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Today, I went on a search for the perfect tattoo. I wanted something beautiful, simple and with deep spiritual meaning. I hadn’t a clue what I was looking for. Then I tripped over Chinese calligraphy. I was taken back by the words brush stroked eloquently and masterfully on the paper. They spoke to me. Without even knowing what they meant, I could tell each word held a world of thought within it’s own. As I went thru the page, the calligraphy got only better, making it difficult which one I should choose to eternalize on my skin. I was so entranced with the Chinese calligraphy letters, I impatiently pushed right on thru to see how they were put together as words. Even more beautiful. All had a deep meaning applicable to the personality of one.

Chinese calligraphy is an ancient art form stemming back to almost 3000 years ago. This style of writing is said to be abstract art. Many masters throughout Chinese history have left behind their own unique interpretation of the Chinese characters. It was Tu Mang, however, who correlated it all together with form identification and style. He established names for the techniques used to describe the words. For instance, a “carefree” style has an unfixed or unknown direction. On the opposite end, a “carefully executed” form insists on careful execution and thought behind the work. “Mysterious” is to use your imagination. There are 120 existing expressions used for Chinese calligraphy, many born by great masters.

This graceful serene art form called Chinese calligraphy is a greek word meaning “beautiful writing” and is seen everywhere from art galleries to restaurants, and tattoo shops. Which takes me back to the search for the perfect Chinese word. Once I had the words I wanted to immortalize on my back, after learning so much more about Chinese calligraphy, it occurred to me I would have to choose a form as well. What kind of brush strokes would best represent the meaning of the words I had chose? I could go with a more classic, traditional style used in ancient times or even something called the “grass” style, looking more whimsical to me. I had not realized the depth of expression involved not only in searching a tattoo, but the actual essence, personality, and layers upon layers of meaning associated with this beautiful art.

Beyond the style, there are phrases, and the writing itself?traditional vertical or modern horizontal. I could opt for quotes, 4 character idioms, or even 7 character extractions from famous poems. I could get my name or my children’s names translated to Chinese or frame the words with other Asian art. The more I searched on Chinese calligraphy, the more infatuated I became of the work, yet I was not getting closer to choosing a tattoo because, quite honestly, each word or quotation inspired a feeling in me. There were simply too many I identified with on a deeper, more spiritual level. For now, I would have to ponder

The Chinese language is most notably known for the written and beautiful characters stroked on the flat page. As old as 4000 years ago, this exquisite language exists as even more popular today. There are several masters of it’s legend left behind in history their work more as art then language. There are many resources available to learn Chinese characters. The Chinese language has become a popular study area for more and more people and continues to expand the supply and demand of good available teaching tools.

At any given point, you can access many different ways to learn Chinese or learn Chinese characters. The traditional way to learn a foreign language was to incorporate the study within some form of primary or secondary education. Then continuing adult classes started springing up all over and with a host of other available subjects, the Chinese language was thrown in as an afterthought. The demand for learning Chinese characters came heavy onto the home study market after eastern art and culture, including the art of Chinese characters, graced the masses of the western world. People were wanting these beautiful Chinese characters as tattoos, because they represented so much meaning in just a simple brush stroke. Cultural influences touched from films/tv entertainment (like movie star Jacki Chan, or the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), to home decorating (Fung Shui), Chinese food, and of course art, with the tranquility of expression from Chinese characters. Now you can learn Chinese characters with just a little effort from your computer.

You will discover today’s availability for learning to read Chinese, learning Chinese characters or simply about the culture is just on tap away. There are online courses, lesson’s with games, cd rom courses, audio books, and workbook lessons, just to name only a few. Beyond that, for the hearty learner, there are programs designed to teach you in the homeland. For a month, or for a year, you can immerse yourself into the cultural richness and environment of the Chinese, laying down a permanent solid application of the language by learning and living amongst it. There now exists jobs in which the employer will sponsor their employees to pick up the language as a necessary tool for their career.

If you desire to just excel in learning Chinese characters, the lessons available to you are right here, just a click away. Some of the best lessons include animations to teach you exactly how the brushstrokes and pen lines should be created and expressed. Most lessons available will teach you the origin and interpretations of each character. You will also learn how they sound phonetically and how they are interconnected to each other. There are Chinese character dictionaries available which are recommended.

Whether you choose to learn Chinese characters as an integral part of the overall language, or whether you are just searching for meaning in a new tattoo, there are so many opportunities for learning this beautiful, eloquent and old world tradition. With an artist’s heart, you can find one character which is silently personal to you.

There is a quiet appreciation for Chinese calligraphy (called “Shu Fa” in Chinese). We see it everywhere. It has been around for thousand’s of years, and has danced it’s way into the western world. Character techniques were refined throughout the history of China as their culture’s social circumstances changed. Self expression thru disciplined understanding of form and technique has been handed down by the great masters of Chinese calligraphy, with each master leaving a unique, individual style. Within this heritage many artists have taken some influence from it for their own works. Picasso and Matisse are two artists who used some Chinese calligraphy in their art. It is considered an art form and with it’s amass of many followers, it is now a sought after as a class in which one can learn the art of Chinese calligraphy.

There are many avenues to explore in Chinese Calligraphy. Before you embark on a furious intended study of learning Chinese calligraphy, introduce yourself to the all the aspects involved. Start by searching out the fun stuff, to keep yourself entertained momentarily and intrigued further into learning more. One particular fun concept to do with Chinese calligraphy is to see what your name means in Chinese and how beautifully it is written. You most likely will spend a little time giving Chinese names and meanings to everyone dear to you. The western world likes intense, spiritual and deep meanings for names, well, the Chinese do too. And when written in Chinese, your name takes on even more in depth personal magic. Also recommended is to spend time with other words commonly used in Chinese art. Words like love, hope, tranquility, all become so immersing and identified with personally when witnessed in Chinese calligraphy form. So much do they affect the eye of the beholder, that often they end up permanently expressed in a tattoo. Chinese calligraphy is a very popular request for tattoos.

After skipping across the top of the Chinese calligraphy history and art information, you can decide to take the process further by actively seeking out places or internet sites offering a more thorough course in the art of Chinese calligraphy. Many instructions remain basic in it’s course, while others incorporate reading or speaking Chinese as well. If your focus is art, then by all means, stick with the art only instructions, as there is so much to master within that form anyways. You will learn the different tools, mediums, and colors used for expressing your personality in depth on a simple surface. There are many different varieties of applications in Chinese calligraphy just to express one word. The results will refer to as a living moment, or living thought. And it is the results that loved and appreciated.

Chinese calligraphy is a worthy and beautiful experience to launch into. Expect Countless hours of enjoyable practice into an ancient, respected, old world art. If you wish to learn Chinese calligraphy, then by all means?continue on.