How to carve calligraphy seal

First, the artistic function of the seal

The seal on calligraphy works is an indispensable part of calligraphy works. Without a seal, it is not a complete calligraphy work. The seal was originally a token, which played the role of verification. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, calligraphers gradually realized the artistic function of seals and attached importance to them in their calligraphy works, which led to the emergence of the art of combining book and seal. Books and seals set each other off and become interesting, which not only adds color to calligraphy works, enlivens the atmosphere and plays the role of "icing on the cake", but also adjusts the center of gravity, makes up for the lack of layout and plays a stable and balanced role in works. Calligraphy works are signed and sealed to show solemnity and prevent forgery; Covered with elegant and meaningful leisure chapters, you can also pin your ambitions and interests in the book. Therefore, calligraphers have always attached great importance to the use of seals, even their own seal cutting, so that the combination of seals and books has a more beautiful and stronger artistic appeal.

Second, several seals commonly used in calligraphy works

(1) name stamp

The name stamp is the signature stamp of the inscription. Some names are linked together, while others are separated. The inscription is stamped with the word "one surname" as positive, and a surname can also be used. The name of the printed paragraph; The word, and then use the name stamp. If money has a surname, you can use a name stamp. If money has no surname or no signature, you should use a name stamp to identify the author. The ancients used chapters and paid attention to etiquette; Anyone who is humble and young should be honored by books and should use a name seal; Words and seals used between peers; If the elders want to give it to the humble and young, they can use another stamp. On the contrary, it is ridiculous and generous. Zhang Daqian, a modern painter, believes that the shape of the name stamp is "square is the best, round is ok, and the waist is naturally not." Famous seals are generally divided into Zhu Wen (Yang Wen) and Bai Wen (Yin Wen). When a calligraphy work is stamped with two seals, it is best to have one Zhu and one white, and the two seals are appropriate in size. When multiple chapters are used at the end of a paragraph, the order is that the name chapter comes first, and the words and numbers chapter comes last.

(2) Idle chapter

Leisure articles are also called layout articles, including introduction articles, border articles, corner articles and waist articles.

1, chapter I

The first chapter is a chapter printed in the upper right corner of calligraphy works, also known as "conformal chapter", which is carved out of the shape of stone. Generally, it should not be square, but translucent, rectangular, circular, semi-circular, conformal gourd-shaped, natural and shaw-shaped. Whether to quote the first chapter of calligraphy works depends on the need. If the first paragraph is too neat, it needs to be "deformed"; The seal at the end of the paragraph is too heavy and needs to be "upgraded"; The distribution of seals on the works is monotonous, so when it is necessary to "adjust", the first chapter should be considered.

(1) The seal of the house number began with the imperial seal of Li Biduan's bedroom in the Tang Dynasty. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, this trend became more and more popular, and almost everyone in calligraphers had the seal of fasting. Wen Zhiming, a calligrapher in the Ming Dynasty, said, "Many of my bookstores are printed." Zhai Hao is usually called Zhai, Tang, Shi, Lou, Ge, Guan, Xuan, An and so on. , such as Zhai, Tang, Shi, Lou, Ting, Lai Qin Ting, Yu Shang Xuan, An Le Tian and so on.

(2) Elegant essays, that is, ancient auspicious words and phrases, are rich in meaning and gentle, or compile philosophical and thought-provoking idioms and aphorisms, or record your hobbies and ambitions. There are many elegant chapters that encourage people to learn, such as "cutting", "learning from others", "liking books", "being diligent", "learning from the past", "learning from others", "enjoying reading", "being eager to learn makes people understand" and "getting it by accident over time". Those who express their feelings, such as relying on morality, being clear-minded, having fun, having fun in hardships, cherishing shade, being willing to be a scalper, being pure and ice-clear, being indifferent to nature, being square and so on. There are also expressions of pen and ink interest, splashing ink, using a pen, fragrant fields, spiritual interest, hiding from people, clinging, pursuing with hands, and working in inkstone fields. Some people wish good luck, such as "Wish", "Changle", "Beauty is not old", "Lucky Day", "Longevity" and "Eternal Life".

(3) The year stamp is used to record the year of calligraphy works, such as Jia Zi, Yi Chou, Bing Yin or 1989, 1990, 1980, 1990.

(4) The month stamp is used to record the month order of calligraphy works, such as last spring, such as the moon and silkworm moon.

1. Edge seal refers to a seal that covers one side of a calligraphy work and plays the role of blocking the edge and gathering gas.

2. The seal that covers the corner of the calligraphy work is called the corner seal. Take the one in the upper right corner as the "response" and the two corners as the "betting angle". Stop the side chapter and take only one side; Corner sealing can control both sides, and it plays the role of "blocking edges and sealing corners", "supplementing emptiness" and adjusting and stabilizing the picture near the corners.

3. For long calligraphy works such as banners, if only a leading chapter is stamped on the upper right, and the middle looks like a space, a waist chapter can be stamped, the content of which is mostly the native place of the calligrapher, or it can be printed into a small shape by the calligrapher's zodiac. The middle chapter is smaller than the first chapter and the famous chapter at the end of the paragraph, and the three chapters cannot be covered by a straight line.

