Choose a stone that suits your preferences—but for stone seals, note that the 2 cm by 2 cm (. 34 in by . 34 in) size is most common. If you have aesthetic preferences, you can choose between solid or marbled stones. If you’re a beginner, consider buying a set of stone seals. That way, if you make a mistake on your first few tries, you’ll have more material to work with. Typically, custom and blank stones cost anywhere from $15-300. If you buy a stone with a design or figure carved into one side, it will be more expensive.
For traditional Chinese seals, the design will typically feature Chinese characters, landscapes, figures, birds, or flowers. [2] X Research source Remember that this design will eventually be carved into your stone. Complex details might be hard to capture with your chisel, especially if you’re a beginner.
This process should take just around a minute.
This will stamp your ink design onto the stone’s surface and create a template for you to trace with your chisel later on. Using your fingers, keep the transfer paper flat on the stone’s surface. Finally, get your pointer finger wet and lightly tap the top of your seal. Get the paper damp, but not soaking wet. This will help the ink bleed through onto your stone. Using a different smooth stone (or another hard, even surface), gently rub over the transfer paper. By applying pressure across the entire surface, you’ll help print the ink onto the stone.
The key to carving stone is to move slowly, especially around curves. To create bends in your design, make short, side-by-side indents into the stone instead of attempting to produce long, curved lines (as this could leave you with straighter lines than you planned, and an imperfect design).
You can use your fingers as well, but it might be less effective than a brush.
Feeling inspired? Try making a seal out of buttons, clay, hot glue, or wax next!
