Clay sculpture making technology

The basic material of clay sculpture-soil needs careful preparation. Generally choose some sticky and delicate soil. After beating, throwing and rubbing, sometimes cotton wool, paper and honey are added to the soil. The molding of clay sculpture is generally divided into four steps: being a child, turning over the mold, being born, and coloring. To be a child is to make a prototype, find a good piece of mud, shape an image by carving, molding and kneading, and then modify, polish and dry it. In some places, it needs to be burned to enhance its strength. Turning over the mold is to press the soil on the prototype and print it into a mold. Generally, there are single-piece molds and double-piece molds, and there are also multiple molds. Bodybuilding is to press the clay figurine blank with a mold. Usually, the mixed mud is rolled into a sheet, then pressed into a mold, then the two molds pressed with mud are closed and pressed, and then a "bottom" is installed, that is, a piece of mud is stuck on the lower part of the clay figurine to make the clay figurine hollow and compact, and a hole is left in the carcass to make the air inside and outside the carcass circulate, so as to avoid damage to the clay tire caused by the change of air pressure in the fetus. The last process is coloring, which is commonly known as "three-part plastic and seven-part color separation". Generally, a layer of ground color is applied before coloring to keep the surface smooth and easy to absorb the painted color. The painted pigment is versatile, mixed with water gel to enhance color adhesion. There are many reasons for the damage of ancient clay sculptures, including human factors and natural factors.

1, natural factors include the influence of humidity, the change of internal structure of water-soluble salts and supports, the growth of microorganisms, the change of physical climate (usually referring to temperature and humidity), the invasion of sunlight, rain and sandstorms, and the role of atmospheric pollutants. In addition, incorrect repair methods and the use of some inappropriate repair materials often accelerate the deterioration of clay sculptures.

2. The common pathological phenomena of clay sculpture mainly include puffiness, peeling, crisp powder, nail cracking, foaming, degumming and peeling, picture fading, discoloration, pollution (mildew spots, insect excrement spots, smoke, etc. It is very important to create a good protective environment for long-term preservation of clay sculptures. Preventing the occurrence of pathological changes is more important than treating them. Only by thoroughly eliminating the root causes of pathological changes can clay sculptures be fundamentally protected.

3, the protection of clay sculpture is important to control humidity. Because humidity is the most dangerous factor causing wall diseases. Buildings should maintain good ventilation conditions, which is of great significance to preserve the integrity of clay sculptures. The walls should be kept naturally ventilated, the air in the building should be kept clean and dry, and there should be no weeds near the building. The environment in which murals are preserved should be suitable and relatively stable in temperature and humidity, and the fluctuation should not be too great. As long as this can be done, it is difficult for microorganisms such as mold to grow and develop.

4, avoid the influence of light, never direct sunlight on the clay sculpture. If too much water has been removed, it is usually beneficial to keep it in the dark. It is best to use artificial light source for lighting, which is convenient to control the illumination and effectively eliminate the damage of light to clay sculpture. It is necessary to prevent dust, soot and various harmful gases from harming clay sculptures. Small and medium-sized clay sculptures, as personal collections, should also abide by the above storage matters. Declaration area or unit: Tianjin

Tianjin clay figurine Zhang developed in Daoguang period of Qing Dynasty. It was initiated by Mr. Zhang Mingshan and has been circulating for 180 years. Zhang Caisu, a clay figurine, has distinct artistic features of realism, which can truly depict the character and posture of the characters. Pursuit of anatomical structure, exaggeration and rationality, proper choice; Color, elegant and beautiful. Clay figurine Zhang Caisu is suitable for indoor furnishings, generally small in size, about 40 cm, and can be placed on a desk or shelf. It is made of pure clay with low sediment content and no impurities, which is weathered, beaten, filtered, dehydrated and repeatedly crushed by cotton wool. Hand-molded by artists, naturally air-dried and painted. Wuxi colored sculptures in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province have a history of 400 years. Through the artistic practice of artists of past dynasties, Huishan clay figurines, which are world-renowned, have been created.

