Fuyang paper cutting operation process
The crafts of Fuyang paper-cutting are relatively simple, but require skilled skills. Hold the paper in your left hand and hold the scissors in your right hand. When the paper is large, the scissors move. When the paper is small, the paper is moved with the left hand. At the same time, the scissors are held in the right hand and continue to cooperate. When the scissors are opened again, the left hand changes the angle of the scissors. Do not move the blade when the scissors move, otherwise it will be easy. To form burrs, the paper should be round and neat, in one go.
The production process of Fuyang paper-cutting and engraving can be roughly divided into the following steps.
Step one: draw a sample. The quality of the paper-cut sample determines the success or failure of a paper-cut work. After coming up with a creative theme, I first conceive a draft and outline it with pencil. After repeated revisions, I use ink pen to meticulously draw the same sketch as the paper-cut work. The finer the manuscript, the easier it will be to carve it. If it is a symmetrical paper-cut, only half of the manuscript will be drawn. When the existing paper-cut manuscripts need to be re-engraved, the smoking method was often used in the past, but now the photocopying method is often used.
Step 2: Order paper. According to the needs of the content of the work, cut multiple pieces of tissue paper slightly larger than the drawing and place them under the sample. The number of sheets to be engraved at one time depends on the difficulty of the picture and the thickness of the paper. A sample with a simple composition and thick lines can be engraved on 30-50 sheets at a time; a sample with a complex composition and thin lines can be engraved on 10-20 sheets at a time. There are about two pieces, and the last one is preferably a piece of newspaper. Staple the newspaper and red paper together to better protect the bottom piece of paper cutting. Then use staples or paper twists around the drawing and in the blank areas to secure it.
The third step: carving. Place the ordered paper on the wax plate and carve it with a knife. When carving, you must grasp the luck of the knife. When carving paper-cuts, you use the knife instead of writing. The knife should be perpendicular to the paper surface and cannot be tilted left or right. Knife techniques can be divided into two types: one is scratching. That is, the knife does not need to be lifted when it enters the paper, and it moves forward in a sliding manner. Generally, long lines and straight lines are carved. The other is a cutter. That is, when using the knife, cut the lines one by one just like cutting vegetables with a kitchen knife. Generally, various curves are carved. Like round holes, petals, crescent patterns, etc. The order of cutting is summarized by Fuyang paper-cutting artist Zhu Kunying as follows:
Hold the knife straight to the vertical line, and cut the paper in multiple layers without deviation;
The sequence is first inside and then outside, and the picture is still and comprehensive.
It is easier to perform the operation from left to right, and the vision is concentrated and unobstructed;
Start with the details first and attack the difficult problems first.
Start with the part and move on to the whole, taking the lead over and over again;
The upper and lower lines should be consistent and even in thickness to look good.
If the two knives are not connected enough, the thread will break if the knife cuts too far;
The cutting joints should be consistent, and breaking the upper and lower connections can be avoided.
Horizontal lines are carved from left to right, straight lines are carved from top to bottom;
To carve a circle, move the knife from the upper left to the lower right to carve a circle.
The knife is lifted and dropped continuously, and the knife stroke is smooth and without burrs;
When the knife is dull, it needs to be sharpened, and the skill of the knife is being practiced.
The large picture is removable, and the wax plate is small and convenient;
The entire interior is carved, and the outer contour is finally carved away.
Uncover the work and appreciate it carefully, you will see thousands of intricate paintings;
Although it is difficult to complete the work, the joy is endless and can be experienced.
Step 4: Reveal the tricks. After carefully checking the front and back, and after all parts have been engraved, you can uncover the cutouts one by one. When uncovering, you must first "shoot" to loosen the pieces of paper-cutting. Next, sandwich the stack of paper-cuts in a newspaper and roll it out with an iron ruler. If you encounter uneven areas, stop immediately and make adjustments. After rolling them out, put them in a book and press them overnight. The next day, pick them up one by one with an awl. It’s best to turn it over and start from the bottom one.
Step 5: Modify and fill in the gaps. It is inevitable that errors will occur when carving paper-cut works. If it is damaged in a large area, it will have to be scrapped. However, if it is only partially damaged, it can be repaired. Remove the damaged areas, then re-engrav them with the same color paper and fill them in. Therefore, the makers are required to carve them carefully. In addition, the leftovers from each engraving should not be discarded easily, so that you can find paper of the same color to make corrections if you find a mistake later.
Step 6: Framing. Fuyang paper-cutting draws on the mounting methods of other art categories and has a variety of mounting styles. There are mainly scroll type, picture frame type and collection album type (with a piece of transparent cellophane to fix the paper-cutting).
Step 7: Save. The finished paper-cut work is a hollowed-out image with fine lines and patterns. A single move can move the whole body, so how to preserve the paper-cut is also an important task. A simpler way to save it is to put the paper cuttings in books or newspapers. Or put it in a transparent cellophane bag so you can look through it frequently without damaging the paper-cutting. You can also purchase or customize a stamp album-style album, with the paper cutouts sandwiched between the cellophane and the album pages. Large paper-cuts generally need to be framed and preserved. In these methods, attention should be paid to moisture-proof and insect-proof.
