The cultural background of paper-cutting
According to research, since the Shang Dynasty (1600-1100 BC), some people have used gold and silver foil, leather or silk fabrics to make and decorate the air. Taste. In the Western Han Dynasty, people used hemp fiber to make paper. It is said that after the death of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, his favorite concubine Li, the emperor missed her so much that he could not sleep well and could not eat to her taste, so he asked a magician to cut out the image of Concubine Li with hemp paper to summon her soul. This is probably The earliest paper cutting. In 105 AD, Cai Lun improved and promoted the experience of his predecessors and began to make large amounts of paper. This form of carving found a more popular material and gave birth to the art of paper-cutting, which has a history of more than 2,000 years.
During the Tang and Song dynasties, the custom of "engraving gold for success" was popular. "Sheng" is a pattern cut and carved from paper, gold and silver foil, or silk. Those cut into square geometric shapes are called "Fang Sheng"; those cut into flowers and grass shapes are called "Huasheng". Those in human form are called "human beings". Liang Zongmao of the Southern Dynasty recorded in "Jingchu Suishiji": "The seventh day of the first lunar month is the Human Day." The sun is ox, the horse is on the sixth day, the people are on the seventh day, and the grain is on the eighth day. If the sun is sunny, the things it controls will be prosperous, and if it is cloudy, the people will be the most important. Plant vegetables to make soup; cut ribbons to make people, or carve gold foil to make people, and put them on screens, or wear them on the temples; and make beautiful flowers to give them to each other."
Du Fu, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote "Human Day" as a poem. He wrote a poem with the title: "On this day and at this time, people are in love, chatting, laughing and looking at each other. The cypress leaves in front of you are resting with the wine, and the golden flowers are clever and cold-resistant." Another famous poet of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shangyin, also wrote " The poem "Renri" by Li Yuan in the Tang Dynasty said: "The work of carving gold is the best to spread the Jing customs, and the cutting of the ribbon brings the Jin style to people." Li Yuan's poem "Cutting the Ribbon" of the Tang Dynasty wrote: "The ribbon-cutting is a gift for a blind date, the silver is decorated with phoenixes, and the two birds are flying. The people of Twice Bridge, the leaves are chasing the golden sword, and the flowers are new with the jade. May you live forever and have spring everywhere. "Among the cultural relics unearthed in Xinjiang in the 1960s, there is also a paper-cut from the Tang Dynasty. Seven female figures are arranged in a row, which is used to surround the bun.
In Shosoin in Japan, there are two pieces of Huasheng from the Tang Dynasty. According to Japan’s "Records of Miscellaneous Wealth and Materials" in the third year of Qiheng (856 AD): "Two pieces of people win...Tianping Baozi Yuan" "On the twenty-fourth day of the eighth lunar month, the first year of Japan's Tianping Baozi was the second year of Zhide in the Tang Dynasty (757 AD). One of them has Luodi gold foil characters, with the auspicious words cut on it: "May the festival be prosperous, the blessings will be new, the peace will last forever, and the life will be guaranteed for thousands of springs." The other one has complex borders engraved with gold foil and decorated with red and green In the center of Luo's flowers and leaves is a child playing with a dog under a bamboo forest.
At that time, there was also a popular kind of small flag cut from double silk silk, called Chun Banner, or Banner Sheng, Chun Sheng. , on the day of the beginning of spring, as a holiday gift, it is either tied on the head, hung on a willow branch, or posted on the screen. Li Shangyin wrote in "Jiao'er Poems": "Please tell me that spring is the best, and spring is the best day for spring." "It means Master Jiaoergun asked his father to write the word "Yichun" on the spring banner made by cutting the ribbon. Because the day of spring is the first day of spring, symbolizing the recovery and prosperity of all things, so in the Tang and Song Dynasties, the folk custom of cutting the ribbon on the Ribbon Day The activities gradually concentrated on the Beginning of Spring, when people cut various banners, spring banners, spring swallows, spring butterflies, etc. as holiday gifts. The emperor also met with the ministers on this day and gave them gold and silver banners or Luo banners respectively. Victory.
