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

Baren Digest               Saturday, 7 March 1998       Volume 02 : Number 088

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From: David Bull <davebull@asahi-net.email.ne.jp>
Date: Fri, 06 Mar 1998 23:22:31 +0900
Subject: [Baren 461] Inlaid blocks 

julio wrote: 
> There is a technique I have been playing around with ...
> ... a plywood block as your base and then you glue harwood
> cutouts for your raised areas. 

>  Is anybody else out there doing this ?

Mike Spollen, who I introduced here a week or so ago, describes on his
website doing just this 'jigsaw' type of printmaking.  He apparently
cuts out the shapes, inks them separately, and then reassembles them for
printing all together.

I've also read about some of the contemporary Japanese printmakers doing
the same thing.  I guess it would need oil-based slow drying inks to be
used, to allow time to get everything together.  There's no way you
could do it with water-based pigments, I think.

I'm planning something a bit similar for a project that I'll be getting
to in a little while - making a large hanging scroll type print.  For
that one, the key block will be on cherry-veneer plywood to give
stability across the wide surface (it's going to be about 800mm tall and
about 350mm wide).  But the colour areas will only be small patches here
and there, so rather than 'waste' wide very expensive cherry boards for
those, I'm going to use bases made from standard plywood, and attach
little square or rectangular blocks of cherry here and there in only the
locations that they are needed.  

Shimano-san has lots of these little offcuts scattered around his
workshop, so it should also end up being quite cheap I think.  Being on
a plywood base should also help avoid a lot of expansion/shrinking
problems.

It's also going to be an interesting job trying to print on washi that's
thin enough to roll up after being pasted onto the backing silk of the
scroll.  Face that problem when we come to it ...

Dave

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From: amoss@mindspring.com (John Amoss)
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 15:26:51 +0300
Subject: [Baren 462] 2 questions 

Queries:

To Mary or others:
I understand that the Yoshidas sometimes used a zinc plate as a keyblock
(yes?). If so, how did they keep the print's from becoming out of register
because of the consecutive wooden blocks' water absorption/expansion?

Also,
Dave:
I noticed that you have a sphere of liquid (water?) at your bench. Is this
for magnification or to concentrate light?

Thanks to all,
- -john

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From: David Bull <davebull@asahi-net.email.ne.jp>
Date: Sat, 07 Mar 1998 07:50:52 +0900
Subject: [Baren 463] Re: water flask 

John wrote:
> Dave:
> I noticed that you have a sphere of liquid (water?) at your bench. Is this
> for magnification or to concentrate light?

The globe full of water that John is talking about is shown in this
photo:

http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~xs3d-bull/overview/images/traditional.jpg

It's nothing to do with magnification, but does a wonderful job of
gathering and focussing the light into just the right place on the bench
surface.  It also has the effect of turning what would be a sharp shadow
of the knife, into a fuzzy blend that doesn't interfere with my view of
the fine lines of the hanshita.

There's a short column I wrote about this on my web site.  Go to the
'Essays' section, choose the 'Art Jottings' series, and then the little
piece called 'Let There be Light' ...

Dave


P.S.  Those of you who are into original printmaking might find the web
site at:

http://www.lm.com/~norulak/print98.htm

of some interest.  It gives details on a National Print Show (by
'national' I guess they mean American; I don't know if entries from
other places would be welcome or not ...)

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End of Baren Digest V2 #88
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