[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking.

Baren Digest             Saturday, 24 January 1998     Volume 02 : Number 047

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From: Ray Esposito <brassring@brassring.org>
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 01:23:31 -0500
Subject: [Baren 225] Re: Gold leafing 

David wrote:
>>P.S.  By the way - how do you like that phrase 'many printmaking
>>books'?  There are even a dozen or so in our local town library.
>>Woodblock printmaking has its own shelf ...
>>
>>Eat your heart out!

Graham replied:
>Ya, I think I have already reported that the Victoria Library does not have
>a selection of how to book on the subject.

Neither does the Orlando Library so don't feel bad.

Ray Esposito

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From: Ray Esposito <brassring@brassring.org>
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 02:41:01 -0500
Subject: [Baren 226] ADDRESSES 

Would all of you who have web pages showing your art please post the
addresses.

I have Dave's and Matt's but can't find the rest.  I know I have seen more
than just the two.  I want to bookmark them so I can keep up with what you
are doing.

Ray Esposito

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From: David Bull <davebull@asahi-net.email.ne.jp>
Date: Sat, 24 Jan 1998 15:26:33 +0900
Subject: [Baren 227] Re: Press vs Baren 

Ray wrote:
>  I have a book - Woodcut by David Oravez.  He says to
> cover the block with gesso for a white background ...

I don't know this book (I'd be interested to hear more about it), but
the process he is describing sounds like that of preparing a block for
wood _engraving_, not _cutting_.  So far on this forum we haven't had
any discussions of the former, and although it certainly falls under the
heading 'Woodblock Printmaking', it really amounts to a completely
different world.  You've seen many examples of engraved work - think
back to the kind of illustrations that filled the newspapers in the last
century; those are samples of wood engravings.  

Major differences:

Wood engraving:
- - the wood is used on the end grain
- - the wood surface is 'whitened' to receive the image photgraphically
- - the main tool is a 'burin' for engraving fine lines to form the image
- - printing is done with ink
- - printing is done in a press
- - images usually black on white

Woodcut:
 / the wood is on the 'plank'
 / the wood surface is left natural (usually)
 / the main tool is a cutting knife
 / printing is done with water based pigments
 / printing is done with a baren (press is possible, but difficult due
to warping blocks)
 / images can be any colour whatsoever


I don't really know if [Baren]  could realistically cover the wood
engraving world _and_ the woodcut world ...    It's going to depend on
who shows up.   At the moment, I don't think any of us are active in
that field - but now that I've said that, we'll see who pops up!


> It seems to this rookie, a successful print starts with a good piece of
> wood, properly prepared ...
> should I take a piece of plywood, give it a light sanding, slap 
> something on top and cut away? 

Yes!

At present Ray, because you are trying to learn _so many_ different
things all at one, I don't think you should worry so much about any
given single thing.  Of course the wood is important - _everything_ is
important.  But for you at present, it is far more important that you
simply start to develop a feel for the different parts of the process.  
Cut!  Cut!  Cut!   and then   Print!  Print!  Print!    You'll then
understand better what you want to do, and what steps to take to get the
results you want.

Dave

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 22:40:34 -0800
Subject: [Baren 228] Re: ADDRESSES 

>Would all of you who have web pages showing your art please post the
>addresses.

Hi  Ray

You know I was thinking this morning is was about time I put my signature
on one of these e-mails.

Enjoy

Graham

ARTIST DON'T RETIRE ...........THEY DRAW TO A CONCLUSION

Graham  Scholes  ............  E-Mail    gscholes@islandnet.com
              11435 Hawthorne Pl. Sidney, BC. V8L 5J7
                  PHONE  250 655 0600  Fax 655 3204

		*ROMANCING THE LIGHTS*
            ---http://www.islandnet.com/~gscholes/----

                   * Handmade Prints for the Collector *
   * Fine Art defies gravity----Its value keeps going up *

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 22:57:12 -0800
Subject: [Baren 229] Re: etching press 

Hi Ray.

>>I know of a person here on Vancouver Island that makes presses.

I will persue it for you. It may take a few days to track it down.

Did you see the makeshift press that Dan Wasserman mentioned.
http://members.aol.com/oilcolors/images/press.gif

Looked rather interesting and can see it has definite possibilities.
The price is sure right.
I think I would be using 1" plywood or pieces of sheet steel.

Graham

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End of Baren Digest V2 #47
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