Huishan clay figurines are rich in categories, which are divided into coarse goods and fine goods. Coarse goods, also known as playing with goods, are mainly based on good luck and blessing. They are printed in molds and drawn by hand. Their shapes are exaggerated, their lines are simple and clumsy, they look plump on the whole, they use a wide range of pens and have strong color contrast. Mainly for children to play with. Boutiques are mainly shaped by hand. Most of the content is based on drama, so it is called hand-kneading drama. Also pinch Buddha statues and works that reflect current life. A work starts from the foot, from bottom to top, from inside to outside, and is combined in sections in one go. Exquisite brushstrokes are used in the painting, from head to toe, from the expression of characters to the pleats of clothes. Hand-cranked drama reproduces the typical scenes of drama performance, highlights the instantaneous expressions of drama characters, and is vivid in shape, colorful, pleasing to the eye, beautifully decorated and enduring. It is an ornament in people's homes and a good gift. Huishan clay figurine has existed for a long time, so it is impossible to know its exact time. When it comes to leisure, almost every family is a clay figurine. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that every family is good at shaping and every family has a prize. During the Spring Festival, at temple fairs and fairs, people will take a plate with their own clay figurines on it and sell it everywhere, which is also an income for farmers. Huishan in Qing Dynasty had professional workshops with surnames such as Yuan, Zhu and Qian. Wang Chunlin, a color sculptor, made five plates of clay children and presented them, which was appreciated by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. From Tongzhi to Guangxu in Qing Dynasty, a large number of opera clay figurines with drama as the theme appeared, which was also the most prosperous period in Huishan clay figurines' history. During this period, Huishan has more than 40 workshops and shops and more than 30 professional craftsmen. On the 60th birthday of Empress Dowager Cixi, local officials presented a large set of clay figurines "Tao Panhui" with traditional Chinese opera to the imperial court, and Huishan clay figurines became a tribute from then on.

Huishan clay figurines can be divided into coarse goods and fine goods. Coarse goods are toys, made with molds and produced in large quantities; Boutique handmade, fine production. Most of the themes are opera characters, or spring cattle, tigers, Dafu characters, birthday stars and so on. Huishan clay figurine is plump and concise, exaggerating the head and focusing on depicting expressions. Craftsmen pay special attention to painting. There is a saying that three blank paintings are divided into seven parts. Commonly used colors are red, green, gold, cyan and other primary colors, with strong contrast and clear priorities. If clay figurine Zhang's works are fresh and elegant, then Huishan clay figurine Zhang's works are bright and gorgeous. The formula of "new, clear, clean and explosive" must be achieved in Huishan traditional painting;

Freshness: it is the first impression of people's vision. Colors should be fresh, bright, eye-catching, "fresh" and not "faded". It means that a clay figurine works at least dozens of pieces (sets). After painting, the clay figurine is bright and bright, and the viewer will like it.

Qing: first, it means refreshing and clean, keeping clean when painting; The second is to use solid colors. The requirements are very strict: "red should be bright"; "Yellow is yellow and fresh"; "Blue should be pure"; "White should be white." Maintain the brightness of color; It makes people feel refreshing. Wipe it clean with a pen, not sloppy.

Qi: refers to neat brushwork, "straight lines should be straight, curves should be vivid, and lines should be clearly defined"; "Put pen to paper like flying, uniform thickness". The pattern spacing is reasonable, concise and generous.

Burst: It means to use strong colors. Because the clay figurine itself is small and the internal structure of the clay blank has not changed much, it is required that the color be bold and strong, and the background color should be compared with the primary color to attract attention.

Huishan clay figurine's hand kneading skills and painting decoration complement each other. In terms of color, Huishan clay figurines also have their own complete expression methods.

First of all, we must deal with the relationship between the pattern and the background color: "Look at the color from a distance, look at the flowers from a distance", which not only has great color effect, but also can stand up to the close look, without affecting the whole part, and the background color and the pattern set each other off. The mode should be "to see more with less, to see less with more" That is, beauty lies in the fact that there are many things without chaos, so as to achieve the artistic effect of careful appreciation and worth seeing.