Li Qingzhao, a female poet in the Song Dynasty, wrote in the poem "Bodhisattva Man": "The phoenix hairpin at the bottom of the candle is bright, and the person with the hairpin head is light. "There is a kind of bird, which is named the hoopoe because it has a large golden crest on its head that looks like a flag holding a flag. In Wei Yingwu's "Listening to the Song of Orioles", "The shrike makes a cramped sound when it flies by, and the mulberry fields are green when the hoopoe falls. " has become a symbol of spring's return to the earth.
Chen Yuanliang of the Song Dynasty's "Sui Sui Guang Ji" records: "On New Year's Day, cut forty-nine flags from crow-green paper or green silk, and surround a big flag, or the age of the parents. Contain it, or stick it on the door.
In the Song Dynasty, with the prosperity and development of economy and culture, many arts and crafts came into being, and professional paper-cut artists emerged. Zhou Mi's "Zhiyatang Miscellaneous Notes" records: At that time, in Peiliang, the capital, "towards the old Tiandu Street, there were people who cut various patterns of colors, which were very exquisite and could be made as they wanted. There were also people who were more respectful in the middle of the tiles, and every time they cut the calligraphy of each family, they were specialized in it." . Later, a young man suddenly became more skilled in cutting words and flowers on his sleeves, so he became famous for his unique skills.
The notes and local chronicles of the Ming and Qing Dynasties also recorded the paper-cutting masters. For example, "Suzhou Fu Zhi" records: "Zhao E, Jiajing Zhong made gauze lanterns, carved with paper into the shape of flowers, bamboos and birds, with light and dark colors. Dissolve wax, apply dye, and clamp it with light silk.
It is bright and clear when reflecting the sun, and the flowers are flying and dancing, and they are lost in the light smoke, and it is indistinguishable from the real thing. "
"Yanzhou Jiande County Chronicle" records: "Lin Wenyao, whose courtesy name is Gangzhai, has been working as a calligrapher since he was a child. He became blind in middle age. The people in the room decorated the room with scrolls, and... people called her "Lin Jian" on that day. "Baoding Prefecture Chronicle" records: "The famous woman is the daughter of Zhang Caigong. She has clever ideas and talks with people. She has spring flowers and autumn chrysanthemums cut in her sleeves. The thin grass and the weeping poplars are so fascinating that the cut and incense are so ingenious that those who get them will treasure them.
Chen Yunbo's "New Song of Painting in the Forest" of the Qing Dynasty said: "Cut paintings, Southern Song Dynasty." At that time, some people could cut words on their sleeves, which was no different from the famous names of the ancients. In recent years, Bao Jun from Yangzhou has done the best work on this, especially the landscapes, figures, flowers, birds, grass and insects, all of which are exquisite. "There is also a poem that says: "Cutting pictures is smarter than cutting books, flying flowers and birds swimming near fish; no matter how good the spring breeze is in February, cutting out weeping poplars may not be as good. "During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, Zou Yuandou, a court painter, painted a custom painting "Sui Dynasty Picture Scroll" blessing the beginning of the new year. The upper end of the painting was painted with five colorful paper-cut "mencages" hanging. The form of the door note is derived from the Spring Festival. In the Qing Dynasty, the Manchu people had the custom of paper-cutting, which led to the introduction of paper-cutting into the palace. In the Forbidden City, the Shenning Palace where emperors held weddings was decorated with paper according to Manchu customs, and the four corners were pasted with black characters "Double Happiness". Paper-cut horn flowers, black paper-cut dragons and phoenixes are pasted on the center of the ceiling; there are also horn flowers on the walls of the aisles on both sides of the palace. It is said that someone used paper to cut out the "Liuhe Spring" pattern with cranes and pine, and painted it. Even the Queen Mother of the West thought it was embroidered when it was attached to court clothes.
It can be said that the art of paper-cutting has never ceased to have wide spread, large number, and many styles. The depth is more prominent than any kind of art. In various folk activities, she is present everywhere, attaching beauty to life, enriching life, and silently arousing people's pursuit of life in her unique way. The belief in life and the hope for the prosperity of the country and the prosperity of the people; she embellishes people's ordinary lives so magnificently and colorfully, fully embodying and embodying our Chinese nation's pursuit and yearning for truth, goodness and beauty; she strives to satisfy people's higher social needs It thrives due to spiritual needs.
