Puzzle Fun

Author: Zhu Weida
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-03-01
Features: Paper-cutting is a folk art with a long history in China. The interesting paper-cutting introduced in this book is an extension of traditional paper-cutting, adding the processes of fun assembly and pasting, which is a process of organic composition. Its characteristics are that it not only leverages the advantages of traditional paper-cutting art to create vivid and beautiful images but also fully utilizes imagination to ensure that every part of the paper plays a role in the overall composition. Because the cutting and assembly process is endlessly fun, we have called this book "Interesting Paper-Cutting" and dedicated it to young friends, hoping to spark their interest and earn their welcome. Our intention in creating this interesting paper-cutting has two purposes: First, to cultivate the visual thinking ability of children and adolescents, enabling them to generalize various images of the natural world using regular or irregular geometric shapes, and then, through the method of cutting square or circular paper pieces and reassembling them into pictures, to express them concisely and vividly. Second, to cultivate the good habit of cherishing materials and using them wisely from a young age, avoiding unnecessary waste. Because interesting paper-cutting, from cutting paper pieces to assembling them into pictures, always follows the principle that every cut piece of paper must be used in the final composition. Since the cutting and assembly of interesting paper-cutting are closely related and naturally connected, and all of this is confined within a limited-size square or circular paper piece, not only does the resulting work have artistic value, but the assembly process also has significant intellectual development functions. Without knowing how the illustrations in the book are assembled, readers might find it hard to imagine that those lifelike images, once reassembled, would turn into square or circular paper pieces. This book presents 90 paper-cutting illustrations for young readers, including 33 depicting insects, birds, beasts, and portraits, and 57 depicting other patterns. These illustrations are both for appreciation and for imitation. To make it easier for young readers to create, the appendix includes a number of cutting patterns for reference. Students in higher grades with certain modeling abilities can also learn by doing and apply their imagination to create original works. If this is achieved, we will be even more delighted. It should be noted that the illustrations presented in this book are not all perfect; on the contrary, some compositions may seem forced or contrived. We sincerely hope that readers, especially peers and predecessors, will kindly point out any flaws. The illustrations in this book, in their initial conception and design, benefited greatly from the guidance and assistance of Zhu Yangci, former Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Art Editing Department of the former Shanghai Science and Technology Publishing House. At this time of publication, we express our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Zhu.