Chapter 108 Another One Arrives (Bonus Chapter 4/4 for Monthly Tickets)
The gaps have been repaired, including the tiny cracks.
In fact, the lacquer finishing process is basically complete.
But Xiao Yuzhu's eyes still lit up: the repair was so good. At first glance, it was almost impossible to tell that it had been repaired.
Even if a large patch of black is on the rim of the dark brown bowl, even if there are patches of brown and yellow on the white bowl wall.
But it is flat and smooth, and you can't feel any marks even when you touch it with your hand.
It looks more like paint spilled from a spilled paint can.
Xiao Yuzhu stretched out her finger and gently brushed it across the lacquered surface: "It's so beautiful!"
Lin Sicheng was taken aback: Xiao Yuzhu, what kind of aesthetic sense do you have?
White mixed with brown, soy sauce mixed with black, patched on the left and seamd on the right, it looks like a dog licked it, how is it pretty?
The world of children is beyond my comprehension...
He glanced at it and quickly put on his apron. Li Zhen realized what was happening and hurriedly put one on as well.
Xiao Yuzhu looked bewildered: "What should I do!"
"Just watch!"
"oh!"
She nodded blankly, moved her work chair, and sat a little further away.
Lin Sicheng looked puzzled: "What are you doing?"
"Not causing trouble, huh?" Xiao Yuzhu asked matter-of-factly. "So as not to get in the way!"
Wow, that's some self-awareness.
The problem is, you're sitting so far away, what can you possibly see?
"Sit here, otherwise I won't be able to explain it to you!"
Xiao Yuzhu, beaming with joy, dragged a chair over and hopped over.
The paint job had been repaired, and she thought Lin Sicheng wouldn't have anything to say today.
After quickly mixing the paint, Lin Sicheng put on his gloves.
"These two bowls are currently in the state they are in after being bonded with varnish, forming a varnish film, building up varnish lines, air-drying naturally, and then being sanded in layers..."
"After that, there's the primer, imitation glaze or painting, kintsugi, foil application... If you don't want to do an antiquing or fading treatment, you can directly apply a topcoat to fix the color..."
Xiao Yuzhu became more and more excited as she listened: Doesn't this mean that Lin Sicheng will have to complete the entire "kintsugi" process next?
Similarly, she hadn't learned this either.
In a flash, she noticed Li Zhen's lips moving as if she were reciting something silently, and then she realized, "Wait a minute, I'll get some paper and a pen..."
Lin Sicheng looked helpless: I'm really impressed with you. You're usually so smart, but when you get excited, your IQ seems to drop to zero.
"How stupid! Record it with your phone!"
"Oh right...wait, something's not right?" She blinked. "What if someone hears us?"
Lin Sicheng sighed: "It's all knowledge from books, what's the use of recording it?"
Craftsmanship is useless if you don't watch your master do it with your own eyes and learn from him step by step. Just reading theory is of no use.
Xiao Yuzhu nodded obediently and turned on her phone. Of course, she only recorded the conversation.
Li Zhen only did some auxiliary work: handing over paints, paintbrushes, and cutting gold leaf.
Lin Sicheng proceeded methodically, demonstrating and explaining at the same time.
Apply a coat of clear varnish first to enhance adhesion.
Apply additional glaze to increase shine.
Gold painting and gold repair: These techniques highlight the beauty of the original artifact's imperfections and wabi-sabi, while also perfectly blending with the original artifact to complement it.
Finally, apply a coat of varnish to fix the color.
Even though she had seen it once before, Li Zhen was still amazed: she felt that this gold-sprinkled bowl was even more artistically significant than the plum vase she had seen before.
There seems to be another illusion: Lin Sicheng is more skilled and more composed than last time.
Xiao Yuzhu opened her mouth wide, unable to close it for a long time.
She's a college student, and her grades are excellent, but after thinking for a long time, she could only manage three words: "So beautiful?"
Lin Sicheng glanced at it and nodded: It's alright.
At first glance, the color tone isn't as bright as the previous plum vase, and the contrast isn't very striking. However, in terms of both craftsmanship and artistic level, it's actually much higher than the plum vase.
After letting it air dry naturally, Lin Sicheng checked his watch again: it was almost midnight before he realized it.
Have lunch, we'll continue in the afternoon.
The same process, but much slower.
This is because the white glazed bowl with lard has too many cracks, and most of them are on the bowl wall.
The main problem is that it's not easy to design: it's full of holes of varying sizes, and there are very few patterns to choose from.