Nowadays, the world of paper-cutting is broader. It has already moved out of the small courtyards of farmers and entered the vast world of modern design. It is used in product packaging design, trademark advertising, and interior design. Her influence can be seen in various aspects such as acting, costume design, book binding, stamp design, newspaper inscriptions, comics, stage art, animation, film and television, etc. She has also gone global and become famous, becoming the cultural wealth and cultural wealth of all mankind. Art treasures. With the process of history, many ethnic and traditional things have been gradually diluted and obliterated. However, the sign of true civilization should be the coexistence of traditional culture and modern culture. May this ancient art develop together. The tree is evergreen and always new.
Characteristics and styles of paper-cutting art
Each art has its own unique artistic style, due to the paper-cutting material (paper) and the tools used ( scissors and carving knives) determines that paper-cutting has its own artistic style. The art of paper-cutting is an "easy to learn" but "difficult to master" folk art. Most of the authors are from rural women and folk artists, because he or she. They use the things they see and hear in real life as themes and observe objects based on simple emotions and intuitive impressions. Therefore, they form a special style of paper-cut art that is rich, simple, concise and bright, reflecting the unpretentious style of farmers. The following aspects can be summarized from previous experience:
1. Since paper-cut works are cut or carved on paper, they must be hollowed out. Method, due to the hollowing out, the paper-cuts with positive patterns must be connected line by line, and the paper-cuts with negative patterns must be cut line by line. If part of the lines are cut, the entire paper-cut will be fragmented and the picture will not be formed. This creates a structure that lasts for thousands of years and is constantly cut. This is an important feature of paper-cut art. Paper-cutting pays great attention to lines, because the picture of paper-cutting is composed of lines. Zhang Yongshou, a famous old paper-cutting artist in Yangzhou, summarized the lines of paper-cutting into five words based on his long-term practical experience: "round, sharp, square, missing, and line." The requirements are: "round like the autumn moon, pointed like wheat awns, square like green bricks, without jagged teeth, and lines like beards." It can be said that lines are the basis of paper-cut modeling.
2. Patterning of composition and modeling In terms of composition, paper-cutting is different from other paintings. "It is more difficult to express the three-dimensional space, the overlapping of scenes and images, and there are often breakthroughs in the proportions and perspective relationships between objects."
It is mainly based on the relationship between the image and the content, and often uses combination techniques. Due to the exaggerated deformation of the shape, it can also use some rules of the beauty of pattern form to achieve symmetry, uniformity, balance, combination, continuity, etc. It can arrange the sun, moon, stars, birds, clouds, buildings, people, and animals on the ground into one picture at the same time. Common forms include "building layers high" or using "partitions to change scenery".
3． The image is exaggerated, concise, graceful, and full of rhythm. Due to the limitations of tools and materials, paper-cutting requires that when processing the image, it must not only grasp the characteristics of the object, but also make the lines connect naturally. Therefore, naturalistic realistic techniques cannot be adopted. It is required to focus on the main parts of the image and boldly discard the secondary parts to make the main body clear at a glance. The shape should be prominent, forming a simple and generous sense of grace, the image and posture should be exaggerated, the movements should be large, and the postures should be graceful, just like the debut movements on the stage, with a sense of rhythm.
4. Colors should be simple and bright. The colors of paper-cutting should be simple and complex, and the combination of similar colors, similar colors and adjacent colors should be avoided. It is required to seek coordination in contrasting colors. Also pay attention to the proportion of colors. If one main color is used to form the main tone, the contrast of other colors can be reduced to varying degrees. Sometimes when various colors are juxtaposed and it feels a little stiff, put them in black respectively. In the main manuscript cut in gold, you can get a harmonious and bright feeling.
