1 June 2017
Talking Seals
Don’t Bruise Your Stone
Most soft stone, like that used for seal carving, can be bruised.
15 April 2017
Stampeding Horses
Someone recently sent pictures of a carving of stampeding horses asking if the stone was shoushan.
1 April 2017
Hard White Erasers
The Japanese sometimes cut seal designs into the end of a hard white eraser and use this as a stamp.
1 March 2017
No Second Chances
It is tradition that Chinese calligraphy be done all at once, with no corrections or reworking of the characters.
15 February 2017
Which is Easier?
People often assume it’s easier to cut a seal with fewer characters rather than one with more characters.
1 February 2017
15 November 2016
Right or Left Hand?
Are you right or left handed? It wouldn’t have mattered in old China.
1 November 2016
Try a Little Color
Most carvers will sign their name on the side of a finished seal. Depending on the color of the stone you may want to fill in these lines with paint.
1 August 2016
Try Gouache
Try using some red and white paint—gouache works well for this as it dries quickly and is water soluble—to experiment with seal modifications.
1 July 2016
