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

Baren Digest              Saturday, 7 August 1999      Volume 08 : Number 653


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From: Gabrielle Gagnon <estampe@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 07:56:13 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 5190] Thanks. Reply to Lezle, Gayle and Eliza

Thanks to all for the very warm welcome and comments on my work. There
is a very good spirit on this forum and I find the members very
generous.

Gregory : Merci pour ton mot. Salutations  toute la francophonie de
Baren!

To Lezle :

I'm presently working with the "western technique". I use oil based
inks, rollers, a press, etc. . I find the hanga technique very
fascinating, but it looks complicated.

To Gayle and Eliza :

About the gradated skies in some of my prints. The technique is pretty
simple when using a roller to ink the block. Let's say I use a six inch
roller. I first put dabs of ink on my inking stone. On one side the
dark color (in that case blue), on the other the pale one. I spread the
ink with a spatula to form, say, a 2 inch wide patch of dark ink on the
left, a 2 inch wide mix of both the inks in the middle, and same on the
right for the pale color. I then take the roller and spread the ink
flat on my stone by passing many times. This ends up by giving a
uniform gradation from light to dark. After that, I transfer the ink to
the block with the roller.

As for the reduction technique : overall I start most of the time with
the palest colors going towards the darker ones. Since I only use one
block, I gradually reduce the surface to keep the previous colors on
the paper. I sometimes use paper caches when I want to have a clear
demarcation between two colours. I work the block (plywood) with
different tools (gouges, Xacto knives, nails, sandpaper, and a Dremel
with different sizes and shapes of heads). I ink the plate with
different sizes of rubber rollers. I print with a proof press (Nolan)
that has a device on one end to keep the paper in place and facilitate
the registration. I print very small editions (from 10 to 25). This is
a gross description of how I work but there is always problems arising
and different ways of doing things. I'm learning by my mistakes!

By the way Eliza, I love the coast of Maine and wish I could go there
more often.

Gabrielle

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From: James G Mundie <jimandkatemundie@juno.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 15:41:09 -0400
Subject: [Baren 5191] Exchange #2

My Exchange #2 package arrived yesterday.  After I managed to ease the
case out of the slip cover (chock full of prints!) I was quite pleased to
flip through the offerings and puts some images to the names that I see
here on the forum.  As has been mentioned, there do seem to be a number
of themes running through the twenty eight prints -- portraits (human and
animal), but especially things that fly, and landscapes.  Looking down
through the list of participants and where they are from it seems like
everyone is from Oregon or Washington!  Strange.

All lot of interesting techniques (David in Kentucky, how did you do
that?), rich color and strong black and white work.  Bravo!

James Mundie
Philadelphia USA

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From: Bea Gold <bnj50@earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 06 Aug 1999 20:28:05 -0700
Subject: [Baren 5193] Re: Exchange #2=20

Thoroughly enjoyed opening the Exchange #2 - wonderful work and so varied -
so many different techniques - will go back again and again - having looked
at many of the web pages I recognized peoples work  even if the suject matter
was alittle different - like yours James - loved the dog but think of you
with people portraits. thank you David - what a wonderful adventure!  Bea

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End of Baren Digest V8 #653
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