5. Knife techniques must be "stable, accurate and skillful". Many characteristics and styles of folk paper-cutting are due to certain skills in knife techniques. For example, Zhang Yongshou's "Hundred Chrysanthemums" painting uses knife techniques in many places. Skill. For example, a chrysanthemum with "Arhat's beard" has straight petals when it first opens. When it blooms, it curls up to form a spiral ring. To cut this kind of chrysanthemum, you need to cut petals one by one from the inside to the outside. After cutting, the petals curl. Only by doing so freely can you create a chrysanthemum with a unique image and unique flavor. If you want to carve a chrysanthemum called "Egret Feather", because when it blooms, one petal is nested inside another petal, and one petal is hooked with another petal. When cutting this kind of chrysanthemum, you need to use the "cutting method", and the cut area should be in pieces. When the petals are connected and the petals follow each other, the thickness and size of the petals can be varied and varied, and the cut flowers can be as plump and beautiful as the feathers of an egret.
When cutting a large number of paper cuts at the same time, when using the knife, it is necessary to cut or not. The cut paper will appear thicker than the cut paper. When using the knife, you must move it up and down like a hacksaw, and the force must be firm and even. Otherwise, the knife will lose its flexibility when traveling thousands of miles. Be careful not to swing back and forth from side to side. The knife must be held vertically up and down, so that the carved paper cuts will be accurate. When carving paper, the cutting and lifting of the knife must be accurate, especially where the knives are connected. Go down as soon as you say it, and lift it as soon as you say it. Otherwise, the lines will be easily cut by the knife or the lines will be cut continuously. Paper cut and torn.
The "qiao" here mainly refers to the "sawtooth" and "crescent moon" carved out with a skillful knife. These are two very important knife techniques in paper scissors. Proper use of these two knife techniques can create the unique "knife-like paper feel" of paper-cutting art.
Let’s talk about the use of these two knife techniques in detail.
"Sawtooth" is naturally produced by the cutting movement of paper and knife during the production process. It uses the length, density, curvature, hardness, softness, bluntness and sharpness of the sawtooth, and combines them with The characteristics of different objects express their texture, volume, structure, etc. When carving a plant, the soft zigzag pattern can express its flowers and fruits, while the hard zigzag pattern can express the needles and plushness of the tree's leaves and stems. When carving animals, fine zigzag patterns can represent soft down, strong zigzag patterns can represent hard manes, and round and semi-arc zigzag patterns can represent the feathers and scales of birds, fish and insects. When carving characters, use beating zigzag patterns to express moving eyebrows, beards, and hair, and use slender and plump zigzag patterns to express the plump skin of children.
"Crescent moon" is also a variety of arc-shaped decorations naturally produced during cutting and engraving. It is mainly incised, mainly showing the character's clothing pattern, or destroying large black areas, according to the individual image. Its characteristics and shape can be long or short, wide or narrow, curved or straight, and can change into various types.
The two forms of "sawtooth" and "crescent moon" are often used interchangeably in different paper-cut pictures, making the layers more distinct and varied.
Since the emergence of the sawtooth and crescent moon in the paper-cutting techniques of "Tuanhua" and "Tuanhua" during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, after a hundred years of historical evolution, it has continued to this day and has become a pattern of decorative patterns. loved and used. In addition to "sawtooth" and "crescent", folk paper-cutting forms include flowers, swirl patterns, cloud patterns and water patterns.
The history of Chinese folk paper-cutting
Folk paper-cutting is an ancient traditional folk art in China. It has a long history and unique style, and is deeply loved by people at home and abroad.
The main material of paper-cutting is paper. Paper is one of China's four great inventions. In the past, it was generally recognized that Cai Lun invented papermaking around 105 AD. Later, paper from the Western Han Dynasty was unearthed in Fufeng County, Shaanxi Province. Experts believe that paper appeared in my country earlier than before Emperor Ping of the Han Dynasty, probably during the period of Emperor Xuan (73 BC to 49 BC). No matter what the final conclusion is, there will be no real paper-cutting until the invention of paper. But the use of other thin materials for cutting and engraving was before paper. Let’s check out the relevant cultural relics and historical records:
Warring States Period (476 BC to 221 BC)
① Excavation of the Warring States Period in Guwei Village, Huixian County, Henan from 1950 to 1952 Among them, curved decorations hollowed out and carved with silver foil were found.
② Gold plate decorations from the Jin Dynasty unearthed from Huangnijie, Changsha, Hunan. Although these decorations hollowed out with silver foil cannot be said to be paper-cutting, in terms of carving technology and artistic style, they can be said to have formed the predecessor of paper-cutting art.
