai) without a job (or a master in the olden times) and is wondering about in various places. The first letter means "wave" and the second is "man (person)". So it is a person that resemble waves, drifting randoming all over the place.

 

Your writing of the characters is actually pretty good! The last slash on both characters seemed too long though. Imagine there is a square box surounding your character, try to fill it up without too much things sticking out.

 

Also, I understand it is a bit hard to tell from other's calligraphy but there are actually three separate strokes on your first character where the "X" is.

 

Not so sure if I can read anything on the very left of your picture though... lol

[stilllo]

 

Ronin means nomad, a person (usually a samurai) without a job (or a master in the olden times) and is wondering about in various places. The first letter means "wave" and the second is "man (person)". So it is a person that resemble waves, drifting randoming all over the place.

 

Your writing of the characters is actually pretty good! The last slash on both characters seemed too long though. Imagine there is a square box surounding your character, try to fill it up without too much things sticking out.

 

Also, I understand it is a bit hard to tell from other's calligraphy but there are actually three separate strokes on your first character where the "X" is.

 

Not so sure if I can read anything on the very left of your picture though... lol

 

I've been trying to find the original photo online but no luck. Everything to the left looks like a blob in the original too, a very different style from the distinctness of the actual "RONIN" characters. I was trying to emulate the blotchy but beautiful look of that style of brush calligraphy... Hard to do! The calligraphy style that is sharp and defined which was posted earlier is much easier to copy out, especially with a pen. Maybe I should get a brush pen, haha.

[andybiotic]

 

I've been trying to find the original photo online but no luck. Everything to the left looks like a blob in the original too, a very different style from the distinctness of the actual "RONIN" characters. I was trying to emulate the blotchy but beautiful look of that style of brush calligraphy... Hard to do! The calligraphy style that is sharp and defined which was posted earlier is much easier to copy out, especially with a pen. Maybe I should get a brush pen, haha.

 

Sometimes these styles connect a lot of the strokes together to make the look of the script flow better (kinda like cursive writing) but at the same time makes it hard to read. These styles are rather advanced calligraphy. I think it is important to know the original strokes that forms the character before attempting to connect the strokes. Just like it is hard to writie cursive before you even know what each letter should look like in print.

Edited March 17, 2014 by andybiotic

[stilllo]

 

Sometimes these styles connect a lot of the strokes together to make the look of the script flow better (kinda like cursive writing) but at the same time makes it hard to read. These styles are rather advanced calligraphy. I think it is important to know the original strokes that forms the character before attempting to connect the strokes. Just like it is hard to writie cursive before you even know what each letter should look like in print.

 

Yes, I'm just practicing Kanji as it is properly written now. For example:

 

Edited March 17, 2014 by lowfiwhiteguy

[andybiotic]

Nice, its always good to start with the basics.

 

Just one last bit of advice. Try have a bit more separation between two characters, because sometimes two simple characters are used to form another one. The ones you wrote above when put together as a single character actually means "armpit" in Chinese... and I am not even joking! lol

 

http://hk.dictionary.search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A3eg.oZPDCdTvXsAzRbFoolQ;_ylc=X1MDMTM1MTE5NzM4MQRfcgMyBGJjawMybWkzNjI5OWhuOTFhJTI2YiUzRDMlMjZzJTNEZXQEZnIDBGdwcmlkAzRfRzExVzBJVC5Pa0U4a0VJQTF1NkEEbXRlc3RpZANudWxsBG5fcnNsdAM1MgRuX3N1Z2cDMTAEb3JpZ2luA2hrLmRpY3Rpb25hcnkuc2VhcmNoLnlhaG9vLmNvbQRwb3MDMARwcXN0cgMEcHFzdHJsAwRxc3RybAM2BHF1ZXJ5A2FybXBpdAR0X3N0bXADMTM5NTA2Nzk4NTc5NQR2dGVzdGlkA251bGw-?gprid=4_G11W0IT.OkE8kEIA1u6A&pvid=zMMy5jExOS4rSGYSUxukKgCKMTQuMVMnDE__0IaY&p=armpit&fr2=sb-top&limlangpair=

[stilllo]

That's actually hilarious, hahaha.