Scope and Purpose

The East Asian Calligraphy Challenge enables users to interact with texts in the collection by digitally practicing Asian calligraphy that coordinates with characters on the pages they are researching.

This interactive tool will allow users to see the process it takes to make one Asian calligraphic character; therefore, helping users gain an appreciation for the work that went into making the texts that contain thousands of these calligraphic characters. As an ordered art form, Asian calligraphy takes great practice and time to ensure perfection in each brushstroke. By using this interactive tool, users will be able to experience the process with a bit of instant gratification in that they won’t need any physical materials (brush, ink, paper) typically associated with practicing Asian calligraphy. One limitation is writing the algorithmic code that corrects users if their input does not directly resemble the example characters. Another limitation is incorporating this interactive tool into the preexisting layout of the East Asian texts on the Princeton University Digital Library website so that they are not intrusive to users who just wish to read the texts and not participate with the interactive tool. A third limitation is that many of these texts have been printed with moveable type and printmaking processes. Since they are not handwritten, users may not understand the comparison of digitally drawing the characters and relating them to the texts. Intended users are researchers, teachers, and hobbyists, as well as the general public. My overall goal is for users to gain appreciation of Asian calligraphic characters and the process of writing them.