Secondly, for monochrome bowls with white glaze, the pattern after repair must be aesthetically pleasing, and the colors cannot be too monotonous.
The key is to coordinate with the original while highlighting the color tone, light and shadow, and the artistic effect of imperfection.
Lin Sicheng examined the bowl closely for a long time. Li Zhen and Xiao Yuzhu stood quietly to the side, staring at the white glazed bowl, barely daring to breathe.
How could they even mend this bowl when it was so broken?
Li Zhen, in particular, felt the impact more strongly because she knew more: how thick could the lacquer coating be after repairing a porcelain body that was only two millimeters thick?
It's also two millimeters, of course.
Even Professor Shang couldn't achieve a level of perfection where the repair is smooth, seamless, and blends perfectly with the original.
Unconsciously, my heart started beating faster and faster. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how true Xiao Yuzhu's words were: "If you've learned lacquerware, why bother staying at the school?"
There is actually no conflict, but who doesn't want a higher quality of life?
Just as he was pondering this, Lin Sicheng exclaimed, "Ha!"
Li Zhen and Xiao Yuzhu were completely bewildered. Following Lin Sicheng's gaze, they looked across from the studio.
The afternoon sun slanted through the branches, and the poplar branches were covered with scattered gold.
A gentle breeze stirred, causing the copper bells on the eaves to tinkle softly. The treetops rustled, swirling a few newly fallen leaves towards the edge of the platform.
A thick layer had already settled on the ground, and after many days of fermentation, many of them had changed color: golden yellow, yellowish brown, and brownish black.
The contrast was stark, and the visual impact was strong. In an instant, Li Zhen felt a strange emotion: "Born here, raised here, born here, buried here..."
Lin Sicheng gave him a strange look.
Li Zhen's face flushed slightly: "What's wrong?"
Lin Sicheng shook his head: "Nothing!"
I just thought she was quite artsy.
He turned around and began mixing pigments and cutting gold leaf.
Then, for the additional drawing, I drew poplar leaves.
It is aesthetically pleasing and has strong color contrast. Most importantly, it does not damage the original advantages and appearance of the object.
He got right to work, but as he painted, Lin Sicheng stopped and looked around suspiciously: the more he painted, the more it conveyed a sense of "loneliness".
It perfectly echoes Li Zhen's murmured words: Born here, raised here, fallen here, buried here...
Lin Sicheng suddenly realized: No... is being a literary youth contagious?
The problem is, once he's drawn it to this point, there's no way to change it even if he wanted to.
Oh well, it's already drawn like this.
Lin Sicheng continued.
There are too many broken parts and too many processes, which makes it more time-consuming.
They had mostly filled in the hole, and then used gold leaf to cover the rim of a bowl, as it grew dark.
Looking at it, there's still about a third of the work left.
Lin Sicheng waved his hand and said, "Time to go home!"
"Huh?" Xiao Yuzhu was taken aback. "Aren't you going to finish it while it's still hot?"
It's supposed to be a cold tonic, so where does the heat come from?
"Rest when you need to, eat when you need to, you can't earn all the money in a day," Lin Sicheng teased her deliberately. "So you're not going to put in any effort, huh?"
Xiao Yuzhu wrinkled her nose: "Where?"
She was too shocked, too absorbed, too focused, and kept imagining in her mind: if it's so beautiful even when only half of it is repaired, how beautiful would it be if the whole bowl were repaired?
"Lin Sicheng, shall we continue tomorrow?"
"I have to go to the lab tomorrow, so I probably won't have time."
"Oh~"
With a reluctant glance, Xiao Yuzhu continued tidying up. Suddenly, she looked up at Lin Sicheng with a beaming smile: "Senior Brother Lin~"
She deliberately used a high-pitched voice, and just calling out her name sent shivers down Lin Sicheng's spine: "Xiao Yuzhu, speak properly!"
"So clueless!" Xiao Yuzhu scoffed. "What do you want to eat tonight? It's on me!"
"The cafeteria will do!"
"No, you've had a long day, haven't you? Have something good to eat..."
Before he could finish speaking: "Ta-da!"
The three of them turned around at the same time.
Under the soft glow of the streetlights, Ye Anning stood smiling at the doorway.
There was also a woman in her thirties, very tall, wearing glasses.
It subtly exudes a scholarly and elegant air.
Just as I was about to greet her, the woman exclaimed, "Wow, so beautiful!"
Then, staring at the half-repaired white glazed bowl, a hint of infatuation appeared in her eyes: "Simple, quiet, incomplete, lonely, yet natural..."
Haha, this artsy type... another one?
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