The leisure chapter mentioned above is actually not "idle". If printed properly, the clock can not only play the role of pen and ink, but also play a role that pen and ink can not play. As Pan Tianshou, a modern painter, said, "Opening a chapter, pressing a corner chapter and a famous chapter can play the role of making the color changes on the screen echo, breaking the flat plate and stabilizing the balance."

(3) Collecting seals

Collection identification stamp is a kind of stamp for appreciation collectors. According to records, the seal collection also began in the Tang Dynasty and prevailed after the Song Dynasty. Tang Taizong wrote the word "Zhenguan" with Lian Zhuyin, and Tang Xuanzong wrote the word "Kaiyuan" with Lian Zhuyin, both of which were royal Tibetan calligraphy and painting. Later collections have many names, such as collection, keeping secrets, examination and approval, appreciation and reading. The seal for collection should be based on the size of the calligraphy and painting to avoid damaging the calligraphy and painting. For the sake of their immortality, some collectors often destroy the map when they stamp it, so be careful.

Third, the art of seal

The seal on calligraphy works is not stamped at will, but has certain rules. Improper stamping will not only add icing on the cake, but will be self-defeating and destroy the artistic effect of the whole work. Therefore, how to seal it needs to be taken seriously and carefully considered. Usually you can grasp the following points:

1, the right size

The size of the seal should match the size of the work and be equal to the inscription. It can be smaller, but not larger than the inscription. If the words are small and the paper is tight, you can use small joint beads to show consideration. When using two seals of different sizes in a work, in order to stabilize and avoid the shortcomings of top-heaviness, the seal at the top should be small and the seal at the bottom should be large. If several people cooperate, their seals should be the same size.

2. The quantity should be small

Number of seals, ancient singular. There is a seal "use one without two, use three without four, and cover an odd number, which means supporting yang and suppressing yin." The number of prints should not be too much, too much will be messy and even usurp the host's role. If a work has several printing methods, it is necessary to choose different printing methods to avoid similarities.

3, the location is right

When printing, pay attention to the position. There is always truth, falsehood and density in a work. The secret place is not compact enough and can be filled with a seal; If the sparse place feels empty, it can be enriched by seals, just like moving a small "weight" to make the picture balanced and ironed. The name at the end of the paragraph and the position of the font size stamp should be arranged accurately If there is a space under the title, put it under the department; If there is no blank, it should be left instead of right. The sealing at the end of the paragraph should be kept at an appropriate interval to avoid crowding and looseness. A work uses preface and corner seal at the same time, so avoid putting it aside. The corner pressing chapter should be placed in the lower left corner, diagonal to the leading chapter.

4. Weight balance

As far as printing color is concerned, ink is lighter and white is heavier. For works with elegant ink color, Zhu should be used to maintain the harmony between the two; The works with strong ink color should be printed in white, so that the red ink color and the black ink color form a strong contrast, which makes each other interesting. If a work is printed several times, the printing colors should be clearly defined, that is, less ink and more white, less ink and more white, which is both diverse and coordinated.

5. consistent style

The style of the seal should be consistent with the style and style of the work. For example, neat and beautiful lower case works should not be stamped with straightforward and urgent seals, and bold and vigorous calligraphy works should not be stamped with exquisite iron seals, otherwise it will be out of place and directly affect the artistic effect of calligraphy works. When using the leisure seal, we should not only pay attention to the integration of its content and the text of the work, but also keep the harmony between the content and style of the seal. For example, the seal of "the country's rivers and mountains" should not be carved piece by piece, and the seal of "a generation of heroes" should not be carved slender and powerless. And so on.

Four, the use and maintenance of inkpad

A beautiful seal, if there is no fine, thick and smooth inkpad, can not fully show its charm, the effect will be greatly reduced. Generally speaking, most Chinese characters are printed in crimson ink. Most of the fine print is inked with cinnabar. Especially the black background of the copybook, be sure to use vermilion ink. Since the Qing dynasty, the red color has been aggravated, and even ancient inkpad has been used to achieve quaint effect and make it profound and dignified. More exquisite, cover it once to avoid being too light, and cover it again to increase the thickness. Of course, we need to pay attention to each other, and this can only be done with the help of Yin Gui. When printing, rubber or other soft materials can be used as the bottom cushion, but not too soft and easy to be imprinted.

The ink is made of cinnabar, grease and moxa. Cinnabar is heavy, but oil is light. If they are not reconciled for a long time, they will separate, cinnabar will sink, oil will float to the surface, and even stick and deteriorate, making it difficult to use. Therefore, every once in a while, the inkpad should be stirred with a paddle made of bones (not metal products) to make the three mix evenly. Stir in the same direction, don't go back and forth. Ink should always be kept clean. Before the seal is dipped in mud, it should be wiped clean; Especially for newly made lithographs, attention should be paid to removing the stone chips in the pen diameter to avoid polluting the inkpad. When dipping in the mud, do not use too much force, and do not press the center of the inkpad violently. You can dip it several times along the inkpad line by pushing and pulling, so that the inkpad can be evenly stained on the printing surface. When the cover is hot-stamped, it should be pressed straight and evenly, and it should not be shaken or concentrated on one side or corner. This bronzing effect will be ideal. There are many kinds of seal materials, and the prices of common stone materials such as Shoushan and Qingtian are acceptable. High-end chicken blood, Tian Huang and so on. There is a pyrophyllite in Ludang, Zhoucheng, Liyang, which is a carving material called Liyang Stone. If there is an opportunity, you can try some.

