China and seal cutting are closely related to calligraphy. Seal cutting itself is an art closely combined with calligraphy. It can be said that seal cutting is to write calligraphy on a stone with a carving knife. Seal cutting emphasizes the brushwork and structure of China's calligraphy, but it also highlights the free and hearty artistic expression in carving. Scholars and ordinary people in China deeply like to show their skills and express their feelings between squares.
Seal cutting works can be appreciated independently and widely used in painting and calligraphy. In China, the earliest printing form is block printing. Engraving printing is a special technology that engraves words or patterns on wooden boards with a knife, and then prints and binds them with ink, paper, silk and other materials.
Up to now, it has a history of 1300 years, which is more than 400 years earlier than movable type printing technology. It pioneered human reproduction technology, carried inestimable historical and cultural information, and played an unparalleled and important role in the history of world cultural exchange.
Basic requirements of seal cutting in China:
1. Composition: Composition is the most important link in seal cutting, involving the layout and aesthetic feeling of the whole seal. Composition requires the coordination of words and lines to make the whole look harmonious and unified. At the same time, the composition should also take into account the strokes, structure, size, weight, density and other factors of the text, so that the overall change of the seal is coordinated.
2, knife method: seal cutting is the art of replacing the pen with a knife, and knife method is the basic skill of seal cutting. Different knife methods will produce different line effects, showing different styles and charm. Knife technique requires skilled use of knives, accurate expression of stroke thickness, turning and other details, so that lines are smooth, natural and powerful.
3. Seal cutting: Seal cutting is the basic element of seal cutting, involving strokes, structures and glyphs of characters. The law of seal script requires correct writing of seal script, paying attention to the origin, evolution and standardization of characters, so that the characters have both ancient meaning and modern feeling. At the same time, the seal method should also consider the meaning and connotation of words, so that the seal has both formal beauty and cultural connotation.
4. Artistic conception: Artistic conception is one of the important features of China art, and seal cutting is no exception. Artistic conception requires the expression of the author's feelings and thoughts through seal cutting, so that seal cutting is not only a technical expression, but also a spiritual sustenance. It is the highest realm of seal cutting to create a profound and implicit artistic conception through skillful skills and unique ideas.