General steps for making Chinese folk paper-cuts
The basic steps of Chinese folk paper-cutting, whether copying or creating, mostly require the following steps to complete.
The first step is to draw a sketch. If you are a beginner, you should draw the sketch as thinly as possible, and draw every stroke in place. You should also paint the sketch with ink to look like a paper cut, so that it is easier to carve. Once you become proficient in the technique, you don’t need to draw so meticulously in the sketch, and you don’t need to explain the details so clearly. You will already know it in your mind, and you will be able to carve it with ease.
The second step is binding. This step is to fix the drawing and colored paper together. When binding, be careful not to nail the pattern part, but to nail the engraved part, so as to ensure that the entire paper-cut work is complete. The third step is carving. When carving, you should pay attention to the use of two knife methods. This can save labor, increase the speed of carving, and ensure the quality of paper-cutting. In addition, it is necessary to start carving from the middle or from the densest and smallest part, and finally carve the outer edge, so that it is not easy to break the manuscript.
The fourth step is framing. There are many ways to frame paper-cuts, one is frame mounting. This mounting method is the most widely used. The second type is the mounting of paintings. This kind of framing is suitable for those more rough paper-cut works, because the patterns of these paper-cuts are not easy to be damaged. The third type is album mounting. This mounting method is suitable for mounting series of paper cuts.