The following are the principles for stamping calligraphy and painting works:

1. Inscriptions and seals on paintings and calligraphy are not allowed. Of course, it is natural to stamp a big seal and a small seal.

2. Chinese painting is stamped under the lettering, down to the bottom corner, and corner capping is not allowed. For example, the upper right corner and the lower left corner can be stamped with leisure stamps, and the upper left corner and the lower right corner can be stamped. If the above words are printed near the lower corner, there is no need to stamp the leisure stamp.

3. Chinese painting banners are signed, and the left and right corners are not allowed to be stamped. Square leisure stamp can be affixed to the upper right corner, square leisure stamp can be affixed to the upper left corner and square leisure stamp can be affixed to the lower right corner. If there is no need to stamp a leisure stamp here, it will be self-defeating if you barely stamp it.

4. Rectangular, circular and rectangular leisure chapters should not be covered in the position of the corner-pressing leisure chapter in the lower corner.

5. The square-inch leisure chapter cannot cover the blank space at the top of the painting and calligraphy, usurping the role of the master.

6. Chinese painting is inscribed in a straight line, and the last word of the line is the same as that of other lines, so it can't be neat, and so is stamping.

7. Cover with two seals, one square and one circle, which can't be right. Isomorphic prints can be matched.

8. Stamp two seals, one large and one small, which cannot be matched. The same size can be matched.

9. Cover with two seals, one rectangular and one oval, which can't match. Isomorphic prints can be matched.

10. With two sealing covers, the upper male seal and the lower female seal, these two seals cannot match. The upper yin matches the lower one.

1 1. Two seals, the upper and lower languages cannot match. The upper yin matches the lower one.

12. Cover it with two seals, one for the upper part and the other for the lower part, which can't be right. The upper yin matches the lower one.

13. Inscription is not allowed under the seal. If there is an elbow above and below the seal, the natural phenomenon will be lost.

14. The calligraphy and painting have been signed and sealed. It is disrespectful not to give it to others after payment.

15. The flower heads, bird tails, branches and hills are not allowed to be stamped. This is the painter's basic common sense, which is indispensable.

16. Artisans' seals should not be used in calligraphy and painting, and the stone seals carved by art seal carvers are the best.

17. Ordinary inkpad is not suitable for painting and calligraphy, so use babao inkpad.

18. Cover it with two seals, not too far or too close, only one seal apart.

19. Stamping two seals, with different seals, rules and knife methods, cannot be matched. Carve the seal with the same knife method.

20. Don't paint limerick. One is that people who know will be ridiculed, and the other is that works will be degraded to vulgarity.

2 1. You can't put a stamp on the preceding paragraph and put it on people's heads. One is impolite, and the other is to destroy the picture.

22. Cover the corner stamp, not too small. Xuan paper should be spread in four directions, with square lithographs, about 3 cm is appropriate.

23. Cover the corner seal, no more than two sides, one side is just right. The distance between the seal and the edge is about 1 cm.

24. The inscription is not stamped, but it must be stamped around the inscription and separated from the line to become a painting, except in special circumstances.

25. In calligraphy and painting, you can't use a big seal to cover it, or it becomes a giant bomb, which destroys the beautiful picture.

26. Small paintings can't be written in big characters, and big paintings can't be written in small characters. Small space can't have more inscriptions, and large space can't have fewer inscriptions.

27. The name on the painting and calligraphy should not be stamped more than three times, but should be stamped twice or once.

28. Calligraphy and painting cannot be stamped at will. It is better to cover less than not properly, and it is best not to cover the seal with bad ink.

29. Cover the second seal, don't stagger it, how to cover it, the weight of the force, and the maintenance of the seal inkpad. Everything should be studied with great concentration.

30. You can't write vulgar fonts on a painting, which will affect the aesthetic feeling of the picture, so it can't be avoided.

3 1. The first picture of calligraphy is in quadruplicate with a small seal on the upper right. You can't cover the rest. If you cover them all, the circulation will be destroyed.

32. Porcelain jars and crystal jade should be used to store inkpad. The most taboo is to simmer porcelain with purple sand, because purple sand can absorb oil and easily dry the inkpad. Copper, tin, silver lacquerware, rhinoceros and stone are not suitable.

33. Every ten days or half a month, use the bone sign to change the tone. Because the sand body sinks and the oil floats, it must be adjusted regularly to make it uniform.

34. When the seal covers the inkpad, the gesture should be light, and the ink stuck on the printing surface should be evenly patted. If it is covered with paper, the seal clip should be pressed forward and a thin book should be placed under the paper.

35. Clean stamps when they are used, so as not to stain them and affect their colors.

36. After using the inkpad, cover the cylinder head to prevent dust from invading and damaging the color.