Writing in the same style as someone else 臨書

A common practice in calligraphy is to try and write in the exact same style as a renowned calligrapher. This is called 臨書, and I used to print out a copy of the original work in the exact size that I am trying to write in. This was why I wrote a note-to-self about how to set image print size.

Recently, I decided to try something new. I printed a copy on A4 paper, and drew some guidelines in pencil to help with positioning and such. Then, I wrote on a 半切 piece of paper (135cm by 34.5cm).

This worked because I was only writing four characters. But I think I can use this technique in the future too, if I ever need to do this again. It also helped that the piece was horizontal and I was writing on a table, and so I could easily hold the A4 paper (clipped to a piece of cardboard for easier handling) with my left hand while writing with my right hand. It would be more challenging if the piece was vertical, and I had to straddle it while writing on the floor.