Is this legible?

[Shelley]

This might be useful http://www.archchinese.com/chinese_character_strokes.html

and this http://www.archchinese.com/chinese_stroke_order_rules.html

I am sure there is an online stroke order tool but I can't find it at the moment, maybe someone else will know.

[Cherie Lee]

Shelley, this absolutely does help.   For instance, I didn't realize the center line in "beauty" in actually the 5th and 8th strokes, when I was treating it as one stroke (the 3rd), which also demonstrats my lack of knowledge that horizontal lines typically go first.  (Look how much I learned just this morning! )

 

It also helps me better see the connection between the traditional vs. calligraphic  characters,  which helps me bunches because, for one thing the calligraphic ones are harder to find, and for another it gives me clues as to what kind of leeway a have in manipulating some things. 

I'm now at least practicing them on paper, (thanks to the link mentioning the importance of just that).  I cannot believe I actually jumped right to carving before I even even wrote a single word on paper!   I'm so anxious to produce this piece that I'm skipping over every single *basic* thing that will make it good! 

 

[Cherie Lee]

Lips,  what do you mean when you say "the character for "grace" posted above was a commercial font sample, and you should handle it accordingly."  ?

[lips]

12 minutes ago, Cherie Lee said:

the character for "grace" posted above was a commercial font sample, and you should handle it accordingly

i mean from the perspective of commercial rights.

[Cherie Lee]

Ah,  got it.   Thank you for that. 

 

So on that note Shelley's link is causing me confusion now (that didn't take long, huh?):

In the pic below the character on the left follows the traditional character stroke order,  but the one I'm leaning toward using and hopefully sketch-carving today seems to get muddled after the 5 th stroke.   It looks like after 5, 7 blends into 6 and *then* picks back up at 8th.  But it doesn't *look* like 7 and 6 are treated as a single stroke.   Can anyone clarify how best to handle this seemingly important stroke(s).  It seems to me that one part eliminates the entire center section of the character and should not be handled too causally

[Shelley]

There are different ways to write chinese characters, one of them is what is sometimes called the clerks script, this is very clear and follows the writing rules clearly. There are other ones of which one is called running script or sometimes grass script this can sometimes bear no resemblance to the clerks script or modern printed type.

 

Running script examples here https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=running+script+chinese&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjbwIP51NTVAhWLbFAKHSZtAJsQ_AUICigB&biw=1373&bih=702

 

This is grass script https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1373&bih=702&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=grass+script+chinese&oq=grass+script+chinese&gs_l=psy-ab.12..0.201603.204969.0.207654.12.12.0.0.0.0.131.1095.4j7.11.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..1.5.556...0i13i30k1j0i7i30k1j0i8i30k1j0i13k1.5c3Fe05TyvU

You can see how similar they are.

 

It can be likened to the difference between printing and cursive writing. If you look at all the fonts available to write English you must have seen some that are really hard to read because of the style.

 

This more cursive script is often used in art or as an art form in its self.

 

It looks like the Grace on the right of your picture is more like a cursive font.

 

I think you could look at different styles, pick one you like and work on it, is this project a one off or are you planning more? If you are going to do more it might be worth trying to follow a course or some sort of class, just to give you the grounding to explore for your yourself.

 

Your carving skills are good so you can concentrate on the design.

 

Hope it goes well.

[Cherie Lee]

Oh wow the grass script seems to reduce the character down to the very essence of the word itself.   Almost like a mere suggestion or sensation of the word.   It is absolutely beautiful. 

[Cherie Lee]

For instance: I have no idea what this might say,  but my god it's such a pleasing line, isn't it?   (Probably says something awful, and her I am admiring it! ).  

It's pretty without saying a thing

[Cherie Lee]

Oh!  Sorry!   Distracted by pretty things:

 

*Definately* definately a one off!   

 

In fact,  if I break the thing too far in, I might never restart.   I'm so worried about that after putting in this much to start. 

[陳德聰]

You are practically halfway to learning Chinese characters at this point, perhaps the best and most seemingly never-ending distraction known to the world. ;)

 

You're right that the squiggly font version of 雅 skips to the dot (7) first before sliding down into the (6). Something to note about calligraphy is that it sometimes seems to "break" "rules" of stroke order in order to make things look nicer or for ease of motion etc. At least that is my understanding as someone who is quite awful at calligraphy. I think this is only an issue for character recognition if divergence of form is major as with grass script (I can't actually read most grass script calligraphy at all), but the font lips posted is not such a major change.

