When Chu Chen saw the painting in front of him, although he was quite shocked, he was silent on the surface, so everyone didn't notice anything wrong from Chu Chen's expression.

Lao Chang was very proud when he saw Chu Chen's cautious appearance, and when Chu Chen raised his head, he asked with a smile:

"Boss Chu, this painting can still be in your eyes, right?"

Considering that he came over today to be the master of the palm, Chu Chen said bluntly: "Lao Chang, what about me, I'll tell you the truth, my master also has a copy of this "Pine Crane Picture", and except for a small number of inconsistencies, all the other places are exactly the same. ”

"What?! Boss Chu, you can't be mistaken, right? ”

When Lao Chang heard this, his face immediately showed a look of disbelief, and the others also felt incredible.

Chu Chen shook his head: "I'm sorry, that's the case, and the inscription and the position of the bell seal on the two paintings are the same." ”

Hearing this, everyone looked at each other, and after half a sound, Xiang Facai frowned and asked, "Could it be that this painting is a photocopy?" It doesn't look like it! ”

"It's right to say it's copying, but it's a lot more complicated than copying." Speaking of this, Chu Chen looked at Lao Chang.

Based on his usual experience, when he heard Chu Chen say this, he couldn't imagine what Chu Chen was talking about, he frowned and said, "Boss Chu, you said that this painting is 'revealing the second layer'?" ”

"'Unveiling the second floor'? What do you mean? Xiang Facai asked with some confusion when he heard this.

"'Revealing the second layer' is actually a method of falsification......" Chu Chen explained the meaning of 'revealing the second layer' to everyone.

"No, one painting can be unveiled into two paintings. How skilled does it take to do this? After listening to Chu Chen's explanation, Wu Ke and the others all showed quite shocked expressions on their faces.

Chu Chen said: "Of course, it is not easy to 'uncover the second layer'. The counterfeiter needs to go through quite complicated steps such as unmounting, repairing, and full color to produce a painting that is enough to be fake and real......"

Generally speaking, you want to "uncover the second layer". The steps required are very similar to the "unmasking" in the restoration of ancient paintings and calligraphy, where the damaged process of the old paintings and calligraphy must be observed, the characteristics of the times, etc., and then go through the processes of picking up stains, tailoring the heart, washing the stains, unmasking, repairing, and full color.

To pick and scrape the stains and cut the heart, you should first pick up and scrape off some frivolous stains on the surface such as dust, mildew, black spots or water marks on the picture with the tip of a knife. Generally, a corner knife or horseshoe knife with a sharp edge is used, and the operation needs to be very cautious, the force is light and even, and the edge of the stain is gradually scraped. Then, cut off the old sides and trim the edges of the center.

After that, it's cleaning. In this case, boiling water is generally used. Because if it is a relatively recent painting or calligraphy, the phenomenon of running ink may occur when using cold water. But for ancient paintings, its color will not be washed away and dropped by water.

Since the viscosity of rice paper and ink is very strong, the paper should first be soaked thoroughly with boiling water, and then the paste in the rice paper should be soaked. After soaking in boiling water, attach a layer of plastic film to the center of the painting, then pour boiling water, unfold and press it with a towel around it, and pour it once in a few days.

Summer. The watering time gap will be longer, but it is necessary to prevent the calligraphy and painting from becoming moldy. According to a framer who is well versed in "revealing the second layer", repairing some old paintings sometimes takes half a month. But its color doesn't fall off.

After cleaning, it is the key step of "removing the second layer".

"Peeling" refers to removing the original mounting paper and the drawing paper. Usually unveiling the old is to soak the calligraphy and painting in water and rub off the back paper and the painting paper little by little. Almost all of them are uncovered in small pieces. But the second layer must be uncovered in its entirety. The more layers are peeled, the lighter the brushwork.

"Supplement" in the restoration of ancient calligraphy and painting, is to supplement the defects of the monuments with suitable materials. However, in "revealing the second layer", it is a major repair of the second layer of forgery.

This step is quite important, and the calligraphy work can be fake. It is all based on this step, the counterfeiter must first choose the paper that is closest to the texture and color of the original calligraphy and painting paper; Secondly, we must have a full grasp of the ink color, especially some dry brushes, to ensure that the artistic effect of the repair is not different from the original.

For example, when repairing ancient paintings and calligraphy, although it is coloring, this process cannot be achieved overnight. If you only draw quickly, it will often cause the repaired ancient painting to have a dark and light color block, and it is difficult to get it back, and it will also affect the effect of the painting the most.

