The latest paper-cutting dragon tutorial and a collection of paper-cutting patterns for the Year of the Dragon
Before appreciating the latest 2012 Year of the Dragon paper-cut patterns, let’s first compare the different views of the Chinese dragon between the East and the West. The definition and interpretation of dragons in Eastern and Western cultures are also completely different. There are two explanations for dragons in the "Concise Encyclopedia Britannica": one is dragon, a legendary monster. The scorpion is usually imagined as a giant, with bat wings, scales, and the ability to breathe fire; some also imagine it as a snake with a stinging tail. ... Generally speaking, dragons have a greater reputation for evil in the Near Eastern and European worlds, which is why Western dragon patterns tend to look more sinister than the traditional Chinese Year of the Dragon paper-cut patterns. In the Far East, the dragon has maintained its prestige and is considered a benevolent creature. In China, the dragon is the symbol of the nation and the symbol of the royal family. Another kind of dragon (long); a mythical animal in Chinese mythology and an auspicious object in the Spring Festival paper-cut window grilles. Legend has it that it can hide and appear, ascending to the sky at the spring equinox and diving into the abyss at the autumnal equinox. It can also stir up clouds and make rain, and later became a symbol of imperial power. Emperors of all dynasties were destined to be dragons, and the utensils they used were decorated with dragons. But in ancient Far Eastern legends, dragons can be tamed. Dongs father during Emperor Shuns reign, Liu Lei and his disciples under Xia Kongjia were both able to tame dragons. Dragons can also be ridden by people. "The Classic of Mountains and Seas" records that Zhu Rong, Xia Houqi, Mu Shou, Jumang, etc. all "rided the rain dragon", and another secretary said: "Xie Xiang rode the dragon to the four seas", "The emperor praised the spring and summer riding the dragon." The predecessors divided the dragon. There are four types: those with scales are called Jiaolong, those with wings are called Yinglong, those with horns are called Qiulong, and those without horns are called Xialong. The former is a dragon in Western culture. It is a collection of a few animals such as snakes, eagles, crocodiles, and bats. It has divinity such as breathing fire, swallowing people, and destroying people. Its image is ugly and sinister, and it can be said to be "full of domineering power." and aggressiveness." For example, in the Bible Revelation, there are seven heads and ten horns, a big dragon waiting to devour women and children. This dragon is said to be the incarnation of the devil Satan. The Chinese dragon (long) is a mythical creature created through the fusion of many animals such as fish, crocodiles, snakes, pigs, horses, cows, deer, etc., as well as thunder, lightning, nebulae, water mist and other celestial phenomena. It has divinities such as water-loving, flying, dog-friendly, changeable, auspicious, and demonstration; its appearance is magical, mainly showing good deeds, and there is no so-called "aggression"; such as the dragon that uses its tail to mark the ground and assists Yu to control the water. The Chinese dragon (long) has a sacred and majestic side, and an even more amiable side. This is why when the Year of the Dragon arrives, people will make the latest paper-cut dragons and post them.
Similar to other common Chinese dragon paper-cut patterns, the theme is a majestic Chinese dragon image. The ingenuity of this paper-cut dragon pattern is that it uses the flame lines and the paper-cut dragons whiskers to place the fire dragon ball in the middle of the entire composition, and through the carving of the dragon horns in the lower right corner, the image of the paper-cut dragon pattern that might have been crumbling has been transformed. It became stable instantly, with excellent integrity and structural symmetry.
1. Preparations before making the paper-cut dragon. Since the lines of this paper-cut dragon are relatively strong, a single layer of paper can be used during the paper preparation process, so that even in the subsequent cutting process, there will be no paper scratches due to the inability to carve details.
2. Tracing. The shape of this paper-cut dragon pattern is relatively classic. The main complexity is in the paper-cut dragon scales. The other lines are relatively fine. Similarly, if you are not printing out the drawing, you don’t need to pay too much attention to the details of the drawing, as long as you have a rough outline. The outline is enough.
3. Specific tutorial on making paper-cut dragons. The dynamic image of the paper-cut dragon is both a highlight and a difficulty in this paper-cut tutorial. If the maker does not have a good foundation, he can combine paper engraving and paper cutting to ensure that the specific production process will not waste too much time due to some difficult details. If it is not necessary, you can reduce the dragon scales appropriately, but if you give up the dragon scales in the paper-cut pattern, it will make the entire paper-cut tutorial look unstable.
