Paper materials used in Zigong folk paper-cutting
In the choice of paper material, Zigong paper-cutting mostly uses rice paper. On the one hand, because rice paper is easy to preserve and water-resistant, it is conducive to the long-term storage of paper-cut works. Moreover, the texture of rice paper is light and thin, and more than 20 layers can be carved at one time without affecting the effect, thus greatly speeding up the production efficiency.
There are two main ways to use rice paper: red rice paper or white rice paper with dip-dying. Red rice paper works are the most common in paper-cutting in the north and south of my country. What is worth mentioning about Zigong paper-cutting is the dip-dying technique. Dip-dying is very important for paper-cutting. The choice of paper material can only use white rice paper. Dip-dye paper-cutting - Torch Festival, that is, first cut out the work with rice paper, and then use paint to color it. Dip 3 to 4 sheets at a time, so that the work can get the best quality effect.
The dip-dye works have a unique sense of color and can be said to be the second creation of paper-cut works. In addition to rice paper, Zigong paper-cutting also often uses polyester paper. Due to the needs of the Zigong Lantern Festival, the supply of paper-cut works is required all year round. Therefore, artists consider that ordinary paper will be damaged by wind and rain, and polyester paper is thin and reflective. It is high and easy to appreciate at night, so the paper-cut works used in the annual Zigong Lantern Festival are all made of lacquer paper.
In the long-term development process of Zigong paper-cutting, the choice of paper has become more diverse. Since then, there have been glossy papers in various colors. This kind of paper is more waterproof than rice paper and slightly harder than rice paper. high, and has a paper texture more than polyester paper. The most important thing isIt comes in a variety of colors, and can be used for single-color registration, etc. Representative works of wax paper include Yu Manbais design, and "A Hundred Flowers in Bloom" produced by Lin Liqing uses blue wax paper to make the flowers look particularly elegant. A common image of graceful and luxurious flowers. Listed above are the three most commonly used paper materials in Zigong paper-cutting. Although there is another paper material that is not as commonly used as rice paper, lacquer paper, and misaligned paper, it can present another kind of paper-cutting artistic effect. This is leather-grained paper. The surface of leather-grained paper has a certain texture effect. The paper is very thick and the colors are rich. Therefore, paper-cut works made of leather-grained paper can give people a sense of weight and strength.
