As far as seals are concerned, they can be divided into two types: yang articles (zhu lines) and yin articles (white lines).

As far as the position of the seal on the screen is concerned, it can be divided into an initial seal, a signature seal and a corner seal. When two or more seals are stamped in one place, the upper seal is generally larger and the lower seal is slightly smaller. The upper seal is in Yang script and the lower seal is in Yin script.

1. Name stamp. Generally used in conjunction with two parties, it is indispensable in the picture. One side is engraved with the name and the other side is engraved with the font size; or one side is engraved with the surname and the other side is engraved with the name. One side is engraved with red inscriptions, and the other is engraved with white inscriptions. When using it, if the red ink is light, use it on the top; if the white ink is red, if it is heavy, place it on the bottom. The size of the seal is approximately the same as the inscription, or slightly smaller than the inscription.

As for the sealing position, if there is a lot of space under the signature, it can be stamped below. If there is less space under the signature, it can be stamped on the left and right side of the handwriting. The distance between the two square seals is approximately equal to the position of one or two seals. They should not be too far apart or too crowded together.

2. Pressed corner seal, also known as painted corner seal. It can be used in the lower left or lower right corner of the painting according to the needs of the picture. The corner seals are larger than the name seals and are mostly square or rectangular, regardless of the Zhu Baiwen. The content can be aphorisms and aphorisms, collectively referred to as leisure chapters, such as "Teaching by nature", "Getting the mountains and rivers interesting", "There are so many beauties in the country", etc. You can also use the name of the Zhai Guan, called Zhai Guan Zhang, such as Wen Zhengming's "Zhen Shang Zhai", Shi Tao's "Dadi Thatched Cottage", etc.

3. Introduce the first chapter. Most are rectangular, but some are oval or irregular. According to the needs of the picture, it is used on the right side of the first two or three characters of the title, so it is called the lead. The content is similar to the corner seal.

Extended information:

The seals on calligraphy and painting are mainly divided into three categories:

1. The author’s own seal.

2. The seal of the person who wrote the postscript.

3. Collection and appreciator’s seal.

The seals used are divided into three aspects:

1. Name, font size, restaurant, and hall number seal.

2. Seal of idle texts, auspicious words and aphorisms.

3. Collection and appreciation seal. ?

Name and font size stamp: usually stamped below or to the left of the author’s name. The hall and hall number seals are usually stamped around or below the inscriptions. They are also used to greet the head and are stamped in the upper right corner. The seals of idle texts, auspicious words, and aphorisms are usually stamped on the left and right lower corners of calligraphy and paintings, and are also used as inscriptions or greetings.

Collection and appreciation seals are generally stamped on the left and right lower corners of calligraphy and painting, or on blank spaces that do not hinder the painting and calligraphy works themselves. They can also be stamped on mountings other than paintings and calligraphy. There are also covers in the most prominent positions of calligraphy and paintings to show their authority, such as Emperor Qianlong and Jiaqing. ?

The content of poems or articles on paintings is extremely rich. It is an indispensable part of Chinese painting. Poems, calligraphy and painting are perfectly combined, which are called the "three wonders". The ancients said that "kung fu lies outside poetry". This kind of skill outside painting sometimes plays an important role in the taste of painting. Good poetry is of great significance in enriching the picture, deepening the author's emotions, and increasing the expressive power of the picture.

The quality of poetry can be said to be a concrete manifestation of the author's cultural accomplishment and an important part of Chinese painting.

The inscription on the painting is realized through calligraphy. If the calligraphy is not good, it will destroy the picture. Chinese painting emphasizes that "calligraphy and painting have the same origin". On the one hand, it is the mutual penetration of techniques, and on the other hand, it is reflected in the inscriptions and titles. It requires that the style should be harmonious with the painting style and the brushwork should be unified. Generally speaking, seal script, official script and regular script are suitable for fine brushwork, while cursive seal script, official script and running script are suitable for freehand brushwork.

Whether it is fine brushwork or freehand brushwork, under normal circumstances, the inscription is in thick ink. The arrangement of text should be in harmony with the picture.

If the seal is completely consistent with the seal on the work that we now regard as authentic, there is a possibility of authenticity. Of course, this is not the only standard, but only one aspect of identification. Especially since the late Qing Dynasty, Western photographic platemaking has been introduced to our country, making the copied and reprinted seals almost exactly the same as the original seals. This means that calligraphy and paintings cannot be identified solely on the basis of seals.

If the seal on a work from the mid-Qing Dynasty or before is completely consistent with the seal on a work that is known to be authentic, and there is no doubt about other aspects, it can basically be regarded as authentic. Because under normal circumstances, when copying a seal, the artificial imitation will always be somewhat different from the original seal. It is extremely difficult to copy the seal exactly like the original seal.

If it is a calligraphy and painting work after the late Qing Dynasty, it must be identified more carefully from many aspects.

Reference materials: Baidu Encyclopedia - Traditional Chinese painting techniques

Reference materials: Baidu Encyclopedia - Seal materials