 

Note though that the entire remaining five strokes are actually hinted at being one long didn't-lift-my-brush-at-all stroke.

[Cherie Lee]

《Note though that the entire remaining five strokes are actually hinted at being one long didn't-lift-my-brush-at-all stroke.》

 

That seems right to me 陳德聰, however it was that same thought that caused me trouble with my first attempt at "beauty" (thank you for the correction then too!)

 

《perhaps the best and most seemingly never-ending distraction known to the world. ;)》

...I love your love of it (and I'm starting to see why)

 

[Hofmann]

The stroke order of 隹 (the right side of 雅) most likely began with 丿丿丨... before it began with 丿丨丿.... Lips's example follows the former. Later, the second 丿 turned into 丶, what is called a "dot" in this thread. The rest of the character is probably 一丨一一一, and less likely 一一丨一一.

[889]

With something formal like this, and given the recipient's age as well, wouldn't 您 be more appropriate than 你？

[lips]

15 hours ago, Cherie Lee said:

are you saying there is something I can do to improve that top dot

I already changed the top right dot in the picture that I uploaded.  You can compare it with the one you last posted.

 

The following is the stroke order for the "grace" character that I posted.  Don't pay too much attention to the connections between strokes as they are just my quick guesses.  I did not actually try it with a brush.  What you can see from the endings and connections is the shape of the end of the stroke — whether it is rounded or pointed, and the direction the stroke takes at the end to move (maybe off the paper) to the beginning of the next stroke.  Also pay attention the slight change in thickness of each stroke.  These are the nuances that make it looks like a real character painted by a brush.  Also pardon my shaking hand when moving the mouse.

 

[Lu]

20 hours ago, Cherie Lee said:

("no corrections needed" is my constant but unobtainable goal)

As long as you keep posting your work here, people will come up with corrections. You have already passed through No Corrections Needed Town without stopping, you're currently on the road to 'no corrections possible', aka, the horizon. You're very welcome to continue your travels, because it's a pleasant and rewarding journey and we're all enjoying your company here. This is just to inform you of your location.

 

 

[Cherie Lee]

My goodness, you guys are awesome.   I *really* like you people, and I'm a misanthrope!!!  ;)

 

I haven't called each of you out by name, but I want you to know that the people here have become as much a reason to complete this (well!) as the original recipient.  It's become importent to me to impress you with the very knowledge you are sharing with me,  and exciting to know you all will have final say and approval on the finished piece before he will! 

When uncertainty *always* threatens to prevent progress, the people of this forum have given me the impetus to plow forward.

At this point,  I want to do you all proud.

It'll be the end of the week before I can drill again, which is killing me,  but once I get both sons back off to school....well,  then I can *really* get cracking! 

 

Lips,  what you did there was way cool,  and it was a revelation  to realize the little loops at stroke ends or brush direction changes.   That'll help form the stroke shapes better I think,  as long as I don't try to exaggerate what I'm sure is a super subtle motion

 

Lu: "This is just to inform you of your location" - your words were taken very much to heart - but you should remove the "just" from that sentence....knowing where you're standing can be the most valuable knowledge there is, but is often hard to see from your own view! 

 

889, I have no input because I have no context at all,  but your opinion is important to me - so I'd be very curious about your reasoning and what the differences would mean. 

Hoffman,  I confess I had to reread your post twice, but I think I understand (a bit of etymology in there no less, which does always help) and the way you conveyed stroke order via text was really quite clever.

 

  Thank you all again.   You have FAR exceeded my hopes and expectations, and now it'll be my turn in kind! (hope I measure up when all is said and done! )

 

[roddy]

This has been an eggcellent topic.

[Cherie Lee]

Oh Roddy!   Oh no!   The puns are too easy!   (But they do crack me up)

[889]

您 nin is simply the very polite form of 你 ni "you." But sometimes using it can seem affected and overdone, so I'd first see if others have any different thoughts.

[Cherie Lee]

Oh I see.   Well decorum is important to me.   I do wish to convey sincere respect and appreciation

It is all about honoring the recipient