英文书法介绍

我这有个材料，有些地方我并不太赞同。不过这个材料还算严谨，发来你看看吧。英文书法 在打字机发明之前，英文也是很讲究书法的，称作calligraphy，意即“漂亮的笔迹”，又因为写得好的多是以誊写为生的penman，也称作penmanship。陀思妥耶夫斯基在《白痴》第三章中有这样的描述：嗯，这是普通、平常、纯粹的英国字体，不可能写得更优美了，这里真是妙笔生花，精巧玲珑，字字珠矾，可谓笔法高超，而这是变体，又是法国的，我是从一个法国流动推销员那里摹写下来的：还是一种英国字体，但黑线少许浓些，粗些，深些，匀称性被破坏了，您也会发觉，椭圆形也变了，稍稍变圆些，加上采用花体，而花体是最危险的东西！花体要求有不同一般的品味，但只要写得好，只要写得匀称，那么就无与伦比了，甚至还能惹人喜爱。（图一）在古文字学(Paleography)中可将拉丁语系字体演化分为六个阶段： 首先是罗马时期，罗马帝国在扩张的过程中将拉丁文推广到欧洲各地，罗马体(Roman)一直流行到4世纪，随着西罗马帝国灭亡(公元476年)，欧洲进入了中世纪； 在5-8世纪，随着各民族意识逐步觉醒，文字也开始多元化，从较规范的安色尔体、半安色尔体(Uncial, Half-uncial)演化出诸多变种，如英国的海岛体(Insular)，日尔曼人的如尼文字(Runes或Futhark)，法国的梅尔罗加文手写体(Merovingian scripts)，西班牙的西哥特小写体(Visigothic minuscule )等，这一段称作前加洛林时期(pre-Caroline)； 查理曼大帝在8世纪实现了加洛林王朝(Caroline)的强盛，阿尔昆(Alcuin)在此期间发明了著名的加洛林小写体(Carolingian minuscule)，将字母大小写正式区分开，这套优美清晰的字符在欧洲迅速流传，虽然王国在查理死后就迅速衰落了，但这个字体却一直影响到几百年后的文艺复兴时期； 从查理曼帝国分裂出来的东法兰克王国在11世纪发展成为神圣罗马帝国，主导欧洲局势，于是这些哥特人后裔在宗教祭祀中使用的一种特殊字体——哥特体(Gothic)开始流行，但是这种富有装饰性的字体并不适合书写和阅读，于是又出现了许多变体，如用于写书的Anglicana(因为在英国广泛使用，故名)，用于法庭记录的Chancery，和顾名思义的Secretary等等； 到了14世纪，从意大利兴起的文艺复兴(Renaissance)席卷了整个欧洲，人文主义学者们(humanist scholars)所采用的人文书体(Humanist scripts)成为主流，虽然这种基于加洛林小写体的字符仍带有某些哥特风格，1450年德国古登堡(Gutenburg)发明了活版印刷术后，老式的Black Letter不适合这种新工艺，意大利的出版商就用他们当地流行的字体印刷了大量作品，从此以意大利体(Italic)闻名(国内译作斜体已是积重难返了)，而德国也吸收了人文书体的一些优点形成哥特体的一个变种Fraktur以便印刷，而且在日常书写中也产生了自己的手写体Kurrent(Old German Script)，它现代的版本German Script 即通常所说的“花体”； 在近现代仍有许多印刷字体、艺术字体和广告字体不断涌现，比如用于铜版印刷的圆体(English Round hand)、德国设计师聚特林发展出的聚特林字体（Sütterlin）等等 说了这么多，其实常写的也就意大利体（图二）、花体、圆体几种。这种利用平头笔尖的旋转来产生线条粗细变化的技巧与汉字的书写传统还是有不小差别的（与金农的漆书倒是有几分神似）。因为只有26个字母，很容易上手，不过常常由于字形缺少变化而显得呆板，这时章法布局就显得尤为重要了。最后介绍几个站点：英文书法国际联合会网站 IAMPETH，站点提供了许多会员作品，PDF扫描图书，在线课程，甚至示范视频等一系列免费资源，很有帮助。另外，剑桥的中世纪英语书法在线课程(English Handwriting 1500-1700: An online course)则提供了更古老的材料，可窥见英文当年的风貌。而意大利体的学习可以参考Arrighi’s Operina，这本16世纪的小册子提供了极好的范本，而且是免费发布的。注：本文参考了《包装与设计》2004年第2期中阚宇的《拉丁字体的起源与发展》

Introduction to Chinese Calligraphy Chinese calligraphy (Brush calligraphy) is an art unique to Asian cultures. Shu (calligraphy), Hua (painting), Qin (a string musical instrument), and Qi (a strategic boardgame) are the four basic skills and disciplines of the Chinese literati. Regarded as the most abstract and sublime form of art in Chinese culture, "Shu Fa" (calligraphy) is often thought to be most revealing of one's personality. During the imperial era, calligraphy was used as an important criterion for selection of executives to the Imperial court. Unlike other visual art techniques, all calligraphy strokes are permanent and incorrigible, demanding careful planning and confident execution. Such are the skills required for an administrator / executive. While one has to conform to the defined structure of words, the expression can be extremely creative. To exercise humanistic imagination and touch under the faceless laws and regulations is also a virtue well appreciated. By controlling the concentration of ink, the thickness and adsorptivity of the paper, and the flexibility of the brush, the artist is free to produce an infinite variety of