Paper cutting tools, materials and techniques
As the saying goes: "Family skills are not as good as manual dexterity, so tools are very critical in paper-cutting. At present, there are two main types of tools used in paper-cutting: one is scissors, which are popular in Shandong and Shanxi. It is more commonly used among the authors who engage in folk paper-cut creations in rural areas such as Shaanxi and Shaanxi. Most of these authors perform special processing on the scissors according to their own habits to make them more handy and easy to use flexibly. The other type is made by The carving knife is used to carve paper-cut works. It is currently the most widely used paper-cutting tool across the country. The window grilles made by Wang Laoshang in Xiangwei County, the folk paper-cutting in Foshan, Guangdong, and the fine-grained paper-cutting in Yueqing, Zhejiang are all made with carving tools. In the past, most carving knives were made by the author himself or asked to be processed by others. Mr. Cai Yaxin combined his practical experience in more than 40 years of paper-cutting creation and invented the "Cais Paper-cutting Knife" and obtained a national patent. His invention not only filled the gap of no formal paper-cutting tools in the country, but also provided a handy tool for paper-cutting works.
Scissors are convenient to use, but they can only cut two pieces at a time, and they can only cut three or four pieces at most, and they also require more paper. The carving knife is not only convenient to use, but it does not make any requirements on the paper, and it can be cut at one time. Carve more paper cuts.
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Backing plate: The backing plate is used together with the carving knife. There are two types of backing boards currently used on the market: one is rubber board. When choosing a rubber plate, it is better to have a slightly harder glue and a thickness of about 0.scm. Another kind of backing plate is a wax plate. The production method is:
(l) Use wooden strips and plywood to make an octavo-sized wooden frame (the wooden strips are about 4cm wide and Zcm thick), and the wooden frame is Zcm deep.
(2) Dissolve paraffin (white) and beeswax (yellow) together at a ratio of 1:1, then pour it into the wooden frame. After it cools, scrape it flat and nail the wooden strips of the wooden frame. It is best to use soft wood, so that if the knife cuts the upper and lower parts of the wood, it will not easily hurt the knife.
The paper requirements for paper-cutting are not very strict. Beginners can just use ordinary colored paper currently sold on the market. When choosing colors, it is better to choose those with heavy colors, such as bright red, green, orange, and blue. , black, etc., try to use less or no light colors such as lemon, yellow, white, etc. Because it is made of light-colored paperThe work produced is not easy to match in the choice of backing paper. At present, the best paper to use is colored rice paper. This kind of paper is very suitable for paper-cut creations in terms of texture, tensile strength, and thickness, but it is a little more expensive.
The technique mentioned here refers to the technique of using a carving knife to make paper-cuts. Generally speaking, it can be divided into two types: one is negative engraving. It is to engrave the outline of the pattern designed in the paper-cut pattern and retain the large bottom surface. To sum up, it is: engraving the line and leaving the surface; the other is to engrave the outline of the pattern designed in the sketch and some small The block surface is retained, and other large surfaces that have nothing to do with the pattern are carved away. To sum up, it is: faceting and leaving lines. In fact, in a paper-cut work, the two techniques are used interchangeably, and one technique is rarely used alone.
The cutting method of paper-cutting refers to the method of cutting in the creation of paper-cutting, which can be divided into two types: one is scratching. That is, there is no need to lift the knife after it enters the paper, and it moves forward in a sliding manner. This method is suitable for engraving long lines and straight lines, and the paper surface around the knife edge must be compacted when cutting to prevent the underlying paper from being damaged. The other is the cutting knife, that is, when you use the knife, you cut the lines one by one like using a kitchen knife to cut vegetables. This knife method is suitable for carving curves, such as round holes, petals, crescent lines, etc. This knife method is used in When cutting, the paper on the left and right sides of the knife edge should be compacted, otherwise the knife will easily deviate. No matter which knife method is used to make paper-cuts, the knife should be perpendicular to the paper surface and should not be tilted left or right.
