How Did Ancient Chinese Calligraphers Hold Their Brushes?
How Did Ancient Chinese Calligraphers Hold Their Brushes?Have you ever thought about this question? Today I’m sharing an article originally titled “How Did Wang Xizhi Hold His Brush? Experts Say He May Have Used the ‘Two-Finger Method’,” originally published in Yangtze Evening News. Qi Ming finds this very interesting (though this doesn’t necessarily represent my personal views on brush-holding methods), so I’m sharing it here.
When we mention Wang Xizhi, most people have heard of him. He created the world’s most famous running script work, “Lantingji Xu” (Preface to the Orchid Pavilion), and is honored by later generations as the “Sage of Calligraphy.” However, not many people know how he actually held his Chinese brush. Today, let’s explore Wang Xizhi’s brush-holding method and how these techniques have changed throughout history.
Full article below:
Wang Xizhi’s two-finger single-hook method. [Eastern Jin Dynasty] Gu Kaizhi’s “Cutting the Qin” (detail)
Wang Xizhi Held His Brush Using “Two-Finger Zen”!
Nanjing Museum experts reached an interesting conclusion: the two-finger “single-hook” method produces the most beautiful calligraphy. It’s time to abandon the five-finger grip method.
How to correctly hold a brush is a fundamental lesson for every beginner in Chinese calligraphy and painting. Throughout history, the best brush users were undoubtedly the “Sage of Calligraphy” and the “Sage of Painting.” How did they hold their brushes?
Recently, the Nanjing Museum completed an important research project called “Study of Brush-Holding Methods Throughout Chinese History.” Experts examined hundreds of ancient paintings and documented how Chinese people’s brush-holding techniques evolved over time. They also discovered that Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Wu Daozi of the Tang Dynasty may have both used the “two-finger zen” method.
Han Dynasty People Held Brushes Like Making a Fist
The grip-style brush-holding method. [Eastern Han] “Cangjie” (detail)
Brush-holding methods can be classified by how many fingers touch the brush shaft – “two-finger,” “three-finger,” “four-finger,” or “five-finger.” They can also be categorized by whether the ring finger and pinky are suspended in the air, creating “single-hook” or “double-hook” variations. For example, “two-finger single-hook” – the variations are endless.
Zhuang Tianming, head of the “Study of Brush-Holding Methods Throughout Chinese History” project and former director of the Ancient Art Research Institute at Nanjing Museum, collected extensive visual materials and analyzed brush-holding characteristics from different periods. He found that Chinese people held brushes differently in each era.
For example, Han Dynasty official script is known for its square, powerful strokes. When writing in this style, Han Dynasty people held their brushes quite roughly – with the brush tip pointing down, the entire palm gripping the shaft, like making a fist. This was called the “grip method.”
“How Han Dynasty people held brushes was always a mystery. During our research, we found images of how people held brushes on Han Dynasty stone carvings – direct historical evidence,” Zhuang Tianming explains. Numerous stone carvings show that the “grip method” was very popular during the Eastern Han Dynasty.
For instance, on stone carvings from Linyi, Shandong Province, Cangjie is shown holding a brush using the grip method. This suggests that to promote and standardize this brush-holding technique, people imagined the legendary inventor of Chinese characters using the grip method, establishing it as the ancient and orthodox way.
Three-Finger Method Most Popular, Two-Finger Method Best
The three-finger method that Zhuang Tianming considers most worthy of learning. ([Northern Qi] Yang Zihua’s “Collating Books,” part 1, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)
Zhuang Tianming discovered that from the Jin and Tang Dynasties through the Five Dynasties period, the two-finger and three-finger single-hook methods were most popular. During the Song Dynasty, although the single-hook method remained dominant, the double-hook method gradually emerged. By the Yuan Dynasty, single-hook and double-hook methods coexisted equally.
During the Ming Dynasty, while people still used the single-hook method, the three-finger double-hook method became most popular. The Qing Dynasty saw multiple methods coexisting – single-hook, double-hook, four-finger, and wrist-turning methods all appeared.
