[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Saturday, 22 August 1998 Volume 04 : Number 252 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: jeaneger Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 11:25:46 -0500 Subject: [Baren 1418] Re: Baren Digest V4 #251 Welcome Sarah and Patsy! This is a great place for woodcut fans. I started trying hanga printing after a friend asked me to teach a class in multicultural printmaking at a local high school. Then I realized I didn't know much about it, so I began searching for knowledge about Japanese printmaking. That led to a class with Katherine McKay in Sausalito, CA. It's been uphill ever since, but now the light is starting to come through the fog. Jean ------------------------------ From: jimandkatemundie@juno.com (James G Mundie) Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 12:35:05 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1419] another exchange update As the deadline for commitment to the first [Baren] exchange rolls ever closer (1 September, in case you've forgotten) this is shaping up to be a very healthy project with many enthusiastic participants. As of this moment, twenty-two [Baren] members have confirmed their commitment to the first [Baren] exchange. I'm still waiting for a number of you to formally state your commitment, so I expect that number will rise a bit. In the past few days, I have also received a few new messages of interest. Immediately following the above deadline, I will be posting the _final_ list of participants for this exchange, and all that is left is to cut and print! Sharpen those chisels and gouges, folks. Mise le meas, James Mundie, Philadelphia USA ------------------------------ From: Matthew.W.Brown@VALLEY.NET (Matthew W Brown) Date: 21 Aug 98 12:48:14 EDT Subject: [Baren 1420] Kento John, I put my "hiki-tsuke" about 2/3 of the way across the bottom of the block away from the "kagi". Thinking about it, with the size I am working, this is close to "the spot" Dave refers to. The "kagi" is on the right (I am right-handed). When I have reversed this things worked O.K. but the whole business had an "upside-down" feeling to it. Reading Dave's explanation helps me to understand why. Matt ------------------------------ From: Elizabeth Atwood Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 16:34:43 -0500 Subject: [Baren 1421] Hosho paper To all others who plan to use hosho for their Baren print....... Hosho is better priced at &3.28 (with the price dropping with quantity)in the Graphic Chem. catalogue than in Dick Blick at $3.70. Shipping similar. I find Dick Blick far more expensive in every item. For what it's worth!....EBA ------------------------------ From: Gary Luedtke Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 19:43:23 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1422] Re: Baren Digest V4 #251 Jean, Had Katherine McKay ever studied in the Yoshida Studio by any chance? Five years ago I was trying to get a few of my Hawaiian prints in a gallery on Maui and there was another lady there who did woodcuts showing her work to the manager. I got to talking to her, she was from Sausalito, and had several years before studied at the Yoshida Studio. It seemed a bit of a coincidence then to hear you now say you took a class from a lady in Sausalito who taught woodcuts. Just curious. Also, which Baren member was it that was going to take a class this summer with Keiji Shinohara? I'd be interested to know how that went, and what Keiji's currently up to as well as his whereabouts. G ' day Gary Luedtke ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1998 11:37:29 +0900 Subject: [Baren 1423] One-point lesson ... Here is this week's 'One-point' lesson (contributed by David Bull) ********** ********** ********** (#19) Maintaining consistent colours ... The 'mix on the block' method of preparing a Japanese woodblock for printing is a very effective way of controlling the depth of colour in the finished print. For each and every impression, a small bamboo 'whisk' known as the 'tokibo' or 'hakobi' is used to transfer the desired amount of pigment over to the block. A suitable amount of paste is then dabbed on the block, and the two components are mixed together and spread out by the brush. If a deep tone is desired, more pigment is transferred from the bowl to the wood, and if a light tone is wanted, less pigment ... But once the desired colour is decided - it is sometimes not such a simple matter to keep it the same from print to print. You must watch the prints, and adjust your 'dab' of pigment as necessary. One way to greatly ease the process and to help ensure consistent colour, is to use a large brush - the larger the better. Brushes hold a lot of pigment and paste up in their hairs, and when a large brush is used, you are less dependent on how much you dab on the block each time; the large reservoir of pigment serves to maintain consistency. Of course, if you consistently dab on a lot, the colour will slowly deepen, and you have to be careful to avoid this, but the large brush helps avoid wild swings from print to print. It is perhaps sort of like steering a large oil tanker, as opposed to a sports car. In each case, adjustments to the 'steering wheel' have dramatically different effects. Be aware that when using a large brush, it will take a number of impressions to reach the point where the brush is carrying a full load of pigment. One common way for printers here in Japan to get started with a run is to dab pigment and paste on the block, swish it around with the brush thoroughly, and then dab again, swish again, dab again, swish again ... all without putting any paper down and taking any impressions. After three or four of these 'false' impressions, the brush will be loaded and ready, and you can start printing your edition with some assurance of consistent colour. Big brushes can be expensive, but they are essential to producing even and consistent work. ********** ********** ********** Next week, Matt wraps things up ... These 'One-point' lessons are being collected into a section in the [Baren] Encyclopedia of Woodblock Printmaking. http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/updates.html Contributions from experienced printmakers for future 'One-pointers' are eagerly solicited. ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V4 #252 ***************************