The full-work and blank-space styles are very different. Which type of jade carving is more popular?

Three parts material, seven parts labor. Craftsmanship has a relatively large impact on the value of jade. So are jade works with full craftsmanship really more expensive? Is it because the jade carver is lazy that there are a lot of white spaces in the jade carving? Not really. We need to consider comprehensively based on the coarseness of the craftsmanship and the quality of the jade material.

Full work and blank space

It is not easy to design and carve jade jewelry, which involves countless efforts of designers and jade carvers. Therefore , creative patterns and exquisite carvings are plus points for jade. However, we will also find that most jades with complex carvings do not seem to be expensive.

In fact, jade carving design can be divided into two artistic techniques: full work and leaving blank space. Is leaving blank space better or full work? This cannot be generalized, we have to decide based on the state of the jade itself.

Full work can create jade works with a more solemn feel, but this does not mean that the entire picture should be filled with patterns without leaving any room. Full work also expresses the theme in an orderly and methodical manner.

The purpose of leaving blank space is to create an atmosphere, such as the beauty of emptiness or humanity. Generally, only one theme is arranged, and other positions are left blank. In this way, the theme will be more prominent, catch people's attention, and resonate with people.

If we choose to leave a lot of white space, we have to use higher-quality materials to create it, and there can't be too many flaws. If there are many flaws on the material and they are not modified, then its ornamental value will definitely not be high.

Jade carvings with blank spaces are more artistic. Many people like this minimalist style. However, jade carving requires applying art according to the material . Whether a piece of material is suitable for full work or leaving blank spaces depends on its color, quality and other factors.

The Way of Complexity and Simplification

There is no distinction between simplicity and complexity in jade carvings. Many times we think that if the picture is too full and too complicated, it will be crowded and make people feel messy. However , even if high-quality jade carvings are very complex, they still follow internal rules or order, so they are full of beauty.

For example, a jade-carved landscape plaque contains a lot of things, such as overlapping mountains, lush grass and big trees, etc., but we don’t think the picture is messy. Instead, we feel it is orderly and well-organized.

Complexity without clutter is actually the result of repeated carving and constant deliberation by jade carvers. The complex picture has more layering and three-dimensionality. Even if an excellent design is very complicated, it will not make people feel upset. Instead, it will allow us to find more meaning and deeper tranquility in it.

Complex jade carvings test the jade carver's control over the overall situation, while simple jade carvings test whether the jade carver knows how to make choices. Simple jade carvings are more Zen, but simplicity is not simply leaving blank space, it is not nothing.

In fact, leaving blank space is to express the richest content with the simplest pattern. The picture can be simple, but the content must not be pale. Jade carvings with blank space are generally more abstract. Even if it is a jade landscape plaque, the landscape plaque with blank space will use only a few strokes to carve out the mountains.

Although jade carvings with blank spaces do not pay so much attention to details and do not need to carve out leaves and grass, this does not mean that it is not delicate enough. On the contrary, a large amount of content can be expressed with just a few strokes. We must conceive carefully and carve carefully.

Complex jade carvings and simple jade carvings have their own characteristics. Good works are never bound by frameworks. Whether creators or consumers, they must appreciate jade carvings from multiple angles.

Even the same piece of jade carving will have complex parts and simple parts. Simple and complex are never multiple-choice questions. They are suitable for different scenes and can exist on the same piece of jade carving at the same time.

Jade carvings created with attention to detail and jade carvings created with attention to artistic conception through leaving blank space are two different styles. Consumers may have different preferences, but there is actually no difference between different styles of jade carvings.

There is no need to worry too much. The jade carving styles on the market are very different, and the views of each school are completely different. We must learn to listen to our hearts and choose what we really like.