In the Northern Dynasties (AD 386-534), beautiful patterns were cut from paper. The earliest and well-documented discovery was near the Flame Mountain in Turpan, Xinjiang. Five pieces of flower paper-cuts were unearthed. Duima Tuanhua in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, there are monkey flowers. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, there are honeysuckle flowers. Chrysanthemums bloom in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, eight-shaped flowers were used.
The Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) had already applied paper-cut patterns to other crafts:
①The "Ren Sheng" paper-cut unearthed in Turpan, Xinjiang from 1963 to 1965.
②The leather hat unearthed in Xi'an in 1973 has a hollow pattern.
③ From the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, a kind of gold and silver inlay technology appeared, which is to paste the engraved gold and silver foil on the back of the lacquerware or bronze mirror, fill it with paint and polish it dry, and then it will appear on the lacquer floor. Brilliant golden patterns. Tang Dynasty gold and silver flat mirrors unearthed in Zhengzhou, Henan Province (diameter 36.2cm)
④ Tang Dynasty "Ren Sheng" engraved gold foil now stored in Shosoin, Japan.
⑤A gold foil engraving pattern of the Han Dynasty unearthed in Changsha, Hunan Province in 1951.
There are many records about paper-cutting in the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). Some use paper cuttings as decorations for gifts, some stick them on windows, some decorate them with lights, and some cut them into so-called "dragons and tigers". During the Southern Song Dynasty, there were artists who took this as their profession. Some were good at cutting "various calligraphy", and some were specialized in cutting "various colors and patterns". At this time, shadow puppets were popular, and the materials for carving shadow puppets, except animal skins, , also made of thick paper.
An important creation of paper-cutting in the Song Dynasty was the porcelain of Jizhou kiln. Its products include tea cups and vases, with many themes, including phoenix, plum blossom, and loquat. and auspicious characters, etc., the shape is vivid and lively. It is made by the author during the glazing process, pasting paper cuts and firing them in the kiln.
Modern folk blue printed cloth is made of carved cardboard and scraped pulp. The printing and dyeing process was very common in the Song Dynasty. The Southern Song Dynasty printed cloth unearthed in Shanxi Province is a famous example.
The gauze lanterns of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) are very famous. . It is to sandwich paper-cuts in yarn and use candlelight to reflect patterns. This is another application of paper-cuts in daily life. Now people call it "walking horse lantern". It was handed down from the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911 AD). In the Kunning Palace of the Palace Museum in Beijing, white paper is used to set off the paper-cut patterns of black dragons and phoenixes on the indoor ceiling and the walls of the aisles on both sides of the palace.
The paper-cutting is recorded in relevant historical records:
< p>In the poems passed down by Cui Daorong of the Tang Dynasty, there is such a sentence: "If you want to cut the word Yichun, spring is coldScissors" The "Yichun post" mentioned here is also the "paper-cutting" that people are familiar with now. The Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin's poem "People Say" also writes about this: "The gold-engraved work spreads the customs of Jing, and the ribbon-cutting inspires the Jin style."
Duan Chengshi's "Youyang Zazu" said: "On the first day of spring, in the homes of scholar-bureaucrats, paper cuttings are made into small pans, which are either hung on the heads of beauties, or decorated under flowers, or cut into spring butterflies, and the spring is won by playing with them.< /p>
The "Zhiyatang Poetry Miscellaneous Notes" written by Zhou Mi of the Southern Song Dynasty states: "In the old capital Tianzhi, there are people who cut various colors and patterns, which are extremely exquisite. In addition, there are those who have Yu Chengzhi in the Central Plains. Every time they cut the calligraphy of various families, they will be specialized. Later, there was a young man who could cut words and flowers on the sleeves of his clothes with great precision. "It is the "Kaifeng" mansion, and "cutting pattern" naturally refers to "paper-cutting".
