Writing a word on hanshi

• Large brush
• Small brush
• Ink
• Hanshi
• Felt pad
• A printed model

Folding guide lines and the layout

Many students make soft folds in the paper before writing. The creases give you the center line and the boundary between the two characters.

1. Turn the hanshi 半紙 so the long side is vertical
2. Fold it in half lengthwise, and open it

   This gives you the vertical center line.

3. Fold it in half the other way

   This marks the boundary between the two characters. Some teachers have students fold the paper into eight sections for more guide lines.

4. Keep the folds light, and write on the smooth side

   The creases are only a gentle guide. A felt pad printed with grid lines does a similar job.

5. First character in the upper half, second in the lower half

   Japanese is written from top to bottom. When writing more lines, lines go from right to left.

6. Center each character, and leave margins

   Center each character on the vertical center line. The characters should fill the paper generously, but not touch the edges at the top, bottom, or sides.

7. Your name goes on the left, in the lower part

   Written smaller, with the small brush.

Writing a two-character word

1. Load the brush for the first character

   Full to the root, tip in a neat point. See ink and loading the brush.

2. Write the first character in the upper half

   Try not to stop and stare in the middle of a character.

3. Reload, and write the second character in the lower half

   Load the brush once for each character, and keep a steady rhythm.

4. Sign your name on the left with the small brush

   In a single vertical line, starting a little below the level of the top of the second character.

5. Stand up and look at the sheet from a little distance

   Balance is often easier to see from farther away.

6. Write the word five times, and keep the best sheet

   Compare each sheet with the model. That best sheet is your first work of shodo.

Balance between two characters

• The two characters look the same size. A character with few strokes, like 大, looks bigger than its size, and a character with many strokes looks smaller. So write the simpler character a little smaller and the more complex one a little larger. Compare 大 and 空 in the model for 大空.
• Each one sits on the center line, with margins all around.
• The rhythm was steady: load, write, reload, write, without stopping mid-character.
• You looked at the whole sheet from a little distance.

Sixteen model words to practice

These sixteen words were written by the calligraphy teachers of Kodomo School, the same kind of models our students copy in class. Each one has a free practice sheet to print, with the meaning of the word, the number of strokes in each character, and three points our teachers want you to notice.

1. Start with the easier words

   大空, 平和, 元気, and 花火 have fewer strokes, and three of them use characters from your first characters (大, 平, and 火). Words like 感謝 and 笑顔 have many strokes and are better saved for later.

2. Put the printed sheet beside your paper

   To the left, or to the right if you are left-handed, so you can glance at the model often.

3. Read the three points before you write

   Then write the word, compare, and choose one point to focus on for the next sheet.

4. Practice the hard character on its own

   If one character in a word gives you trouble, write it alone on a half sheet a few times, then return to the full word.

Peace平和 · heiwaHope希望 · kibōFriendship友情 · yūjōGratitude感謝 · kanshaCourage勇気 · yūkiSmile笑顔 · egaoFuture未来 · miraiNature自然 · shizenEffort努力 · doryokuChallenge挑戦 · chōsenHealth健康 · kenkōEnergy元気 · genkiThe Open Sky大空 · ōzoraSpring Breeze春風 · harukazeFireworks花火 · hanabiGrowth成長 · seichō

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