现代篆刻自吴昌硕后，来楚生先生是一颗璀璨的明星。他的印作取境高妙、落落大雅，同时具有现代意识的红白分割。流美而不甜俗，清秀而不单薄，古朴而不苍老。他的印风对当代人的影响很大，这一位承前启后的金石大家越来越受到人们的重视。
纵观现代篆刻诸大家，虽各具风格，卓然成家，但我以为偏激的固执使其印作走入一种极端，故而呈现的视觉效果或求苍劲，或追简洁，或尚旷野。
篆刻大家乃至这一方寸之间的求索者们都在苦苦地寻找着一个最佳的结合点。
这个最佳结合点就是传统功力与现代意识的结合。来翁正是较好地把握了这一结合点的一位。
能做到这一点并非易事，千百个人都在追求的一个最佳点，而往往只有几个人才能达到目的地，这需要具备相当苛刻的条件。
首先，应具备雄厚的传统功力。中国的书、画、印艺术之所以能树立于世界艺术之林而永不衰竭，是因为它具有强烈的民族个性。这种个性除了微观讲的笔墨、线条之外，从宏观上讲它必须要接受传统观念的浸淫、传统技法的继承，以其婴儿要站立一样必须在母亲的怀抱中汲取乳汁。
来楚生先生少时在小学读书时，即“以尖刀刻石乐此不疲”。在上海美术专科学校学习期间，结识了潘天寿先生，情同师友，过从甚密。同时来翁篆刻得力于秦汉古玺的古朴苍秀，汉将军印的酣畅纵逸，吴让之、吴昌硕的流利、浑厚。不但印作出汉入秦，而且对秦汉印及明清诸印家都有其独特的领悟，著有《然犀室印学心得》，分“印面”、“边栏”、“疏密”、“线条”、“浅深”、“章法”、“刀法”、“逼边”、“款识”、“选刀”、“品式”、“择石”、“停匀”等十三则论述。可见来先生传统功力之深非一般人所及。
其次，应具备广博的学识。中国的传统艺术极推崇学识作用，字外、画外、印外的功夫，成为一个艺术家是否能成功的重要条件之一。
来先生的篆刻在吴让之、赵之谦、齐白石诸大家林立之际能另辟新径，自成面目，是因为来翁不仅是一个篆刻家，而且是一位艺术风格鲜明，身兼书、画、金石三绝的艺术家。各种艺术之间互相影响，互相孳补，互相提高，方造就了来先生的篆刻面目。所以对来翁的篆刻艺术不能孤立地去看，而应把它看成来楚生先生整体艺术中的一部分，这样就不难理解其高妙之处。正如童衍方先生所云：“来先生独特的篆刻风格，更得力于他精湛的书法、绘画素养。正由于来先生将书法、绘画的郁勃之气倾注于印中，因而呈现的一刀一笔无不是自己的人品、胸次、气质的表现，匠心独运，一派生机，使作品具有无限的生命力。”
除此之外，来先生悟性极高、用功极勤亦为其成功所不可缺少的因素。
图一《处厚》
图二《不登大雅之堂》
图三《周甲后作》
观来翁印作布局极具轻重、疏密之意，参差有致，奇趣扑人。阴文印左右两边多有一边全破边，与印文融为一体。如“处厚”(一)、“不登大雅之堂”(二)、“周甲后作”(三)均为此类作品，仅就此一特点而论，给人以空灵透彻、随意自然之感，非技高者焉敢为之。
与吴昌硕先生一样，来楚生先生极注重印面的留红，亦可称之为分割。构思巧妙，出奇制胜。“不登大雅之堂”(二)一印，从大的布局上看，下边留红很大，以托住下行“登雅堂”三个多笔画的字，从而造成一种坚实感。而这大面的留红又与上行“不大之”三个笔画少的字的留红形成大呼应。从局部看上行“不大之”三字处理得别具匠心。“不”字的下部与“之”字的中部留红形成对应。此印中处理最高明处应为“之”字。此印上行三字如果正常排列，会出现10个竖画，这样，不管怎样处理，也难达到理想的效果。然来翁将“之”字上部左右两个笔画处理成横式，极具现代美感，就“无限风光在险峰”了，再加上“不”字竖画的外展，乃得8个竖画变化丰富，无一雷同。