“For over a thousand years, Chinese people primarily used two or three fingers to hold brushes. Four-finger methods only appeared during the Qing Dynasty.”
Zhuang Tianming explains that worldwide, the most common method is the three-finger grip – using the thumb, index finger, and middle finger together. This is also the method used for modern pen writing in China today. However, this isn’t the optimal method.
How Did the Famous Wang Xizhi Hold His Brush?
In “Cutting the Qin,” painted by Gu Kaizhi, a great painter from Wang Xizhi’s era, the figures clearly hold brushes using the two-finger single-hook method. In Song Dynasty painter Liang Kai’s “Wang Youjun Writing on a Fan,” Wang Xizhi also uses the two-finger single-hook method.
Zhuang Tianming explains that the two-finger method is actually a technique that primarily uses the index finger with the thumb as support. It’s the simplest and most flexible brush-holding method. Zhuang originally used the three-finger method, but after practicing the two-finger single-hook method for several months, he found “not only did the brush not slip, but the sensitivity and flexibility between brush and fingers became much more apparent.”
Zhuang Tianming, author of “The Evolution of Brush-Holding Methods”
Visitors viewing the “Evolution of Brush-Holding Methods – Historical Brush-Holding Images Exhibition” on the first floor of the Nanjing Museum Art Gallery.
What’s Wrong with Today’s Five-Finger Method?
The five-finger method that Zhuang Tianming believes should be abandoned.
Now let’s return to the present day. Many people learned to write with Chinese brushes in childhood using the “five-finger grip method,” where all five fingers contact the brush shaft.
Zhuang Tianming’s research found that the five-finger method has a very short history – only about 50 years. He believes this method became mainstream because modern calligraphy textbooks with five-finger grip illustrations were widely published. At the same time, people changed from suspended-wrist writing to resting their wrists and arms on the table while writing.
Zhuang Tianming believes the five-finger grip method, now widely popular, has obvious drawbacks. “Simply put, it’s complicated and difficult, rigid and inconvenient.” He suggests that when teaching children calligraphy today, we should abandon the five-finger method as soon as possible. While the two-finger method produces the best results, it’s also the most difficult. Teaching children the three-finger method is more appropriate.
(Here Qi Ming wants to remind everyone that this point is highly debated. Qi Ming recommends you watch “Huang Jian’s Basic Calligraphy Course (Recommended for Calligraphy Beginners).” Teacher Huang Jian believes the five-finger grip method is the orthodox way to hold a brush.) (Source: Yangtze Evening News)
How Did Ancient Chinese Calligraphers Hold Their Brushes？
The world’s earliest brush-holding method
Tang Dynasty brush-holding method
Song Dynasty brush-holding method
Jin Dynasty brush-holding method
Northern and Southern Dynasties brush-holding method
Five Dynasties brush-holding method
Gu Kaizhi’s brush-holding method
Wang Xizhi’s brush-holding diagramRetry
Conclusion
Understanding how ancient Chinese calligraphers held their brushes offers us valuable insights into the rich tradition of Chinese calligraphy. From the Han Dynasty’s fist-like grip method to the elegant two-finger technique favored by masters like Wang Xizhi, each era developed its own approach to brush handling.
While there’s ongoing debate about which method is best for modern learners, one thing is clear: the question of how ancient Chinese calligraphers held their brushes is not just about technique, but about connecting with centuries of artistic tradition. Whether you choose the two-finger method recommended by Zhuang Tianming, the three-finger approach for beginners, or the widely-taught five-finger grip, the most important thing is to find a method that allows you to express yourself through this beautiful art form.
At Qi Ming Wen Fang, we encourage you to explore different techniques and discover what works best for you in your calligraphy journey.
If you want to learn more about Chinese brushes, you can read the following articles：
Top 10 Chinese Calligraphy Brushes: The Ultimate Guide to Selection and Care
Best Calligraphy Brushes for Beginners: Complete Guide to Choosing Your First Writing Brush