Besides, the patterns commonly used in hand-made plays are not copied from the original stage costumes. On the premise of not losing the identity of the characters, the basic colors remain unchanged, and the patterns on the clothes are freely displayed. "So many artists like to enjoy flowers, grow flowers, keep cats and feed birds in their spare time. These hobbies can naturally be integrated into the works. " Director Zhao introduced. For example, Master Wang Xikang's Storyteller is a woman in the early years of the Republic of China with a bun and a pipa in her hand. She is wearing a jacket with a light green background and pink Chinese rose flowers, with a pair of snow-blue trousers below, and a pot of orchids and plum blossoms on the table. There is a tablecloth with big red flowers and ripples on the black side in front of the table, which reveals the elegant and quiet artistic conception in the south. Reporting area or unit: Fengxiang County, Shaanxi Province

Fengxiang painted clay sculpture is a folk art in Fengxiang County, Shaanxi Province, which is called "clay goods" by local people. Fengxiang County is located in the west of Guanzhong Plain, and there are clay figurines buried in the tombs during the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period and the Han and Tang Dynasties, which shows that its clay sculpture technology has a long history. Fengxiang colored sculptures are mainly distributed in Liu Ying Village of Chengguan Town and its surrounding areas. It is said that during the Ming Dynasty, six battalions of troops were stationed here, and later the sergeants became local residents. Some of them resumed their pottery-making skills before joining the army, using local clay and clay to knead clay figurines, making molds and puppet paintings, and then selling them at major temple fairs. Local villagers buy clay sculptures and put them at home to pray for their children, protect students, ward off evil spirits, restrain themselves and collect happiness. The bodiless painted clay figurine in Liu Ying Village is famous all over the world and passed down from generation to generation. It has become a wonderful flower in China folk art and enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad.

Fengxiang has three kinds of colored sculptures. One is clay toys, mainly plastic figures of animals and the zodiac. The second is to hang paintings, including facial makeup, tiger head, ox head, lion head, Kirin sending children, Eight Immortals crossing the sea and so on. The third is to establish people, mainly aiming at the characters in folklore and historical stories. Fengxiang clay sculpture * * * has 170 varieties of colors, including giant crouching tigers and hanging tigers half a person's height, as well as rabbits and lions as small as square inches; Black clay, white powder, leather glue, etc. They are all used for making, the molds are qualitative, the modeling is refined and exaggerated, the decoration is gorgeous and festive, and the modeling is naive and lovely, which is unique among many folk clay sculptures in China. Before 1960s, there were more than 300 farmers making clay sculptures in Liu Ying village and its surrounding villages. At present, only artists such as Shen Hu, Hu Xinmin, Hu Yongxing, Han Suocun and Du Yin are engaged in the creation and production of clay sculptures in their spare time.

Fengxiang clay sculpture has strong local flavor and high research value of folk culture, folk art and aesthetics, which has attracted the attention of relevant experts. However, under the influence of the commercial environment, Fengxiang clay sculpture artists often cater to the market demand by selling, which makes many traditional products almost extinct, and also makes Fengxiang clay sculpture skills gradually lose their original cultural connotation and constantly mutate. Niejiazhuang in Gaomi, Shandong Province is one of the cradles of clay sculpture in China. His works are simple, elegant, gorgeous, atmospheric and full of local flavor. They are deeply loved by local people for their unique artistic style. With the development of the times and the improvement of people's living standard and appreciation level, artists in Niejiazhuang give full play to their intelligence, boldly borrow the color of "throwing gray New Year pictures", and constantly innovate in theme and content, which meets the needs of local folk customs and is welcomed by people.