来翁印作的章法之高妙，常常超出一般的思维定式，4个字的印作，常常是三密而一疏，留出气眼，如“汉瓦砚斋”(四)中“汉瓦砚”三字极密，而“斋”字则疏朗清灵。“安处楼主”(六)亦然。来翁的多字印也是这样，如“忆弟泪如云不散”(七)一印，将左上角“不”字及“泪”字中的“目”刻成一个扁方形，从而使其上下空白极大，形成了此印的气眼，再看来翁两字印，如将“处厚”(一)一印的左下角与右上角连一直线，我们就会看到左上一半的“密”与右下一半的“疏”形成鲜明对照，如果将“初升”(八)一印左上角与右下角连一直线，左下部分与右上部分的疏密同样形成强烈对比。
这种分割法，在来翁的印中普遍应用，这是与国画斗方的构图相一致的。
图四《汉瓦砚斋》
图五《负翁手迹》
图六《安处楼主》
图七《忆弟泪如云不散》
图八《初升》
除此之外，来先生常注意“气眼”的分割，如“负翁手迹”(五)阳文印，将气眼留在中间偏上偏左的一块，“杭(押)”(九)将气眼留在中间一条，而“子木所得”(十)一印则左右两边留出通天空白，“处厚”(十一)则留出下部和右边为空。而“楚生一字初生又字初升”(十二)一印，则将中间留得很大。真可谓千变万化，令人折服。
图九《杭押》
图十《子木所得》
图十一《处厚》
图十二《楚生一字初生又字初升》
我以为学习来翁的篆刻艺术，主要是学习他的红白分割与边框的处理，这是主要的矛盾，抓住这一点，其他的问题就好解决了。
以上就来翁印作的红白分割谈一点浅见，多有不当，望各位同仁不吝赐教。
1993年初春
王立民，山东蓬莱人，别名立酩，字无量，号鸿寿、牧公、牧工。1957年12月6日生于哈尔滨。毕业于哈尔滨师范大学政治系（经济学学士）、黑龙江大学文学与新闻传播学院中国古典文学研究生班。曾任省文化厅副厅长，省作家协会副主席，省文学艺术界联合会副主席，省书法家协会副主席。现为黑龙江省画院院士，国家一级美术师，中国作家协会会员，中国美术家协会会员，中国书法家协会学术委员会委员，西泠印社社员，中国诗经学会会员，中国汉画像学会会员。
少年习书画，1975年高中毕业，作为知识青年下乡到黑龙江省未开垦的三江平原从事农牧劳动。1978年末随着全国知青返城大潮回到哈尔滨市，在和兴百货商店做店员，后因有美术特长做了商店的广告美术设计师，1980年考入哈尔滨师范大学。大学读书时，曾担任黑龙江省大学生书法协会第一届主席，黑龙江省青年美术书法家协会副主席。1984年毕业留校，在哈师大美术系任教。书法受业于游寿、周齐先生，篆刻受业于刘江、吴颐人先生，绘画受业于晁楣、贾平西先生。书法作品曾参加首届国际青年书法展览，入选全国第六届书法展，提名入选全国第六届中青展。篆刻作品入展西泠印社第四届篆刻作品评展，入选西泠印社第二届国际篆刻书法作品大展。中国画《秋韵双蝶》在第十四届当代中国花鸟画大展中获二等奖。多次在日本、韩国、新加坡、俄罗斯及台湾、香港、澳门举办书画篆刻展览。
致力于历史学、古文字学及艺术理论研究，发表学术论文100余篇。著有《文心雕虫》《王立民书法艺术》《王立民印稿》《王立民画集》《王立民书法集》《王立民书画集》，合著《近现代书法史》《大学书法教程》。主编《游寿书法集》及首次出版的中国最北部摩崖刻石《北魏嘎仙洞西壁摩崖刻石》。香港大学陈亚飞先生评价王立民的研究“体现了上世纪90年代以来对李瑞清研究最重要的成果”(详见2005年《书法研究》上发表的《李瑞清书法研究的回顾与检讨》一文)；中国书协学术委员会副主任周俊杰先生则在《王立民书法集》序中强调：“作为具有思想深度的历史学家和作为具有创造力的书法家的王立民同样都是我们这个时代的骄傲。”
Wang Limin was born in Harbin in December 1957, his literary name is Liming, style name Wuliang, and he also uses Hongshou and Mugong as alternative names.
