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

Baren Digest                Friday, 5 June 1998        Volume 03 : Number 174

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From: "Roger A. Ball" <beckorro@inquo.net>
Date: Thu, 04 Jun 1998 08:16:43 -0600
Subject: [Baren 882] answers to various questions 

Ray:
Ward has 4 "novels without words" I believe.  Most are out of print, but
can be had for fairly resonable prices at www.bpib.com --Jim will help you
out.  The titles of the Ward books I'm aware of are Gods' Man, Mad Man's
Drum, Vertigo and one whose name escapes me.  I own Mad Man's Drum and find
it awe-inspiring...

Graham:
I must admit to tailoring my site to the bandwidth gifted.  I am a software
systems engineer (whatever that means).  I test and provide a test bed of
about 30 mixed NT and NetWare servers in a lab, load OS, configure e-mail
servers, whip the little propeller around on my cap.

Dave:
I began using walnut because I had a supply, knew how to carve it and liked
it better than the pine I was using.  I hand rub the surface of the block
and allow the oil to seep in before I print.  Yes, I do get somewhat of a
resist effect but that is mostly overcome by rubbing the surface to be
printed, slight heat, and slowly building the pigment on the block.  As you
can see from some of the prints on my page, with varying success, I build
the ink on the block slowly, first diluting the pigment, pulling a LIGHT
baren print, and then applying more undilute ink, pulling a better baren
print, etc.  I find this technique to be the only way to go for clear
prints that show the most grain.  I'd love to have a small press, though.
My printer friends tell me I need one.

I didn't have the slightest idea what I was doing when I began doing
woodcuts.  I did it how I thought it would work.  I only became aquainted
with the popular techniques recently.  I get varying results and varying
quality, but the experimentation is the most rewarding part.  I want to do
it differently.

I love walnut.  I know its limitations.  I treat it like fine furniture or
maybe a friend.  I print, scrub it with a toothbrush, oil it and put it to
bed.  Yes, I get varying results, but overall I'm very pleased with the
intensely intriguing organic nature of the prints.

Thanks so much for your warm welcomes.

That's all for now.  Cheers,

- -Roger

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From: April Vollmer & John Yamaguchi <jy6@columbia.edu>
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 1998 10:56:55 -0400
Subject: [Baren 883] Sharing and Basic Palette 

Grahm: I'm interested in your basswood planks....20" would be great! I find
it more satisfying to cut that the bass plywood I'm getting from Elaine,
even though it does warp a bit more. Matt said he could get some good
basswood, too. Not so easy to find.

Matt Brown and I had a great visit sharing information, looking at one
anothers work. I got a much better idea of his fine work as well. It is
true, images on the internet share the same problems as slides: you have no
idea of scale or texture. So I was very pleased that Matt came down to see
my exhibition in New York City. The show was 18 hanga woodcuts that I made
over the last four years, 12 x 16 up to 37 x 17 inches. ( I hope to put up
some images of the installation on my website later this month.)

The advantage of water dispersion is that it's easier to mix with binder,
being already wet. Kremer also carries some water dispersions, but not as
many as Guerra (212-529-0628), and their naming system doesn't seem as
clear. A good basic palette would be: yellow ochre, burnt sienna, burnt
umber, hansa yellow, midori yellow, quinacridone red, quinacridone violet,
thalo blue, ultramarine blue,  thalo green and channel black. These colors
are all lightfast. Some are organic and some inorganic. (I think organics
tend to be lighter, like the thalos, where inorganics like cadmiums are
heavier and brush out a little differently: not a big deal. Sheryl knows
the chemistry better than me!)

They come in 4 oz and 8 oz squeeze bottles. I get 8 oz and it lasts a LONG
time, even with my larger blocks. Prices vary depending on the pigment,
earth colors are cheap maybe $5, cadmiums maybe $20. If you are printing a
lot, its a big savings over watercolor and gouache in tubes...but I to mix
it with gum arabic, glycerine and calcium carbonate...I got a recipe from
Ralph Mayer's book. There seems to be lots of opinions about the proper mix!

