Characteristics of Woodblock New Year Pictures

Woodblock New Year pictures are characterized by woodcut and printing with traditional watermark method of one plate and one color. Full composition, bright colors and rich decoration; Folk stories, auspicious celebrations, statues, operas and current affairs are often used as themes to express people's good wishes with symbols, meanings and exaggerations. It was widely spread in Jiangnan and China, and spread to Japan, Britain and West Germany across the ocean, especially having an important influence on Japanese Ukiyo-e painting, and was praised as "the flower of ancient oriental art" by overseas media.

In addition to the original theme, the theme of the work adds a lot of content reflecting rural life and farming. Images are often exaggerated in decoration, and the lines are simple and rigid, especially in the use of colors. Red, pink, yellow, green, purple (or blue, usually purple instead of blue, blue instead of purple) and light ink color make the picture more vivid, lively, decorative and rhythmic. Its artistic style is closer to laborers in temperament, so it is welcomed by farmers.