The Simple Art of Japanese Calligraphy

About this book

Magnificent and plentiful images of finely wrought Japanese calligraphy teach the techniques and spiritual essence that underlie this ancient elegant art. In Japan calligraphy is more than an art: its practically a religion in which every stroke and every character should reflect the writers own spirit and personality. This lovely and illuminating introduction presents the wonders of Japanese calligraphy and shows how to create the 3 basic sets of characters in use today: the Chinese kanji characters which represent an entire word visually and the 2 phonetic alphabets hiagana and kakatana. Practical and detailed exercises demonstrate how to handle the brush; generously sized illustrations capture the characters every line and curve; and 15 beautiful paper ceramic and fabric projects provide dazzling examples of this uniquely Japanese craft. As your skills develop decorate an Evening Fan with a short poem draw a Four Seasons Hanging make an Eternal Calendar with 12 sacred animals adorn a lampshade and many more exceptional items. A Selection of the One Spirit Book Club.