Kitakata is a great paper, but has no sizing...so I wouldn't recommend it
for many layers of printing. It also has deckle all around, which isn't so
great for registration. You could size it...ask McClain's for size. The
paper Matt refers to me using is what McClain's calls 'kizuki hanga' and
David Bull calls 'kizuki hosho' it is a double thick 100% kozo fiber paper
that needs a good strong baren for printing. It will stand up to many
layers of printing, and will not ruin your registration by shrinking and
swelling with it's moisture content. The Yamaguchi Matt is using is a
beautiful paper, much lighter and easier to print with a light baren.

I'm way behind reading all the mail, but I'm off to Italy on vacation, so
I'll post this and catch up the end of June. Loved Dave's descriptions of
the V & A!

April Vollmer

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From: julio.rodriguez@walgreens.com
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 1998 14:12:43 -0600
Subject: [Baren 884] Welcome 

Hi Roger.......WELCOME. Enjoy this site.....it's like nothing else outthere....

ps. I am also a computer software person (?), I think John A. also works in the 
computer field....I wonder..HOW MANY OF THE BAREN MEMBERS ARE WORKING IN THE 
COMPUTER FIELD ?

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From: Blueman <blueman@pantek.com>
Date: Thu, 04 Jun 1998 15:17:05 -0400
Subject: [Baren 885] Re: Baren Digest V3 #173 

Baren--

Roger, welcome.  Your celtic knot is well cut.  

Also I visited the site Jean mentioned with the 
woodcut book illustrations and Wow!  I'm envious.
Am I to understand these books are all handprinted
(the images I mean).  How does one, I wonder, keep
the pages from making ghost images on opposing pages.
Or did he print in waterbased ink?  

> http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Library/special/exhibits/danny/danhome.htm

I didn't have time to look at them all, but what I saw I
like.  

I'm going to be gone for six days starting tomorrow (June 5).
See you in a week.

Gayle Wohlken

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From: "Roger A. Ball" <beckorro@inquo.net>
Date: Thu, 04 Jun 1998 14:13:28 -0600
Subject: [none]

James:

Thank you for the welcome, tips and comments.

Of course, not having ever tried anything but Speedball ink, I don't know
what is better.  As I read more in the archives, I'm sure I'll see more on
the choices and what is typically used.

No, my father had a fair supply of walnut when he was alive, but I've used
up most of those scraps.  I can get a 10" x 10" x 3 or 4" piece at the
local carver's store for about 40 bucks and that isn't too bad because I
have a friend who will take that and give me back three sawn and rough
sanded blanks.

Another good source of walnut is the gun stock trade.  The suppliers are
easy to find and they often have useful scraps.  What they like is
"figured" wood and so they will let the non-figured pieces go for
cheap(er).  I mostly beg, borrow and steal.  I have found most woodworkers
have a usable piece hanging around that they are willing to part with for
little or nothing.  Friends is "where it's at," my friends.

It all goes back to the same thing:  even now that I know the "right" way
to do what I do, it would be difficult for me to change my habits.  For
example, I'm not looking to buy any English/Canadian cherry any time soon.  

Thanks!

- -Roger

From: James G Mundie
>
>A Roger, a chara,
>	Welcome aboard Baren.  I think you'll find it to be quite a rare
>thing: a forum that freely shares information, pleasantries and the
>occassional good-natured insult.
>	I checked out your site.  I think you might find that if you mix
>some rice paste in with your ink, you'll have less problems with the
>tackiness that seems inherent with Speedball.  But, that's just a guess,
>so don't take my word for it.  I'm an oil-based printer myself; Dave,
>Graham, et al are the ones to ask about water-based stuff.  Kudos to you
>for choosing to use the Speedball stuff.  I've only ever used it for
>introducing kids to printmaking, but can't stand the stuff personally.
>	I'm a bit of an oddball on Baren because I cut all of my boards
>with a razor blade (there'll be an Encyclopedia entry up about my
>techniques soon).  You might like to try a razor in place of your Exacto
>blades, as I think they would hold up to the walnut better.  Speaking
>of... is your father the one supplying you with the walnut?  I've never
>been able to get a hold of it myself, but have always wanted to try it.
>
>Sla/n go tamall,
>James Mundie

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From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Fri, 05 Jun 1998 07:11:08 +0900
Subject: [Baren 887] Re: computers 

Julio said:
> ....I wonder..How many of the [Baren] members are working in the
> computer field ?

