Seal cutting is a unique traditional art in my country. It is a work of art that perfectly combines calligraphy, composition and knife skills. It has dual value of practicality and appreciation. It has a long history of two to three thousand years from ancient times to the present. As the content and form of seal cutting art continue to enrich and develop, seal cutting is becoming more and more popular and concerned by people. Here we will take stone as an example and explain the basic techniques of seal cutting by carving red seals, white seals, engraved edges and edge extensions.
1. Tools:
Carving knife, ink pad (special ink pad for calligraphy and painting), printing bed, brush, ink, rubbing bag, copy paper, sandpaper, toothbrush, mirror, scissors, glue , rice paper.
2. Material selection:
Conventional lithographic materials suitable for learning engraving include: Shoushan stone, Chang stone, and Qingtian stone. Beginners can use Qingtian stone to practice.
3. Picture-in-picture:
The basic steps for learning seal cutting are: grinding seal material, writing quotation, engraving, engraving edge, extending edge, seal cover (engraving edge) The style and edge extension should be determined according to the style of the seal, not all seals require it), etc.
Step 1
The preparation of the composition: that is, drafting, is closely related to the quality of the work. Some people say: The difficulty of sealing is not difficult to engrave, but difficult to compose.
Step 2
Smoothing of the sealing stone: If the sealing stone is tilted during cutting, or wax remains on the sealing surface when polished, use sandpaper to level it. , to facilitate stone carving.
Step 3
Adding stones: There are usually two methods for applying stones: one is to write the manuscript backwards with a brush on the printing surface and engrave it; the other is to use water-resistant paper to apply stones in reverse. .
Step 4
Engraving and trimming: Choose the appropriate knife method for engraving according to the seal text. The knife method can be divided into two types: cutting knife and punching knife.
Step 5
How to deal with the sidebar: if the printed text is neat, the sidebar should be neat; if the printed text is chipped, the sidebar should also be freehand and natural. The methods of making edges include: carving, making, grinding, etc.
Step 6
Border stamp: After engraving, the author's name, engraving year and month, etc. are engraved on the left side of the seal, which is called a margin stamp or a margin stamp.
Step 7
The rubbing method of the edge pattern: The rubbing method is similar to that of ancient bronzes. The rubbing methods include wet rubbing, dry rubbing, ink rubbing, etc.
Step 8
Use of ink pad: When sealing, hold the ink pad box in your left hand and gently tap the stamp surface on the ink pad with your right hand. Do not squeeze the stamp surface with the ink pad.
Step 9
Sealing: Place the seal dipped in ink pad at the area where the seal should be sealed, gently place it down, and press it firmly.
Step 10
Finished: After using the seal, wipe it clean with cotton, store it for later use, and be careful not to bump it.