styles and forms. In contrast to western calligraphy, diffusing ink blots and dry brush strokes are viewed as a natural impromptu expression rather than a fault. While western calligraphy often pursue font-like uniformity, homogeneity of characters in one size is only a craft. To the artist, calligraphy is a mental exercise that coordinates the mind and the body to choose the best styling in expressing the content of the passage. It is a most relaxing yet highly disciplined exercise indeed for one's physical and spiritual well being. Historically, many calligraphy artists were well-known for their longevity. Brush calligraphy is not only loved and practiced by Chinese. Koreans and Japanese equally adore calligraphy as an important treasure of their heritage. Many Japanese schools still have the tradition of having a student contest of writing big characters during beginning of a new school year. A biannual gathering commemorating the Lanting Xu by Wang Xi Zhi (The most famous Chinese calligrapher in Jin dynasty, ) is said to be held ceremonially in Japan. There is a national award of Wang Xi Zhi prize for the best calligraphy artist. Not too long ago, Korean government officials were required to excel in calligraphy. The office of Okinawa governor still displays a large screen of Chinese calligraphy as a dominating decor. In the West, Picasso and Matisse are two artists who openly declared the influence by Chinese calligraphy on their works.多谢你采纳了我的二个答案。但中国书法这篇不行吗？这是专门介绍中国的书法（毛笔书法）的。再奉上另一篇：Chinese Calligraphy The Chinese Brush Calligraphy is one of the traditional four arts which was once an important critical standard for the Chinese literati in the imperial era and now prevails not only in China but also worldwide as a unique branch of art. Calligraphy is so abstract and sublime that in Chinese culture it is universally regarded to be the most revealing power of a person. While one has conformed to the defined structure of words, the expression can be displayed with great creativity by individuals. To become an artist or expert in calligraphy, one has to practice word by word and stroke by stroke until the spirit of the practice gets into one's mind. Just as Chinese Qi Gong, the Chinese brush calligraphy can temper a person into a state in which one can apply subconsciousness got from the daily practice to control the concentration of ink and the compatibility of font and size of each piece or word. In contrast to the Western calligraphy, diffusing ink blots and dry brush strokes are viewed as a natural and free impromptu expression. All the varieties of the operation depend on the mental exercise that coordinates the mind and the body to perform the proper sense to choose the proper way in expressing the content of the passage. Calligraphy is considered as an active way of keeping one fit and health for the practice is either relaxing or self-entertaining. Historically, many calligraphy artists both in China and Japan were well known for their longevity.