A lot of us, of course.  [Baren] is a 'doubly-selected' group, print
people who have access to, and interest in, computers.  I think if you
checked the membership of _any_ internet discussion group, no matter
what the theme, you would find a relatively large proportion of the
members were employed in such a way.

Our problem is how to 'reach out' to those who aren't 'on line' - to
people like Mr. Danny Pierce for instance,  whose books we've all been
admiring the last couple of days ...

Dave

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From: Matthew.W.Brown@VALLEY.NET (Matthew W Brown)
Date: 04 Jun 98 20:12:50 EDT
Subject: [Baren 888] Varnishing 

Baren,
	I am embarassed that I got at least one thing wrong in my last posting. 
I had given the impression April is using paper from Yamada Shoki, actually she
is using a McClain's paper, the kizuki hanga, as she mentionned in her recent
post. And I still have to get the address for Yamada Shoki onto the Baren! (Not
with this post, unfortunately.)

Graham, I tried varnishing some color blocks, but had trouble getting good
solid color in the printing. Seems like a good way to get nice goma effects,
however. Perhaps your particular paste (with some wheat paste added to the rice
paste?) is key to printing on  the varnished block?    In the carving I felt
there was not too significant a difference. 

Dave, I really enjoyed reading of your visit to the V & A. Any stories from up
in Yorkshire? Has England changed since you were last there? 

Matt

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From: Sheryl Coppenger <sheryl@seas.gwu.edu>
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 1998 20:25:57 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [Baren 889] Re: Welcome 

> HOW MANY OF THE BAREN MEMBERS ARE WORKING IN THE 
> COMPUTER FIELD ?
> 

Guilty as charged. :-)

Sheryl Coppenger    

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From: jimandkatemundie@juno.com (James G Mundie)
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 1998 21:58:05 -0400
Subject: [Baren 890] Danny Pierce 

	Thanks to Dave and Jean for introducing us all to the Danny
Pierce webpages from UWM (University of Washington... something?).  I had
never heard of him, nor seen his work until now.  I found the stories
attached to the prints to be most inspiring.  It gives me hope that one
can live one's life doing what one loves (ay, Dave?).
	The black and white images were especially well done, as was the
image from "Sea Wrack".  Has anyone seen one of his folios in its
entirety?

Sla/n go foill,
James Mundie, Philadelphia USA

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From: Ray Esposito <brassring@brassring.org>
Date: Thu, 04 Jun 1998 23:23:39 -0400
Subject: [Baren 891] Re: Danny Pierce 

Jim wrote:
>	Thanks to Dave and Jean for introducing us all to the Danny
>Pierce webpages from UWM (University of Washington... something?).

Jim - That's the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.  You have GOT to get
out of Philly more often.  I'll have you come to Baltimore after I move and
we can have crabcakes on the shore and you can breathe fresh air instead of
all that petrol-chemical crap blowing in from Camden.  :>)

Cheers

Ray Esposito

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From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Fri, 05 Jun 1998 19:20:41 +0900
Subject: [Baren 892] Somebody please test this for me ... 

I've noticed a _lot_ of activity in the forum archives recently.  A
number of people have been going through the _entire_ thing file by file ...

This is gratifying, to think that all this stuff we have been chatting
about is going to be of interest to people, but it's certainly a bit
clumsy to access the postings that way.  To try and make it a bit easier
for everybody to get at that material, I've prepared some 'download'
versions of the back issues.

http://www.woodblock.com/download/index.html

Just one click will download a folder onto your disc that contains all
the issues in each Digest Volume, along with an .html index file ...  
You can then read at your leisure with your browser program.

But I've got a bit of a problem ... I've tested the Macintosh versions
and they seem to work just fine, but I've got no way to see if the
Windows versions I put up there are compressed and encoded properly.  

Would some of you who are using Windows please visit that page, try one
of the downloads, and then let me know if it worked or not?  (Mail me
directly ... not on this list ...)

Thanx

Dave

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End of Baren Digest V3 #174
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