Instruction of Calligraphy as a Complete Version of Traditional Art Instruction

There is not adequate information available about traditional instruction system in the field of visual arts in the pre-modern period. Instruction of calligraphy can be considered as traditional instruction of art in a way that its guidelines and instructional texts are remained almost intact. Instruction of calligraphy is implemented in aprofessor-student procedure and is accompanied with various assignments and unique and unreplaceableguidance of the professor. In the present study, the author tried to explain instruction of calligraphy as a complete version of traditional instruction of (visual) art. The fundamental question of the present study is that how traditional instruction of art in the field of visual art and in the today’s common formats could be formed in the art education Departments. The method of instructing calligraphy can be helpful in this regard. In the instruction of calligraphy, each one of the assignments, namely theoretical, calligraphy pen and imaginary, meets a part of the student’s different educational needs. In theoretical assignments, in addition to studying the calligraphy of the professor for the goal ofcalligraphy and visual literacy of the student,also paying attention to the hand of the professor at the time of practicing example and scraping the calligraphy pen will help him/her to mentally and visually understand calligraphy and enjoy it as well. After doing theoretical assignment,it is the time for practicing calligraphy-pen assignment and using professor’s examples. Thestudent should achieve enough expertise in recognizing seventeen elements and non-educational elements of calligraphy by practicing calligraphy-pen assignment. Therefore, the professor can convince himself that s/he is ready to learn the final stage of assignment, i.e., imaginary assignment. Then the professor applies imaginary assignment for the student in order to strengthen his/her creativity in forming sound compositions. At this stage, as long as the professor decides, various assignments will always be practiced and tried. In general, the theoretical assignment is used to develop the mental viewpoints of the trainee;calligraphy-pen assignment is usedfor making the theoretical instructions practical and operational, designing figure of calligraphy on paper with anefficient method and finding the style of writing in calligraphy; at the end, imaginary assignment is used to run the creative power of the student and develop innovativecompositions in calligraphy. Therefore, the calligrapher should try to achieve divine virtue until it reflects in his/her calligraphy like mirror. For the professor and the student avoiding immoral and evil features and getting close to God to achieve spiritual virtues are considered as the main issues for learning this art as the great calligraphers mentioned in their dissertations of ways of assignment that features of calligrapher will undoubtedly be reflected in his calligraphy.Its customs, assignments and instructional methods are sufficient to meet the educational needs of art students. The course of calligraphy instruction will be completed when the professorgives the graduation certificate of the student to him/her as a permission documentto work. In this regard, calligraphy professors have prepared dissertations for instructing students that are called “customs of calligraphy or customs of assignment”.