Of course, the creation of seal cutting must also be discussed from three aspects: seal cutting, knife cutting and composition.
1. Seal cutting
The first problem encountered in seal cutting is seal cutting, such as "twilight drum and morning bell" and "flowers and rain clouds" It's easier to choose any seal script and how to write it, and the four words are coordinated. If there are no suitable words, what should I do? In addition, what if a script can't find words?
First of all, we should study philology. After mastering the basic knowledge and principles of philology, you should also learn to look up dictionaries and dictionaries. The main dictionaries are as follows.
Oracle Bone Inscriptions: edited by Oracle Bone Inscriptions (Zhonghua Book Company); Oracle Dictionary (Sichuan Dictionary Publishing House)
,, Bian (Zhonghua Book Company); Jinwen Dictionary (Lin Xue Publishing House); Luo: Biography of the Castle (Cultural Relics Publishing House); Compilation of Ancient Books (Cultural Relics Publishing House)
Biography: (Han) Xu Shen: Shuo Wen Jie Zi (Zhonghua Book Company)
Wonderful Biography: A Collection of Chinese and Indian Rhymes (Shanghai Bookstore); China and Indian Characters (Cultural Relics Publishing House)
Synthesis: Chinese Character Dictionary (Hubei Sichuan Dictionary Publishing House); Oracle Bone Inscriptions Inscription Dictionary (Bashu Publishing House); Jin Jia Zhuanli Dictionary (Sichuan Dictionary Publishing House); Gao Ming: Collection of Ancient Chinese Characters (Zhonghua Book Company); China Ancient Characters List (Sichuan Dictionary Publishing House); Xu Zhongyu: Collation of Zhuanli in Qin, Han, Wei and Jin Dynasties (Sichuan Dictionary Publishing House)
There are more than 1000 recognizable characters in Oracle Bone Inscriptions. If you don't have the words you need when making the seal of Oracle Bone Inscriptions, use inscriptions on bronze to supplement them. There are many styles and styles of bronze inscriptions, so we should pay attention to the coordination of styles when choosing them. The writing of Xiao Zhuan is the most rigorous, mainly based on Xu Shen's Shuo Wen Jie Zi. In seal cutting, China seal and Indian seal both use Miao seal. Qing Xie Jingqing's preface to the rhyme between China and India pointed out: "Qin Shu has eight styles and five characters." There were six books in the Han Dynasty, five of which were called Wonderful Biography, so they were copied. Miao Mo is an organic whole, bending cautiously, taking the meaning of being a righteous seedling, and associating with Li instead of Shuowen. "So the Chinese-Indian damage-increasing strokes are more flexible. Compared with Oracle Bone Inscriptions, Jinwen and Xiao Zhuan, Miao Zhuan has more freedom in the change of seal method.
In order to improve the level of seal cutting, in addition to studying philology, we need to have the foundation of seal script writing. Only by improving the level of seal script can we really improve the level of seal cutting. Because people who can't write seal script can only describe the font of seal script, while those who can write seal script can imitate the expression of their own words without moving the font, and they are well aware when playing with the knife, so that they can use their hands freely.
2. Knife method
The knife method of seal cutting is as important as the brushwork of calligraphy. Knife method includes three elements: first, a sense of heaviness. It means that the knife is not thin and frivolous, powerful and lively. The second is brushwork. It means that seal cutting lines contain both brush and knife interest, which is the richness of seal cutting lines. The relationship between pen and knife is that you have me and I have you, which is specious. Using a knife is the same as using a pen. There must be feelings and ups and downs. The cutter head should not be used too straight, or not decisive and straight, nor should it be decorated too much. The third is the stone. Refers to the simple and simple stone chisel texture in calligraphy or seal cutting line stippling. This kind of stone spirit is not only pursued by calligraphers of epigraphy, but also by seal engravers. Ding Jing has some self-carved words: "If you don't see the stone, read it with a jade seal." ("Wang Pengshou Jing Yin Fu") "One imitates Han casting and the other imitates Han chisel." ("Wang Yin") "Imitating the Bronze Seal Carved in the Han Dynasty" ("Baoyun") It can be seen that Ding Jing carved stones, but the artistic effect he pursued was the texture of cutting jade and casting copper, and he was complacent that he could reach this level of confusion. The reason why seal cutting can be varied between square inches is that seal cutting not only has the brushwork and the taste of stone, but also shows the exquisite feeling of casting gold and jade carving.
Step 3 write a composition
Composition is the composition of painting, but also the painting of calligraphy. For seal cutting, composition seems to be more important than calligraphy and painting.
Composition is mainly about the arrangement of words and borders, and how to deal with the relationship between them, which is called "the method of arranging words" and "the method of borders".
(1) An Zi method:
The principle is from top to bottom and from right to bottom.
(2) Among the four-character printing used in traditional printing in China, there is a palindrome printing. The order of this printing is: the first character is in the upper right, the second character is in the upper left, the third character is in the lower left, and the fourth character is in the lower right. This palindrome printing method has been adopted by many seal engravers. When arranging four-character printing, palindromes are sometimes used to achieve the diagonal echo effect. Such as "Wu Yin" and "Zhao Yin". The so-called diagonal echo is often used in which two words are very complicated or simple, such as "three friends and four friends" and "kill two birds with one stone", or the words have echo shapes, such as "smile at the eyes" and "that is, the heart is Buddha".
③ Merger and extension. In five-character printing, people sometimes regard it as four or six characters. For example, the "chapter" of "so-and-so chapter" occupies the position of two characters, which is an extension of Wu Changshuo's "The Stone Building on Mount Tai" and "An Dong Ling in January", and the two characters are combined in one frame. This method can also be used for four-character printing and seven-character printing.