Gaomi clay sculpture has a history of more than 400 years. During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, farmers in Qin Long designed and sold a kind of fireworks made of clay, called "potted flowers" (also called clay chopping boards). Later, they molded clay blanks filled with gunpowder into doll shapes and set off fireworks as toys or decorations. Finally, these clay sculpture varieties gradually developed and painted with various colors to make them lively. The theme is rich. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Niejiazhuang clay sculpture borrowed the artistic features of Yangjiabu New Year pictures, and made innovations in expression techniques and color setting, gradually adding sound effects, local actions, official voices, colors and movements into one. Clay toys are sold at mountain gatherings and temple fairs. Declaration area: Xun County, Henan Province

Xunxian County is located in the north of Henan Province and belongs to Hebi City. According to Zi Jian, at the end of Sui Dynasty, the peasant uprising army fought for Liyang Cang (called Liyang in Xun County at that time), and Yang Kui, the general of Shimei Sect, the leader of Wagang Army, was stationed here, which was named Yang Kui Village. At that time, some soldiers in the army could be clay figurines. To commemorate the soldiers and horses who died on the battlefield, they made clay figurines and horses out of local clay. Later, someone in the army placed it on the spot, and this craft was handed down. The clay sculpture in Xunxian County is very small, the largest is less than 20 cm, and the smallest is only 4 to 5 cm. Because it has two small holes in its tail, it makes a "goo goo" sound when blowing, so it is called "mud goo goo". Yangyutun in Liyang Town is the main producing area of mud goo goo.

The basic content of mud goo goo in Xunxian county includes more than 0/00 varieties of people, livestock and poultry. Its manufacturing tools are very simple, mainly plastic bamboo tubes and wooden sticks. Producers use these tools to make local yellow mud into works through water mixing, punching and other processes, then dip in rosin (now changed to ink) and foreign color (now changed to gouache pigment), and paint on plastic blanks with self-made hemp pens (now changed to writing brushes), mostly with black as the background color, and then with red, yellow and yellow as the background color.

Mud Goo Goo's works mainly include historical figures, opera figures, Chinese zodiac animals, small animals, birds, riders and so on. Xunxian Mud Goo Goo has a long history, strong folk characteristics, simple modeling, exaggeration and chic, which is deeply loved by the masses and experts and scholars, and is called a living fossil of history by folk experts. The main inheritors are Wang, Song and others, but modern young people are unwilling to continue to learn this craft, and the traditional craft is gradually lost, which is in urgent need of rescue. Chaoshan clay sculpture is a kind of clay kneading art, and Chaozhou is commonly known as "An Zai". Wucun clay sculpture in Fuyang Town, Chao 'an County, Chaozhou City, together with Tianjin "Clay Fighter Zhang" and Wuxi Huishan Clay Fighter, is called the three largest clay sculptures in China. According to legend, at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, the ancestor Wu Jingshan made clay toys for a living after he settled in Zhangpu, Fujian with his family. His skills have been handed down from generation to generation and gradually developed, with a history of more than 700 years. During the Guangxu period of Qing Dynasty, Dawu clay sculpture entered a period of prosperity and development, and Dawu clay sculpture artists represented by Wu Panqiang emerged one after another, and their kneading skills became more and more mature. Dawu clay sculpture sticking technique is unique, including tattoo, martial arts scene, facial makeup and other genre techniques. The figures are lifelike, rich in variety, colorful, natural, fresh and elegant, and the depth of artistic attainments is amazing.

Dunhuang

History of Dunhuang Clay Sculpture: Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties

Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes have become a dazzling part of Dunhuang art because of their colorful murals, but as far as grotto art is concerned, sculpture, architecture and murals are interdependent and unified as a whole, and the sculpture part is the main god worshipped by Buddhism, which occupies a prominent position in the grottoes, so it is the theme of grotto art. Because Mogao Grottoes are sandstone, the texture is loose and it is not suitable for carving, so the Buddha statues are mostly painted clay sculptures. About 729 colored sculptures were preserved during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, including 456 "shadow sculptures". Judging from the change of modeling style, it can be roughly divided into two stages, with Emperor Xiaowen and the Reform Movement of 1898 as the boundary. Before the reform, the style of the works mostly retained traces of foreign Buddhist art; The reformed Buddha statues are more influenced by the artistic style of "showing bones and clearing images" in the Central Plains.

