The symbolism of paper-cut colors and their application in illustrations

The symbolism of paper-cut colors and their application in illustrations

Illustration is a visual art and a synthesis of various arts. Illustration creation involves many fields such as clothing, food and daily life, architectural features, religious beliefs, scenery and customs, folk celebrations, historical background, etc. In addition to shape, there is another component, which is color. Everything in the world has no appearance or color. Objects are distinguished by their form; color follows the form, and form appears due to color. This is the relationship between form and color of objects. In order to incorporate the colors of paper-cutting into illustration creation, it requires in-depth research and discussion.

China has applied colors very early. According to "Shang Shu Huang Ji", "the five colors are applied to the five colors to make clothes." It shows that the Yellow Emperor was already skilled in using colors to dye clothes. The five colors originate from the "Five Elements" and are the general term for blue, yellow, red, white and black. The ancients called the five colors the primary colors, essential colors or main colors, and the colors arising from the mismatch of the five elements were the secondary colors, secondary colors or variegated colors. Chinese colors are quite national and local in spirit, forming a color system with rich cultural heritage. It is different from Western colors in application. For example, Chinese painting "applies colors according to the category", and opera masks use colors to match the image to express the character and moral character of the characters, and there are specific regulations on the use of colors. "Book of Zhou Li Kao Gong Ji" records: "The east calls it green, the south calls it red, the west calls it white, the north calls it black, the sky calls it mysterious, and the earth calls it yellow." This system is used in New Year paintings and paper-cutting. , clothing, houses, toys and other folk scenes present a colorful scene, full of folk spiritual symbols. Its connotation and implication far exceed the general aesthetic function of color, showing the distinctive cultural characteristics and unique aesthetic taste of the Chinese nation. Color provides a rich visual language for illustration creation.

Paper-cutting is a plastic art. To show or increase its beauty, you have to rely on color. Moreover, paper-cutting has lining, covering, spelling, dyeing, filling and other production methods, which require the use of color in many places. To understand the color application rules of Chinese paper-cutting, you should first have the following basic understanding:

① The colors used in Chinese paper-cutting must reflect the "time (i.e. era, season, day and night, weather) and place (indoor,Suburbs, mountains, forests, water, deserts) according to things (happiness, sorrow, desire, hatred, praise, criticism) according to rituals (weddings, birthdays, celebrations, funerals, sacrifices) and according to desires (beliefs, customs, habits)" Exact implementation.

② The colors used in the Chinese paper-cut patterns are roughly divided into three systems: auspicious colors, plain colors, and borrowed colors. The auspicious color system has red as the main color. All colors containing red, yellow or green and their intermediate colors belong to the true color system. Used to express joy, Naji, blessing, celebration and other things. The plain color system is composed of black, white, cyan, blue, green, gray and other colors, as well as intermediate colors that are not alternated with red, intermediate colors and silver. Used to express sadness, resentment, anger, fear, hatred, mourning and other things. The borrowed color system uses yellow as the main color. The secondary colors of yellow and red and gold are all noble and exclusive colors. Please be careful when borrowing.

In addition, the names of folk metaphors based on objects are introduced as follows:

Auspicious colors: maroon, scarlet, pomegranate, vermilion, flower red, peach blossom, water red, pink, golden red, sea orange, red purple, eggplant purple, blue purple, black purple, sauce color, rosewood, purple, lentil Purple, light purple, lotus root and other colors;

Plain colors: navy blue, cyan, azurite, light blue, moon white, gray blue, dark blue, sapphire blue, sky blue, aqua blue, gray blue, dark green, dark green, gray green, lake color, emerald green, emerald green, grass green , and dark black, iron gray, gray, light gray, silver gray, silver, white, etc.;

Borrowed colors: gold, golden yellow, orange yellow, egg yolk, goose yellow, light yellow, black yellow, earthy yellow, chive yellow, yellow green, bean skin green, dark ocher and light ocher, etc.

③ The five colors are based on the properties and functions of the five elements. It can symbolize time, space and many things.

The five colors configure the five elements: green belongs to wood, red belongs to fire, yellow belongs to earth, white belongs to gold, and black belongs to water;

The five colors symbolize the five flavors: green is sour, red is bitter, yellow is sweet, white is pungent, and black is salty;

The five colors symbolize the five tones: green Zuojiao, red Zuozheng, Huang Zuogong, white Zuoshang, and black Zuoyu;

The five colors symbolize the directions: green is east, red is south, white is west, black is north, black is sky, and yellow is earth;

The five colors symbolize the seasons: green for spring, red for summer, white for autumn, and black for winter;

The five colors express emotions: the wood nature is straight, vigorous and vigorous, its color is green, and its emotion is anger; the fire nature, fire, is warm and jubilant, its color is red, and its emotion is joy; the earth nature is energy-generating, nourishing all things, its color is yellow, and its emotion is love; The nature of gold is from leather, its color is white, and its emotion is sorrow; its nature is moist, its color is gloomy, its color is black, its emotion is fear and sadness; its nature of fire is joy, and its earth is love, red and yellow, its nature is love and desire, and its color is orange , the emotion is desire; gold is sadness, water is fear, white and black, its nature is sadness, fear, and disgust, its color is gray, and its emotion is hatred.

④ The use of colors in Chinese paper-cutting is based on the concept of seeking good luck and avoiding evil, and often uses the method of creating and restraining the five elements.to increase its functionality. The "generation" of the five elements is that wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal, metal generates water, and water generates wood. The "restraints" of the five elements are water overcoming fire, fire overcoming metal, metal overcoming wood, wood overcoming earth, and earth overcoming water. This shows that if used smoothly, it will be auspicious, and if used reversely, it will be unlucky. That is, the auspicious color is used for joy, and the plain color is used for misfortune.

In short, Chinese paper-cut colors are a wonder that blooms from the combination of Chinese cultural spirit and material. We must follow its production rules, inherit them scientifically and apply them organically in illustration creation.