Limin’s ancestral home is Penglai in Shandong province. He graduated with an undergraduate degree in Economics from the Department of Politics, Harbin Normal University. Wang then studied for a postgraduate qualification in Chinese classical literature from the College of Literature and Journalism, Heilongjiang University.
He was then appointed as Deputy Director of the Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Culture. He also worked as Vice-Chairman of the Heilongjiang Provincial Writers’ Association, Vice-Chairman of the Heilongjiang Provincial Literature and Arts Association, and Vice-Chairman of the Heilongjiang Provincial Calligraphers’ Association.
Wang Limin is currently a National First-Grade Artist, a member of many associations such as the China Writers’ Association, the China Artists’ Association, the Academic Committee of the China Calligraphers’ Association and the Xiling Seal Cutting Society, China; the Book of Odes and Hymns Association and the China Han Dynasty Pictorial Bricks Research Institute.
Wang Limin began his study of calligraphy and painting in his childhood. After graduating from high school in 1975, he was sent to a farm on the undeveloped Sanjiang plain in Heilongjiang province under the policy requiring educated youth to work in and enhance the countryside. In late 1978, when the ‘educated youth’ returned to the cities, Wang was able to return to his hometown of Harbin, finding work in the Hexing Department Store.
With his professional ability in art recognized, he became an art worker responsible for advertisements and window design for the store. In 1980 he was admitted to Harbin Normal University. Whilst studying for his undergraduate degree, he was elected the first Chairman of the Heilongjiang Universities Student Calligraphers’ Association and the Vice-Chairman of the Heilongjiang Youth Artists and Calligraphers’ Association. Following graduation from the University in 1984, he became a Lecturer in the Department of Fine Arts, Harbin Normal University.
In his study of calligraphy Wang Limin follows the work of You Shou and Zhou Qi; in his seal cutting he follows the work of Liu Jiang and Wu Yiren. Wang also studied painting under the guidance of Chao Mei and Jia Pingxi. Examples of Wang’s calligraphy were shown in the First International Exhibition of Youth Calligraphy and he was included in the Sixth National Exhibition of Works Created by Young and Middle Aged Calligraphers. Examples of his seal cutting were shown in the Fourth Exhibition of Seal Cutting and the Second International Exhibition of Seal Cutting and Calligraphy held by the Xiling Seal Cutting Society. His Chinese painting Double Butterflies in Autumn was awarded the second prize in the 14th National Exhibition of Modern Flower and Bird Painting. His ink paintings and examples of his calligraphy have been exhibited in Japan, Korea, Singapore, Russian, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.
Wang Limin devotes himself to history, to the ancient scripts and the study of art theory. He has published more than 100 academic papers. He is the author of The Literary Heart and the Carving of Worms, Wang Limin ‘s Art of Calligraphy, Seal Cuttings by Wang Limin , Wang Limin’s Paintings and Wang Limin’s Calligraphy. He was the co-author of the book A History of Modern Calligraphy and University Calligraphy Teaching. He was the chief editor for the book A Collection of You Shou’s Calligraphy and the Northern Wei Dynasty Gaxian Cave West Cliff Carving Stone, the first publication on the subject of the most northerly part of this cliff in China. Chen Yafei of Hong Kong University commented: Wang Limin’s work shows the most important achievements in the research into Li Ruiqing’s work since the 1990s, more information can be found in the paper with the title Revaluation and Discussion in the research into Li Ruiqing’s calligraphy within the Calligraphy Research Journal for 2005. In the foreword to Wang Limin’s Calligraphy, Zhou Junjie, the Vice-Chairman of The Academic Association for Chinese Calligraphy, emphasized that Wang Limin is a thoughtful historian and a creative calligrapher, someone worthy of respect in this period of time.