There are names of paper-cutting artists. In addition to the above-mentioned Yu Chengzhi, there is also Lin Wenhui. Guangzhou Construction Dexian County Zhiyun says: "Lin Wenhui has a neat character outline. He cuts paper into characters. He flies like a dragon or a snake. His points are exactly the same. He decorates his house like a shaft. He can easily earn rice to support himself. People call him scissors." In Yang Chengqi's collection, There is also a mention of a "word-cutting Taoist" who "takes the poem of Yishan Jingnian Farewell Yuangong and cuts the characters with green paper, and the Shimi Yuanzhang style is realistic"
The theme of the paper-cutting<. /p>
The subject matter of folk paper-cutting is very wide. It not only reflects the things that people like to see in real life, but also expresses their yearning for a better life. From the subject matter of paper-cutting art, we can see the kind of working people. Simple and innocent thoughts and feelings.
The scope of paper-cutting themes can roughly include the following aspects:
1. Because most of the paper-cutting authors come from rural areas, their works Most of the themes are based on my own real life, such as feeding chickens, raising pigs, herding sheep, herding cattle, riding donkeys and carts to my parents' home, holding fat babies, doing family side jobs, participating in field work, and some directly express the poultry and livestock they raise. Domestic animals, such as chickens, ducks, geese, cows, horses, sheep, camels, dogs, etc. Some also represent plants commonly seen in life, such as plums, orchids, bamboos, chrysanthemums, peonies, lotus, daffodils, and others. Various fruits, vegetables, etc. Because these themes come from life, the content of paper-cutting works is very rich in life.
2. The theme of folk paper-cutting has auspicious meanings. A major feature of the theme is the use of metaphors to express feelings. The following are commonly used:
The homophonic method - the expression method of sound and image, such as the flower rooster, is carved on the body of the rooster. For a sika deer, carve a few plum blossoms on the deer's body; carving lotus and carp means "continuous years of surplus", where lotus is used to symbolize "continuous" and fish is used to symbolize "abundance".
Method - Simplify a certain image as a representative. For example: carving a cloud means it is the sky, carving a snowflake means it is snowing in winter.
Symbol method - An object is used to represent a concept, making people think of it. For example, peach symbolizes longevity, pomegranate symbolizes fertility, mandarin duck symbolizes love, pine tree symbolizes evergreen, peony symbolizes wealth, magpie ascends plum blossom to symbolize happy events...
3. Opera characters and legends
Folk myths and stories are widely spread throughout the country through drama and other forms. People not only recite them to each other, but also express them in the form of paper-cutting. My own love and hatred for the characters in these stories. For example, in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the hometown of Yue Opera, most of the themes of folk paper-cutting are based on the local legends "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai" and "The Legend of the White Snake". ", "The Romance of the West Chamber" and other stories. The birthplace of Peking Opera is in Beijing. Here, Yu County, near Beijing, is the most famous for the dangerous paper-cutting of Peking Opera. In addition, such as "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea", "Eight Immortals on the Upper Side", "Eight Immortals on the Lower Side" "Chang'e flies to the moon", "The goddess scatters flowers". Folklore stories such as "a mouse marries a girl" are common themes in paper-cutting.
Appreciation of paper-cut art works
A truly excellent paper-cut work has certain standards. How to appreciate an excellent paper-cut work
1 , Knife flavor and paper feel
A high-quality paper-cut art work must have the style and characteristics of paper-cut art itself. Each art has its own unique style due to different tools and properties. For example, Chinese painting emphasizes brush and ink, Western oil painting emphasizes color blocks, woodcuts emphasize black and white, and paper-cutting requires the taste of the knife and the feel of the paper. When using a knife, A paper-cut imitating a print on paper should not be considered a good paper-cut, nor can a paper-cut copied with scissors against a painting pattern be considered a masterpiece. An excellent paper-cut should use the language of paper-cut to shape art. image.
2. Exquisite and Transparent
A very important feature of the paper-cut art language is that all images are shaped in exquisite and transparent forms. In addition to the tools and material properties of paper-cut, the main It is a practical need for paper-cutting to be "transparent". This is especially required for "window flowers". Otherwise, a black paper-cut stuck on the window will block all the outdoor light, which is neither light-transmitting nor beautiful.
3. Emphasis on decoration
An excellent paper-cut art work should emphasize the decorative taste, the composition should be straight and symmetrical, the picture should be balanced and beautiful, the lines should be of appropriate thickness, the colors should be bright, soft and coordinated etc. are all important factors in forming the decorative style. In addition, due to the relationship between tools and materials, some unique techniques in paper-cut works (such as "crescent moon", "zigzag pattern", etc.) are also important factors that contribute to its decorative characteristics.
