[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Friday, 21 August 1998 Volume 04 : Number 251 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 10:35:55 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1408] Re: Baren Digest V4 #250 Dave, forgive me this small digression, but I'm curious. Patsy signed > Patsy > partime fruitbat Does this mean you eat fruit? Does this mean you are a wee bit batty? Are you someone a wee bit batty that likes fruit? **** I didn't see Haydee's name on your list, James, (for the exchange). Maybe Haydee doesn't realize we have to formally sign up with you. * * * Welcome to April's student, Sarah Hauser. We'd love to see some of your work sometime. Gayle Wohlken ------------------------------ From: Phil Bivins Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 11:22:28 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1409] Re: Various points ... Jeanne, wanted to say that McClains has Japanese whetstones and the small slip stones. They will be happy to send you a catalog. If you did not know McClains catalog has items especially for woodcut. McClains PO Box 40163 Portland. Oregon 97240-0163 ph: 800 832 4264 Phil ------------------------------ From: Phil Bivins Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 11:23:42 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1410] Re: hi, I'm a new member of Baren, etc Welcome Sarah, to Baren. We have a great group of people. Phil ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 09:36:31 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Baren 1411] Re: hi, I'm a new member of Baren, etc Hi Sarah Welcome to the clan Graham ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 09:49:14 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Baren 1412] Re: Various points ... Jack Reisland wrote.... >Similar Japanese waterstone miniature slips (as these things for sharpening >the inside of gouges are called) are available from the GarrettWade >woodworking tool catalog for a set of four different shapes in 4000 grit >for $20.95. They are at: With the value of the Canadian $ (50=A2 on the $1.00) you should look to and by from Canada The people below have what you need. Lee Valley Tools Ltd. P.O. Box 1780, Ogdensburg, N.Y. 13669-6780 USA Canada Lee Valley Tools Ltd. P.O. Box 6295, Stn. J, Ottawa, Ontario K2A 1T4 Canada or by telephone at these numbers: USA 1-800-267-8735 Canada 1-800-267-8761 International 1-613-596-0350 http://www.leevalley.com/lvtmain.htm Graham ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 11:13:30 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Baren 1413] Re: Various points ... Dave wrote.... >A few years ago, I did a rough calculation on just how many hours I >spend in any given month on making the print. It worked out to about 80 >hours - from hanshita preparation, through carving, and finally >printing. Of course prints that have a more complex design will take a >bit longer, but that's counterbalanced by the simple ones. Hmmmmmm..... I wish...... When I read things like this I wonder why it take so much time creating rather than doing. I spend that much time (80 hours) on average just creating an image......then come all the other stuff. I prepare my blocks from rough basewood which involves planing, sanding with 4 grads for sandpaper then all the and skill thingies like carving and printing. I took waterless litho a month back and did that lickty split. Hmmmmmmm. Lucky you Dave. Graham Congrats on the PR opportunity. ------------------------------ From: amoss@mindspring.com (John Amoss) Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 14:20:45 +0300 Subject: [Baren 1414] on your mark, get set, kento! Hello y'all- While working on my exchange piece, I wanted to ask the group a question that has been nagging me: What dictates the distance of the "Hiki-tsuke" (straight line kento) from the "Kagi" (L-shaped corner mark)? I would guess that the farther away the straight mark is from the corner kento mark, the less degree of misregistration would be possible- or is the position based on where your hand would naturally grip the paper? Baren Encyclopedia gleanings include Chie Harano saying "10 inches"; Hiroshi Yoshida saying" The right-angle mark should be near the right hand bottom corner [see below question] on the block and the horizontal line in front at a short distance from the left corner."; J.J. Lankes's diagram shows the straight line mark on the extreme opposite end of the corner mark and the corner mark on the left. Also, does one tend to place the "Kagi" (L-shaped kento) on the corner dictated by his/her/its right or left handedness? Are these decisions another form of personal expression? I appreciate the group's reponse to these burning questions... Thanks! john ------------------------------ From: Elizabeth Atwood Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 16:33:19 -0500 Subject: [Baren 1415] Re: hi, I'm a new member of Baren, etc >My name is Sarah Hauser, and I currently live in the New York area. Welcome, Sarah........we're building up quite a group in the Northeast.......looking forward to seeing your work........ Bettie ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 07:58:50 +0900 Subject: [Baren 1416] Re: on your mark, get set, kento! John wrote: > What dictates the distance of the "Hiki-tsuke" (straight line kento) from > the "Kagi" (L-shaped corner mark)? > I would guess that the farther away the straight mark is from the corner > kento mark, the less degree of misregistration would be possible- or is the > position based on where your hand would naturally grip the paper? Both of these factors determine your choice. Of course, the farther out - - the better, from the point of view of misregistration. But if you go too far, it becomes difficult to hold the paper properly with your fingers while your thumb locks it into the hiki-tsuke. Do a 'dry run' with a piece of paper, holding it in place over the block with your fingers (no thumbs) ... and then see where your thumb naturally falls. There's your spot. > Also, does one tend to place the "Kagi" (L-shaped kento) on the corner > dictated by his/her/its right or left handedness? If you want your blocks to ever be printable by other people, you should stick with the standardized 'kagi on the right' system. If this is not a consideration, then lefties should put it on the left - because there is very much a 'handedness' to the printing method: 1 - put the paper in place. 2 - while still holding the paper in the hiki-tsuke with one hand, the 'kagi' hand reaches for the baren. 3 - the first touch strokes with the baren are made while the hiki-tsuke hand is _still_ holding the paper. 4 - the main heavy strokes are then made with a 'backhand' thrust, not pushing 'forward'. Because the baren is held with the 'kagi' hand, this means that those thrusts tend to push the paper _into_ the kagi corner - where it will be held securely. If made the other way, the paper can 'creep' out of position. So for a right-handed person, the kagi is on the lower right corner. The paper goes on, and while the left hand holds it in place in the hiki-tsuke, the right hand reaches for the baren (which sits on its pad just a few centimeters to the right of the kagi corner of the block). Printing then begins. For a lefty working with right-handed blocks (me) - it's double trouble; to pick up the baren I have to let go of the hiki-tsuke, not the kento, which leads to registration problems, and then I have to make my first strokes pushing 'forward', not 'back', which is awkward to say the least. I do it this way because I intend to pass my blocks out for impressions to be taken by other printers. If I reversed the kento for my own convenience, those people would not be able to do the work ... *** Hello to new members Sarah and Patsy. I hope we'll get a chance to see your work soon. Which reminds me, the 'Who is Baren' page still has lots of room for new faces. Please remember that your work won't just 'appear' on that page - you have to let me know that you want it there. Get it to me by email attachment (to _me_, not to the list), or by mail or carrier pigeon, or however you want. *** I turned up a new print-related site on the web yesterday: http://www.hanga.com It's a small site devoted to Japanese prints of the 20th century - people like Hasui and the Yoshidas. It includes some very well scanned images ... Dave ------------------------------ From: jeaneger Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 20:46:37 -0500 Subject: [Baren 1417] Re: Baren Digest V4 #250 Hello all, It's a kick to be checking my e-mail from my son's home in Tennessee. I couldn't help but put my two cents in the mixed media discussion. I like the freedom of at least one or two members to mix in some other media, as long as it is basically woodcut. The question is, if it was included in a gallery show of woodcuts, would it qualify? Jean Eger ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V4 #251 ***************************