Seal Carving Techniques: 100 Lectures

Author: Gu Songzhang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: This is a research monograph on the composition of seal carving. Regarding the study of seal carving composition, the seal world has always been divided on the matter, with many seal artists proposing personalized insights. Yet to this day, no one has provided a widely recognized definition of seal carving composition in the seal world—such is the mystery of Chinese art. In this book, the author presents some of his own understandings of seal carving composition. The author believes the following aspects are relatively important content in the book:
1. Formal and visual elements in the composition content.
2. Classification methods of seal carving composition and the characteristics of various composition types.
3. The main line of the composition.
4. The emphasis on the order of the seal surface by vertical negative space in the seal.
If these are summarized, the author's understanding of composition is as follows: Composition is the process of conceptualizing how to combine text with the seal surface to create a seal carving work. In this conceptualization process, one must comprehensively consider the formal and visual elements of the composition. On one hand, the seal should have a main compositional line. The seal surface should maintain order, and the vertical negative space between characters plays a role in emphasizing this order. These viewpoints are discussed in many small sections throughout the book and are woven throughout the text.