The status of sculpture in grottoes plays a leading role in the whole grotto art, and the murals in grottoes are developed around these sculptures. Buddha statues in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties are generally surrounded by bodhisattvas, forming a combination of one Buddha and two bodhisattvas. There are statues of Maitreya, Sakyamuni and Duobao. In the early Buddha statues, Maitreya was very common. Larger Buddha statues are generally placed on the main wall, represented by round carvings, while smaller Buddha statues are placed on the north and south walls of the cave or the upper ends of the four walls of the central square column, which are made up of round carvings or shadow carvings. The position of an image is closely related to its state. God or man is put in different angles according to his status. For example, the Buddha statue is placed in a positive image, with a certain stylized sitting posture, which is solemn and sacred. Bodhisattvas are placed in a semi-lateral way, while Hu people mostly appear in a lateral form.

A five-body combination of one Buddha, two disciples and two bodhisattvas appeared in the late Northern Dynasty, and gradually evolved into a group image combination of seven or nine bodies in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. With the decrease of "crib holes" in the central square column, the Buddha statues are placed on the main wall in a fixed combination. This is also the process of nationalization of foreign cultures.

Characteristics of Dunhuang clay sculpture production technology

Dunhuang sculpture is divided into two processes: clay sculpture and painting, so it is also called colored sculpture. In the clay sculpture stage, except for a few giant buddhas in the Tang Dynasty who were made of stone tires, wood was generally used as the frame, and grass, reeds or Achnatherum splendens were bound outside the frame. Generally, there are two layers of plastic mud, the inner layer is coarse plastic with grass mud and the outer layer is fine plastic with pulp mud or cotton mud. After molding and drying, the painting is completed. Generally speaking, the plastic part of the shadow is molded by the model first, and then pasted on the wall, which has a relief effect after painting. This technology has both the functions of colored sculptures and murals, which makes the combination of three-dimensional colored sculptures and two-dimensional murals in grottoes more harmonious and seamless. The statue is round in shape, with the powder of foreign Buddha statues as the main body structure, strong in style and unified in effect, but not accurate enough. Modelling technique still retains the stone carving technique and fails to give full play to the unique tensile properties of clay sculpture. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the proportion of statues had a gradual process, and the figures of Buddha and Bodhisattva gradually became slim. Until the Western Wei Dynasty, due to the influence of the aesthetic concept of the Central Plains, the proportion of human bodies was exaggerated to the peak.

Modeling characteristics of Dunhuang clay sculpture style

From the modeling characteristics, the statue of Emperor Xiaowen before the reform has a square face, a flat nose, a long neck, broad shoulders and a flat chest, a right-handed or shoulder-backed style, a bodhisattva with a high bun and a half-naked upper body, and a dignified expression. Influenced by foreign and northern minority cultures. After Emperor Xiaowen's reform, the aesthetic concept of the Central Plains gave Dunhuang figures a comprehensive influence from modeling to clothing. North and South aristocratic families enjoy hereditary senior officials, have family background, have high cultural accomplishment, advocate light metaphysics in thought, live a detached and independent life, and take thinness as beauty, which is also the social basis of aesthetic consciousness of "showing bones and keeping images clear". Affected by this, the statue has a flat shape, a slender neck and a slender face, and its overall image is thin without losing its bones, and its ability to express its body structure has been enhanced. The costume part of the statue is also integrated into the Hanfu of the Central Plains. The Buddha statue is wearing a pair of cassock, with a long skirt around the waist and draped over the shoulders. The free and easy "showing bones and clear images" in the south has been reflected in this period.

In addition, in the Northern Zhou Dynasty at the end of the Northern Dynasty, due to the unification of northern nationalities and the strengthening of cultural exchanges between the North and the South, a new form of "short and bright face" appeared in sculpture modeling. The Buddha statue is characterized by a big head, a strong body and a square face, which marks another change in the artistic style of the Mogao Grottoes. Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties were turbulent times in the history of China, and the changes of social politics and economy constantly impacted and influenced the culture. Although Dunhuang is in a relatively stable position, its grotto art is constantly influenced by the great cultural background, which makes the art of this period present a rich and changeable face.

The production method is to mix a little cotton fiber into the clay, tamp it evenly, knead it into mud blanks with various patterns, dry it in the shade, expose the bottom powder, and then color it. Ali's production flow chart, this production need not be so troublesome, just knead it into Ali's appearance.