Learn calligraphy: clerical script, part 3 (b) - dots

To view the part 3 (a) of this tutorial, as well as other tutorials on Chinese calligraphy scripts, please navigate to the calligraphy tutorials menu.

To understand the differences between the clerical script (隷書) and the standard script (楷書) one has to learn about the origins of the scripts of Chinese calligraphy. Clerical script evolved from seal script (篆書), whereas standard script evolved from clerical script.

There are many types of dots in clerical script, and they differ in the way of writing (the brush operating method) and, consequently, the shape. The type of dots shown in the diagram above, are remnants of the seal script form of certain strokes or radicals in seal script. The positioning of such dots, and their length or shape may be different, but they remain connected to the main structure of the character. In case of 武 (warrior), the dot in the top right-hand corner (the same that is written as a last stroke of the character - see below movie for details), was originally attached to the top part of the right slanting sweep stroke (written as second stroke in the video).

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Now, the 戈 in 武 is the pictograph of a long Chinese spear (鉾), and the dot stroke that you see in the clerical and standard script forms of 武 are the pictographic elements of the base of the spear blade.

part 3 (a)

clerical script menu

part (3 (c)