Quote:
Originally Posted by protheus
I feel a bit on the downside, I'm trying to guess the script used in the last one, I tend towards bone script, but I still feel like I'm wrong about it. It's something like, I can see it, but I can't really pin it.
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this is seal script. in fact its aiming at small seal script, which was a creation of Qin dynasty when in 221BC Priminister Li Si unified great seal script. In fact, oracle bone script is considered a part of seal script family in a broad sense, as kanji 篆 in the word seal script (篆書) means to engrave. Since oracle bone script was incised (though not in all periods), and exsisted parallelly with kinbun (金文, lit text on metal / i.e. bronze ware) one could say that both of these go under the great seal script family.
small seal script was more unified, characters were still oblong, but the lines more refined and of regular thickness. Intervals between the lines were more or less even. Small seal script has round endings of lines and is written with a "hiding of the brush tip" technique, whcih entraps the energy flow within the lines. This is where it gets its dignified looks from.
To ahcieve the above, the brush must be hold at 90 degrees to the paper at all times, to make sure that that brush tip runs in the center of the line. Doing so, it does not matter which direction the brush turns, the tip is always concealed. It is also to be written very slowly. Seal scrip is very difficult and requires deep knowledge of character etymology. So before I write anything I do a research, dig dictionaries for calligraphy scripts etc.
Here is a fragment of the tablet written by Li Si
Oracle bone script was carved on hard surfaces of bones and plastrons. You will notice that all ends of the lines are sharp, just like splinters, and curves are sometimes made of multiple short straight cuts. In small seal the curves are smooth, lines relaxed and flowing, yet upright and proud.
Another difference is that oracle bone is much more pictographic, while small seal is more abstract. To be honest, I prefer the great seal script as it gives more freedom for improvisation and artistic madness, but again, the knowledge required to freely apply this in writing is immense.