Calligraphy is one of the most commonly used and important carriers of couplets. Couplet calligraphy should strive for three noble forms, two noble gods, three noble meanings, and one is incomplete. The shape is noble in the pen and font, inheriting the right way. The gods are self-reliant in the rules and plots, and the content of the couplets is both appropriate and meaningful. At the same time, after grasping these three points, we should also pay attention to the three forms commonly used in couplet calligraphy when writing:
The first form of couplet calligraphy is also the most common: one vertical line for each of the upper and lower links, with the upper and lower links falling slightly lower than the upper text on the right side and the lower one falling slightly lower than the upper paragraph. The words in the upper and lower paragraphs are smaller than those in the joint text (see figure I). Alternatively, the preceding paragraph could be left alone (as may the other two forms discussed below, see figure II). If a more detailed description of the couplet is required, the upper paragraph on the right side of the upper joint text is insufficient, and the description can be extended to the left continuation of the upper joint text, and if the position is still insufficient, it can continue to extend to the right continuation of the lower joint text, or even to the left continuation of the lower joint text, and then the next paragraph (see figure 3).
Figure 1
Figure II
Figure III
The upper right side of the upper right can be stamped with an idle seal, and the name of the person under the lower paragraph can be stamped. If the couplet is for the donor, and the name of the recipient is written on the upper paragraph, it is not appropriate to stamp the recipient's name.
The second form of couplet calligraphy - dragon gate pair: the joint text of the dragon gate pair has more than two lines of upper and lower books, the joint text of the upper link is arranged from right to left, and the joint text of the lower link is arranged from left to right. The number of lines should be equal and symmetrical, and attention should be paid to the position of the reserved money. The upper paragraph should fall after the last word of the upper link, and the lower paragraph should fall after the last word of the lower link, and the font of the final paragraph should be smaller than the word of the joint text (see Figure 4). If there are more than two rows of money, the upper and lower paragraphs of the predecessor are arranged from right to left (see Figure 5); It can also be arranged from right to left in the upper paragraph and from left to right in the lower paragraph (see figure VI). The latter arrangement is consistent with the joint text, and the whole text is more harmonious. If the seal is stamped, the seal is slightly lower on the upper right of the joint text, and the name seal of the author is stamped in the lower part of the lower paragraph.
Figure IV
Figure V
Figure VI
The third form of couplet calligraphy: one vertical line for each of the upper and lower links, with the bottom of the upper link falling into the upper paragraph and the bottom falling paragraph at the bottom of the lower link. The words in the final paragraph should be smaller than the words in the joint text, and the upper and lower paragraphs should be lined up in more than two lines; The upper and lower paragraphs are arranged from right to left. If the seal is stamped, the seal is slightly lower on the upper right side of the text and the name of the author is stamped in the lower part of the lower paragraph (see figure 7). This form is rare.
Figure VII
Here it is necessary to emphasize the end of couplet calligraphy. Self-written couplets, which may be indicated in the preceding and lower paragraphs (see figure VIII); When recording others or ancients, the author or source of the joint text should be indicated in the preceding or lower paragraph (see Figures 9, 10 and 11). Unfortunately, we often see that some calligraphers, when recording others or ancients, only write their own name "so-and-so" and affix their own seal, without indicating the author or couplet source, which obviously infringes the copyright of the joint author, which is very inappropriate! Even if the exact source of the joint text cannot be found for a while, it should be generally indicated as "record the predecessor association", "record the general association" or "record the other person's association".
Figure VIII
Figure IX
Figure X
Figure XI
【Note】The pictures 3, 5, 7 and 11 attached in the text are pictures downloaded from the Internet, all of which are Qing Dynasty works. The rest is my own humble work.