In addition, the paper of old paintings and calligraphy needs to be old, so that the reflectivity of the two paintings and calligraphy can be basically the same when the light is aligned. The counterfeiter generally uses a horseshoe knife to trim the paper at the edge of the hole into an oblique angle, or the paper can be scraped thinner, and the edge of the paper is also repaired to an oblique angle or scraped thin, and the hole repaired after bonding is basically invisible when backlit.

"Complete" is to repair the damage and loss of color of ancient paintings and calligraphy, and to fill the color and pick up the pen at the place where the pen is taken, which is a comprehensive inspection of the previous processes and a concentrated embodiment of the level of unmounting.

Because each painting and calligraphy and even a part will change with the passage of time, there will be changes in depth and rhyme, and even a variety of color factors will be in the small places, which are the traces left by the years. Therefore, it is necessary to control the depth of the color, and even the moisture must be paid attention to.

In addition, in the panchromatic ring, it is necessary to consider both the whole and the part of the painting and calligraphy. If you pay too much attention to the local color, obvious color blocks will appear after the full color, which will affect the overall effect and unity of the picture. If you only do a large area of single color panchromatic, the panchromatic part will appear duller than the other parts, which will also affect the picture effect.

In order to solve the above problems, the restorers and counterfeiters of ancient paintings and calligraphy use the same method, that is, the background color of the whole part is generally made three to four layers, and the local color is made more layers, less than four or five layers, and more than eighty or ninety layers. Therefore, even a one-square-foot painting and calligraphy must be colored dozens of times, and the color difference of each panchromatic piece should be different.

Finally, the important point is that if you encounter a defect in the painting, you need to take the pen, which requires you to be quite familiar with the original author's pen characteristics and style to complete the pen. For the lines of the figures, rocks, trees, etc., it is not simply to add ink or color, but to connect the charm of the painting.

After more than 20 processes such as unmasking, repairing, and full color, a painting and calligraphy that has been uncovered and damaged will become complete, harmonious and solid, although it is more conducive to the preservation of ancient paintings and calligraphy, but this method has also become the secret book of those who "uncover the second layer".

So. If you want to do a good job of "uncovering the second layer", in addition to having considerable skills. The selection of works is also very important, therefore. Among the painters of the 'Shanghai School' in the late Qing Dynasty, those who like to use thick ink and heavy color have entered the field of vision of those forgers.

In addition to the author of the painting in front of him, Xu Gu, there are also Wu Changshuo's works that are generally easy to be "uncovered", because he likes to use thick ink and heavy brushwork, so as long as the second layer can be uncovered, the forgery will definitely be able to obtain good results.

There is also Zhao Zhiqian, who is good at calligraphy, with a fine grasp of the lines and a golden and stone brushwork to outline the picture. Rough, heavy and funny. At the same time, he also likes to paint on raw paper, and the colors are quite strong and colorful. Although this kind of calligraphy and painting is not easy to imitate, it gives forgers an opportunity to uncover the second layer.

After listening to Chu Chen's detailed explanation, Xiang Facai looked quite surprised, and said: "I'll go, such a complicated step, and I also lost those people to make it, I don't think it's so difficult to create a painting, right?" ”

"It's not easy." Chu Chen said: "It's like this painting. In addition to having superb unveiling skills, it is also necessary to have quite superb painting skills, and it is difficult for ordinary painters to portray the artistic conception shown by Xugu in this painting. ”

"During the Republic of China, the prevalence of fraud was mostly related to the 'exposing of the second layer'. Many of the re-propaganda are very finely done, and from the outside, they look like thin sheets, but when they come into contact with water, they turn out to be two sheets. The use of "uncovering the second layer" to reproduce ancient calligraphy and paintings has high requirements for the level of uncovering. Because if there is a slight slack. It will be self-defeating, not only will the paintings and calligraphy unveiled be completely unblenied. Even the original works can be destroyed in one fell swoop, and the gains outweigh the losses. ”

Xiang Facai was a little incredulous when he heard this: "Since his painting skills and uncovering level are so superb. Then why is it still fake, you can't just paint it yourself, or with his level of unmasking, you can eat it all together. ”

"You're not talking nonsense!" Duan Xuefeng said with a smile: "Not all painters have the fame of Xugu, and now, there are even fewer painters of the same fame." In addition, some people have empty skills and no corresponding character, what is strange about doing this kind of thing for money? ”

"That's right." Xiang Facai nodded, as a businessman and a former poor man, he knew that once people were driven by profits, they could do anything, otherwise there would not be so many criminals in the world.

