Contrast as a Compositional Method in Seal Engraving
The compositional layout in seal engraving(Traditional Chinese Seal Carving (Zhuanke)) refers to the method of arranging the design based on the characters and the seal face.
Today, we introduce “contrast” as a key compositional technique.
The contrast method involves creating a striking opposition between the density of strokes and the balance of red and white areas within the seal.
It amplifies the spatial tension between elements, making sparse areas appear even more open, dense areas even more compact, red areas more vivid, and white areas more pronounced. This generates a powerful visual effect through heightened contrast.
A classic example is Wu Rangzhi’s white-character (Baiwen) seal “攘之”. The engraver masterfully employed this technique.
The character “攘” is inherently complex with many dense strokes, yet the space it occupies was slightly reduced. In contrast, the character “之”, which is simple in structure, was allotted a larger area than “攘”. This creates a strong contrast between density and openness, resulting in an excellent artistic effect.