Sharing of black and white woodcut techniques

Movable type printing is one of the four great inventions in China, and black and white woodcut with the same effect as movable type printing is also a great invention. Carve a picture on wood, brush it with a layer of black pigment, and then print it on paper to form a picture. This is a black-and-white print. The art of black-and-white printmaking is a special language to study the law of black and white and express the world image with two contrasting colors of black and white. So how is this art done? Today we are going to learn the techniques of black and white woodcut prints.

1, excess draft

Is to transfer the drawings to the board. Novices suggest copying.

Copying method: Cover the drawing with transparent sulfuric acid paper, carefully draw it with a hard pencil, then cover the sulfuric acid paper on the board covered with a layer of carbon paper in turn, and then use a ballpoint pen to alter the writing. What is copied to the board is mainly large composition and large image, and some specific details do not need to be copied one by one, which is conducive to free play in the process of seal cutting and is not bound by the manuscript;

Step 2 paint the movie

Because there are some tiny fiber gaps on the polished board, it can be filled up well after brushing a layer of paint, and the wood can be made thinner, so that the carving is more refreshing. The specific method is to dissolve the paint flake with alcohol, then dip the paint flake solution with a board brush and spread it evenly on the board, so that it can penetrate into the layout as much as possible, and then carve it after drying. Regarding the process of painting, some printmakers wax or varnish. Although the materials used are different, the effect is the same.

Step 3 carve

This step can be said to be the most important step in black and white woodcut. We must not copy the draft mechanically. The correct way is to make full use of the creativity and agility of the cutter on the basis of the draft, and give full play to the artist's imagination and creativity. As for carving techniques, artists may have their own habits, which can usually be divided into four steps: immediate outline, blank shovel, deepening and adjustment.

①? Outline? Carve along the outline of the body with a triangular knife to establish the specific position and modeling characteristics of the body. It should be noted that the knife should be transported along the outer edge of the body contour, and the black line itself cannot be engraved (Figure 02-6).

②? Shovel blank? Use a large and small round knife to shovel off a large blank part in the drawing (Figure 02-7). What needs special attention is that because woodcut is the art of subtraction, the points and lines that should be left in the blank should not be shoveled into absolute blanks, and some room should be left as much as possible to facilitate the adjustment of the overall relationship in the future.

③? Deep? Use triangular knives, circular knives and other knives to carve the overall tone and local details of the picture (Figure 02-8). The description of gray tone can be completed in the order from shallow to deep, which is more conducive to mastering and controlling. It should be emphasized that in the process of transporting knives, we should not be bound by drawings, but give full play to the creativity and randomness of woodcut knives, so that the artist's talent and mind can be vividly reflected.

④? Adjust? Fully consider and weigh the overall physical structure and black-and-white relationship in the picture, and further correct the inaccuracies and subtleties from the overall height (Figure 02-9). This is the last stage of carving, we must be careful and patient enough, but we must also realize that the adjustment can only be completed by removing the redundant parts of the layout, and nothing can be added.

Carving technology is a very old craft, which embodies the wisdom of working people. Nowadays, engraving technology is not only used in black and white prints, but also can be seen everywhere in life. Personal name seal, company official seal and all kinds of seals are engraved, but the popular rubber seals are engraved on rubber, which makes the engraved seals cheaper and easier for beginners to use. Nowadays, many tourist destinations also promote tourists' consumption under the banner of collecting chapters. Did you get this practical and beautiful skill?