2. Regular script brushwork

Don't draw strokes too thick or you'll have trouble controlling the forms, nor too thin or the forms will look haggard. Don't show off brush tip too much or you'll have flippant brushworks, nor round out corners too much or you'll have listless brushworks. Ouyang Xun knitted rigid characters, but his brushwork epitomized the merits of old masters, so were his small characters, following the model of Zhong You and Wang Xizhi, reaching a height no one ever came up to. Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan neither knitted nor drew characters as the ancients did. I think they marked a new calligraphic trend. For several hundred years everyone seemed to run after them for inspiration. Their strokes are skillful and vigorous, which can yet be regarded as a good turn, but the demeanor of the Wei and the Jin was thus dragged in the dust. Even so, Liu is praiseworthy for his clear, brisk strokes. Some people still imitate his style today, but their imitations are not worth looking at for their thick and, therefor, muddled strokes. This is why it is better to be thin than thick.

5. Ink and brush

Keep brush dry, but not too dry, for regular script. You can mix the uses of fully-charged and exhausted brush for semi-cursive and cursive script. A wet brush gives lush impression and a dry brush gives risky impression. Be aware that thick ink retards brush movement; if it is too thick, the brush will lose shape. The tip of a brush must be long, springy and round. A long tip reserves more ink and facilitates manipulation; a springy tip comes with force; a round tip contributes to neat shape. The springiness of a brush can be compared to the performances of bow and sword. Bowstring stretches at draw, but straightens when released; sword bends under stress, but springs back after withdrawal. A good brush should have similar quality. If it loses the shape after one stroke, how can it match one's wishes? Without springiness the length would be a vain merit; in addition, without roundness the springiness would be a vain merit. Paper, brush and ink are the aids of calligraphy.

12. Expression

Expression requires noble character, learning of old masters, fine paper and brush, vigorous effort, adaptive decision, full-bodied tones and, lastly, new ideas. Different stroke has different personality. Long stroke can be a slender bachelor; short stroke a stocky chap; lean stroke a hermit in remote mountain; fleshy stroke a youth of rich birth; firm stroke a warrior; gentle stroke a beautiful woman; slanting stroke a tipsy Taoist priest; straight stroke a worthy.

13. Speed

Low speed produces sweetness and fast speed produces forcefulness. Low speed is based on the ability of rapid speed. Those who are single-minded on low speed are bound to be listless, while those who are single-minded on fast speed tends to make slips.

Song masters mood practice wasn't reliable - expression would lose its significance the moment sentiments exhausted. This happened in the Southern Song. On realizing the vital importance of basic training, poet Jiang Kui wrote this treatise. His writing is divided in eighteen sections, or paragraphs - preface, regular script, regular script brushwork, cursive script, brushwork, ink and brush, semi-cursive script, making copy, regular script versus cursive script, stroke face, radical placement, spacing, expression, speed, stroke, character, consistency and inscription.