JINGDEZHEN, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Luo Xiaocong, a 59-year-old professor at Jingdezhen Ceramic University in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, has been dedicated to modern porcelain painting for years.
Different from traditional ways for blue and white porcelain painting, a craft known as "Tiqing", or "blue pigment shaving" in English, was created by Luo in inspiration of skills used in woodblock and lacquer paintings.
The craft is to splash blue pigment, which is black or brown before firing, on a clay base first to form contours of mountains and clouds, and then use a razor blade to shave off parts of the pigment to form designed patterns. The challenge lies in that it shaves liquid materials rather than solid ones, which requires more skills and patience.
After more than 20 years of trying, Luo Xiaocong can now create different patterns according to the thickness of the pigment by only using a razor blade and a graver. The improvement of the craft takes him days and nights to study.
Producers: Wang Jianhua, Li Xingwen
Planners: Wang Qingqin Meng Tao
Coordinators: Zhu Weixi, Tian Weiwei
Journalist: Hu Chenhuan
Editors: Wang Qingqin, Meng Tao, Tian Weiwei, Hu Jingwen, Zhu Weixi, Fu Tian
