The dyeing art of folk paper-cutting in Yu County
Yuxian County, Hebei Province is known as the "Hometown of Paper-cutting in China". Its paper-cutting art is a shining pearl in folk art. The two processes of knife carving and dotting have become its two major characteristics. Especially point dyeing, both in terms of tools and techniques, are second to none in the country. It is not only an important process in making Yuxian paper-cutting, but also the key to embodying the artistic characteristics of Yuxian paper-cutting. There is a popular saying among paper-cutting artists in Yu County that "three points are carved and seven points are dyed", which shows the importance of this skill.
"Stippling" is also called "spot color" and "stippling". It is done by dotting various colors on carved raw rice paper works with a brush. Yuxian paper-cutting uses a kind of dye called "pinse", which needs to be mixed with wine when used. This can make the color go down without spreading left and right, and the color soaks in without penetrating, and the effect is excellent. The traditional dot-dyeing technique is to use several brushes dipped in different colors to quickly and meticulously dot-dye the two sides of the pattern so that the intersection of the two colors does not bleed into each other or leave any blank space. When coloring, be sure to wait for one color to dry before dyeing another color to avoid mixing colors. But sometimes in order to achieve the effect of mutual penetration of colors, one color can be applied while another color is semi-dry. Yuxian paper-cutting is bold and bold in the traditional use of colors, mostly using primary colors and contrasting colors. It is colorful and gorgeous, with strong folk flavor and strong local flavor, leaving an unforgettable impression on people. This unique spot-dyeing technique was improved by the folk paper-cutting master Wang Laoshang on the basis of his predecessors. In order to improve his dyeing techniques, he always selected the best colors, personally adjusted them, and compared them repeatedly, thus summarizing a set of techniques. Spot dyeing techniques. In addition, he also has many spare mixing cups to ensure the purity of the colors. He is good at using strong contrast techniques to enhance the artistic effect. In the past, Yuxian paper-cutting was all traditional paper-cutting, which was entirely made using spot-dyeing techniques. With the variety of Yuxian paper-cutting becoming more diverse, modern handicraft paper-cutting appeared. On the basis of spot-dying techniques, artists absorbed the light and color of Western watercolor paintings. The use of thick and light contrast, proper rendering, and strong transparency and three-dimensionality make Yuxian paper-cut works have light and shadow effects, becoming an innovative method of dyeing technology. Artists in Yuxian County were brave enough to innovate and practice continuously, and later innovated different dyeing methods such as blending, wash dyeing, and over-dying. For example, Zhou Guang, a famous paper-cutting artist in Yu County, inherited the skills of his master Wang Laoshang and his father Zhou Yongming, and created a unique "multiple dyeing technology". His second sister Zhou Shuying invented seven dyeing techniques: overlay dyeingmethod, splashing ink method, chaos method, yin and yang mixed dyeing method, mixed dyeing method, blanket dyeing method and fog dyeing method.
According to field research, it can be seen that the point-dyeing techniques used in the traditional paper-cutting market in Yuxian County have not changed from the traditional ones, but the use of colors is more flexible than in the past. Patterns such as flowers, birds, fish, insects, zodiac signs, birds and animals can be flexibly dyed with the artists favorite colors, giving the paper-cutting artist room for free expression. But for traditional opera character patterns, they generally follow the original color dyeing. When paper-cutting artists color window grilles, they use primary colors and contrasting colors, whether they are free to express themselves or follow regulations. Bold and bold colors are an important aspect of the unique look of traditional Yuxian paper-cutting. Without color, there would be no traditional paper-cutting. Without the special technique of spot dyeing, there would be no special artistic style of Yuxian traditional paper-cutting. And modern
The stippling paper-cutting in handicraft paper-cutting is different from the traditional stippling technique in terms of color selection, coloring effect and dyeing technique. This is where stippling paper-cutting is innovative in the traditional point-dying technique. Traditional paper-cutting mostly uses primary colors and contrasting colors with high brightness and purity, but rarely uses complex colors. Because its rich and loud traditional color tone is caused by the brightness and purity of the color. The reason why the color of traditional paper-cutting is rich and almost "black" is because it is affixed to the white linen paper of the window. When the sun shines on it, the color becomes beautiful and lively, which is convenient for setting off the festive atmosphere. For example, the traditional paper-cut work "Magpie" is used as a window decoration during the New Year, which requires visual "conflict" in order to create a festive atmosphere. The stippling paper-cuts in modern handicraft paper-cuts, such as the work "Butterfly" by paper-cut artist Zhou Shuying, are exquisite handicrafts that use more complex colors, which reduces the purity and brightness of traditional colors and tends to be more "harmonious" visually. , paying more attention to visual comfort. Traditional paper-cutting still uses traditional point-and-dye techniques when making, and its processes and methods have not changed. According to the old artist Wangting of Nanzhangzhuang, the point-dyeing technique cannot be changed at all, so that the "original flavor" of Yu County paper-cutting can be maintained. When making pointillist paper-cuts, the blending method borrowed from watercolor painting is mostly used to make the color blending transition more natural, cleaner and more transparent. There are also some different modern dyeing methods such as wash dyeing and over-dying. . Finally, it is framed into a book and becomes an exquisite modern craft decoration. It can be seen that the point-dyeing technique for making traditional paper-cutting in Yu County is the inheritance and use of traditional point-dye hand-making techniques, and the innovative development of traditional point-dye hand-making techniques mainly reflectsNowadays, pointillist paper-cutting is used in modern handicraft paper-cutting.