"Uh-huh!"

At this time, Lao Chang coughed lightly, and when everyone looked at him, he spoke: "Boss Chu, I don't mean to be disrespectful to Liu Lao, even if this painting is 'revealing the second layer', then how can you judge that my painting is a 'bastard'?" ”

"As the old saying goes, there is no evidence. I think it's a 'bastard' and there's a basis for that. ”

Chu Chen explained: "Chang, I think you also know that when the second layer is broken, there will always be various problems for the counterfeiter, so it needs to be repaired in order to make the two paintings and calligraphy almost the same feeling, such as the repair of ink and missing holes, and the handling of the floating hair that appears after the second layer is revealed. ”

"Once the ink runs out, whether it is a fake or the original, it is a catastrophe and it is difficult to repair. It's easier to fill in the leaks and deal with the floating hairs, and I don't need to go into details, as I have already said. The treatment of floating hair is to spread it on the table or glass and then brush it when the second layer of paper is half dry, so that it is completely flat. ”

"I admit that this painting has done a very good job in this regard, but it has not done a good job in repairing, for example, these places are not up to the level of the void, and the use of the pen is also very awkward, which you should be able to see compared to these places......"

As he spoke, he pointed out some flaws in this painting one by one, and he looked depressed at the same time.

At this time, Xiang Facai opened his mouth and asked, "Teacher Chu, this painting skill can be cultivated, but how to deal with the seal?" ”

"It is difficult for the ink to penetrate into the second layer, such as after soaking and flattening the original work, the seal is faintly visible in the second layer but the color is light, and it is almost impossible to distinguish the Yin text, which is indeed the congenital deficiency of "revealing the second layer". Therefore, there is a need for imitation seals. ”

Chu Chen nodded and said, "This kind of thing was a problem in the past, but now with high technology, counterfeiters can almost make seals as they are." In addition, the old calligraphy and painting are made of old ink, because it is only more than 100 years old, and it can still be found now. Therefore, the seal will no longer become the bottleneck of 'unveiling the second layer'. ”

Seeing Xiang Facai nodding his head again and again to express his understanding, Lao Chang, who was standing on the side, felt very uncomfortable in his heart, he thought about it and said: "Although this second layer is a forgery method, the painting that is revealed cannot be denied to be painted by the original author, right?" ”

The meaning of the old saying, everyone understands, it is nothing more than to say that even if his painting is a second layer, it is also from the pen of Xugu, and the value is not low.

Xiang Facai smiled, but there was disdain in his smile: "Lao Chang, if your painting is the first layer, then I don't object to you saying this, but your painting is the second layer, and it has been repaired, can it be compared with Xugu's autograph?" At best, it's a semi-finished product! ”

Lao Chang opened his mouth, trying to defend but couldn't find a corresponding reason. If it has not been repaired, then at this time, he can still confidently say that even if there is no price for the original painting, it is not much different, but there is no way, who called him this "uncovering the second layer" congenital deficiency?

At this time, Xiang Facai looked at the time, it was almost eleven o'clock, and he said a little impatiently: "Lao Chang, although your painting is indeed valuable, I won't want this kind of thing." Do you have any good things, if you have them, you can take them out, we still have things, and we don't have time to spend them here. ”

Lao Chang listened to what Xiang Facai said, and he breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, because Chu Chen could see that this painting was "revealing the second layer", and the original subordinate couldn't see it, but if Xiang Facai insisted on this painting, he couldn't refuse, and now since Xiang Facai didn't want it, it was in his arms.

But then, Lao Chang began to be distressed again, he couldn't compensate Xiang Facai with any good things here, what should he do?

After thinking about it, Lao Chang could only say: "Mr. Xiang, I really don't have anything good here, if you don't believe me, I can take you to my collection room." ”

"Then let's see!"

Xiang Facai heard this, and immediately waved his hand, the results of the previous two things made him feel that Lao Chang's eyesight was really not good, maybe there was something left by Lao Chang that he missed his eyes, just so that the sharp-eyed Chu Chen could help find out. Of course, even if he didn't, he wouldn't just let Chang go.

"This fat man is very fast."

Chu Chen muttered to himself, he originally wanted Xiang Facai to take the painting down, and then buy it for Liu Lao to see, but Xiang Facai's response was very fast, so he didn't even have a chance to make a look. In that case, he could only wait for the opportunity to talk about it. (To be continued......)