(2) Boundary method:
(1) Qin Wenxi likes to use the words "Kou", "Yue" and "Tian", while Wu Changshuo likes to use vertical lines to seal, with the word "Jing".
(2) Although the Chinese and Indian white characters have no border lines, the Chinese and Indian strokes are full, forming a dark frame. The four-character vernacular Chinese in China and India has always paid attention to six sideline lines and four border lines, and two of them intersect with the horizontal and vertical lines of the four characters in the box. Generally speaking, the lines of the border are slightly thinner or thicker than those of the seal script. The border itself should also be changed, especially the border of Zhu Wen, which is one of the keys to gather air and breathe freely on the whole printing surface.
In terms of seal cutting style, Zhang Qi often has different requirements due to different styles, such as Han seal, ancient seal and Yuan Zhuwen.
(1) Chinese printing. Simple prose should be sects, white and Zhu set each other off. Pay special attention to the position of all-white ink, sometimes there are larger ink blocks on both sides, which are eye-catching and lively. Although there are a lot of fine white cinnabar, it is still very dense and full. Zhu Wen requires stability and elegance. Like Bai Wen, the size of words is very harmonious.
② Ancient seals. Chinese characters use Miao seal, square characters and even white cloth. The ancient seal is a large seal with irregular shape and uneven white cloth. Comparatively speaking, the composition of the ancient seal is more natural and changeable, and the font size between words can be different (but it still requires harmony and mutual care). Generally, the white line is thick and the vermilion line is thin.
③ Yuan Zhuwen. In the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Yuan Zhuwen's seal cutting method also had its own characteristics, especially its elegant composition, horizontal and vertical, and quite quiet.
(4) fine Zhu Wen. It refers to Xiao Zhuan in Qing Dynasty and Zhao Dynasty, whose lines are more curved and delicate, and the composition is smooth.
(5) sealing mud. Except for the thick border, the composition is smooth.
(6) the decree. The composition is characterized by smoothness and stability.
(7) Seal of Oracle Bone Inscriptions. Oracle Bone Inscriptions entered India in recent years, because there are many pictographs in Oracle Bone Inscriptions, some of which have strong symbolic significance, and the composition is well handled, which can be wonderful and vivid.
(8) seals of birds and insects. Because seal script is patterned and decorative, its composition is vivid, and the decorative schematic shapes and lines are simple and generous.
(9) Zhu Ren. Refers to the seal of Zhu Ji in Tang and Song Dynasties. In recent years, some people like to imitate its style, and the composition is very detailed and interesting.
(10) multi-character printing. Refers to the printing of more than ten words. The most important thing is to pay attention to the coordination between all seal characters.
(1 1) Print today. It refers to regular script, official script and cursive script. This can be done occasionally, and the composition is difficult to handle. Seal cutting is mainly seal cutting, and other scripts are not authentic.
(12) Xiao seal. There are Xiao-shaped words and pictures to match. If it is only Xiao's modeling, the key is that the modeling should be artistic and the composition should be changed.
Of course, the points for attention of different seal cutting styles listed above are not absolute. As an artistic creation, it is sometimes difficult to classify its works into a certain category, but the composition must be coordinated and varied, and it must be full and breathable.
4. Personality style
In the advanced stage of seal cutting creation, it is necessary to make the works have personality and unique style. As Ding Jing said in his poem, "The ancients thought of seal cutting in isolation, and there were clouds on the mountain. Seeing the wonders of the Tang and Song Dynasties in the Six Dynasties, why did you ever stick to the Han family? " It is not advisable to stick to the rules. We must create our own style and be unique on the basis of our predecessors.
In order to form a personal style in seal cutting creation, and it is a high-grade artistic style based on excellent traditions, we must work hard in the following aspects.
(1) Improve the author's cultural and artistic accomplishment. It is not enough to carve with a knife, but also to "print". Seal cutting belongs to the art category, and writing and calligraphy are its foundation, so we need to study these two aspects carefully.
(2) improve the level of calligraphy, especially the seal script method. The founders of the Qing Dynasty, such as Deng, Zhao and Wu Changshuo, also made great achievements in seal script. No wonder when Mr. Zhu Lesan asked Wu Changshuo about seal cutting, Wu Changshuo said, "Writing is the most important thing. Writing is mainly about learning seals. If the seal is not good, how can the seal be engraved well? "
(3) Strengthen seal cutting practice and deepen skills. It's fantastic to get ahead in seal cutting by superficial kung fu. Wu Rangzhi said a passage in his "Printed Spectrum" named after himself: "It is easy to seal the young moment. At the age of fifteen, it was made by the Han people, and it was carefully copied for ten years. Anyone who is famous in modern times must also be modest. " (Wu Rangzhi's seal) He carved tens of thousands of squares in his life, which shows the depth of his skills. At the same time, we must learn from all factions before we can remove the leaders.
(4) Enhance the confidence and consciousness of pursuing personal style. Traditional views on personality and style are often taken for granted, and seem to be formed purely because of skill. In fact, this idea is one-sided. Learning skills are important, but without the grasp and pursuit of subjective rationality, they are often shrouded in the scope of a certain genre, unable to fully express their artistic personality and form a unique artistic style. When you haven't mastered the basic skills of seal cutting well, you can't talk about personality, but after you have a solid foundation, you must pay attention to discovering the signs of your own personality style, caring for it and cultivating it to make it mature. Style is the concentrated expression of the artist's morality, knowledge and talent, and it is also the "true color". Because there are high and low tastes in style, we should not be too hasty in pursuing style. Personality is for personality, and style is for style to go astray easily. The formation and establishment of artistic style is the goal pursued by artists all their lives, and it is also the embodiment of their comprehensive strength such as artistic skills, concepts and cultivation.