art of converting Chinese characters into expressive images using responsive rice paper and the pressure of a tapered brush), which verges on a form of drawing. It requires the correct formation of characters, the ordering of the various parts, and general harmony of proportions. Calligraphy requires decades of dedicated study to achieve mastery. For example, an aspiring student will practice inscribing the Chinese "yong" character hundreds (if not thousands) of times in order to produce the eight essential strokes which together make up the character. The two great forms of calligraphy derive from the Arabic and Oriental languages (Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean), although it has been regularly practised in the languages of India, Tibet, Persia, Latin and others.