4. Deformation and exaggeration
Paper-cut art works should emphasize exaggeration of shape and take into account the beauty of silhouette. There are some beauty and ugliness in any object. The purpose of artistic exaggeration is to strengthen the prominence. The beautiful factors, the ugly factors are reduced and simplified, and the exaggerated picture will be pleasing to the eye.
Preservation of paper-cut works
Since paper-cut works are hollowed out by cutting and carving, they are patterns composed of lines or blocks, which can affect the whole body, so how to preserve paper-cutting is important. A very detailed job. Here are several preservation methods:
1. Preservation of black and white paper-cuts
If the work is not large, the simpler method is to store the paper-cuts flat in a book or magazine. . If it is a paper-cut work that needs to be looked at frequently, it is best to buy a photo album from a stationery store to save it to avoid damage to the paper-cut work due to frequent turning. If you buy a photo album with adhesive, but you don’t want to stick the paper cuts to death, you can use transparent cellophane to separate the paper cuts from the adhesive.
2. Preservation of colored paper-cuts
The preservation of colored paper-cuts is mainly to prevent fading. Therefore, it is not advisable to use highly absorbent paper as the material used to preserve colored paper-cuts. It is best to use copy paper or sulfuric acid paper used for drawing. This kind of paper has extremely poor water absorption, so the color of colored paper-cutting is generally not absorbed. Because it has good transparency, it is also more beautiful when used to preserve paper cuttings.
3. Preservation of large paper-cuts
For some relatively large paper-cut works, it is not suitable to use the roll type, otherwise some corners of the paper-cuts will be easily folded and damaged, which will also affect the appearance. Ideal The method is to clamp it with corrugated cardboard and lay it flat, so that the paper-cut work will be smooth after reopening. For longer storage, care should be taken to prevent insect bites. Therefore, some sanitary balls should be placed where the paper cuttings are stored to prevent insect damage. Also be sure to turn it frequently to facilitate ventilation. In humid areas, moisture-proof measures must be strengthened during the rainy season.
Framing of paper-cut works
The mounting of paper-cut works can generally take the following forms:
1. Frame type
Generally, those sold in the market can hold photos and drawings. When installing the paper-cuts, you need to use a small amount of white latex around the paper-cuts to adhere to the supporting paper. Otherwise, after the frame is hung, the paper-cuts will often fall or move, making them appear uneven. The color selection of the supporting paper mainly depends on the color of the paper-cut, which plays the role of setting off the paper-cut. For example, when the paper-cut is of heavy color, the lining paper should be light-colored; when the paper-cut is light or white, the lining should be of heavy color.
2. Paper version mounting
Paper version mounting can be divided into plane mounting and vertical mounting. For plane mounting, all the paper cuts can be adhered to the pre-designed paper plate with transparent latex. Three-dimensional mounting is to divide the paper plate into two layers, sandwich the paper-cut fixed with a transparent sheet in the middle, and then paste the outer surface with a transparent sheet or cellophane. This kind of mounting gives people a sense of three-dimensional space.
3． Scroll mounting
Scroll is a form of mounting Chinese paintings. It is solemn and generous. It is very bold and has the characteristics of oriental art when hung in the room. It is naturally excellent for framing paper cuts. If you ask a calligrapher to inscribe words on the mounted scroll and stamp it with a seal, it will be completely comparable to a Chinese scroll painting. The price of framed scrolls is more expensive than that of frames, and the mounting technology is more difficult, but the artistic effect is quite good.
4． Lamination and mounting
With the development of modern industry, there are more and more transparent chemical materials, such as transparent resin glue (available in chemical stores). Add a little coagulant and lay the paper-cut flat. On the glass, pour the prepared glue on the paper-cut, then use a wooden frame to stretch the cellophane flat on the glue, then use a rubber roller to flatten it, and bake it under a 400-degree light. This method of mounting is very beautiful and can be stored permanently, but the technique is complicated. If the temperature is not controlled well during the painting, the cellophane will easily break and fail. This framing effect is similar to the photo glue effect.