Baren Digest             Saturday, 11 November 2000     Volume 13 : Number 1211


----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Shireen Holman <shireenh@earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 10:16:27 -0500
Subject: [Baren 12056] Re: ink questions 

At 09:59 AM 11/9/00 -0800, you wrote:
>Hello friends,
>This is for the oily people. Here is a little problem that has cropped
>up for me. I am taking a lino block class and having a little ink
>trouble.

Barbara,
There could be several different factors. I've used litho ink for years, 
although now I use Daniel Smith's relief ink, which I like very much. But 
the litho ink should not be a problem. You shouldn't add oil to the ink. If 
it's too stiff, I would add a small amount of setswell. I also add a little 
of Daniel Smith's miracel gel reducer. It helps the flats roll out smoothly 
and reduces sheen. If the ink needs to be stiffer, add magnesium carbonate. 
Having damp paper shouldn't necessarily make your image less sharp. Make 
sure the paper is damp through, but not wet. Perhaps you are rolling on too 
much ink? It shouldn't be thick at all. Shallow fine lines will print 
beautifully if you don't have too much ink on the block. Also, are you 
using 'furniture' on your press? If not, this could cause the block and/or 
the paper to shift as you roll them through. I never use cardboard between 
the block and the press roller. This could keep you from getting your fine 
details. I always use etching felts (two instead of three - I use the 
sizing absorbing felt and the thick felt, but not the pusher felt, because 
you don't use nearly as much pressure when printing relief as you do when 
printing intaglio). Hope this helps.
Shireen



***********************************************
Shireen Holman, Printmaker and Book Artist
email: shireenh@earthlink.net
http://home.earthlink.net/~shireenh/
***********************************************





------------------------------

From: "Dr. Rectangle" <dr_rectangle@dr.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 11:16:45 -0500 (EST)
Subject: [Baren 12057] sylvia, on/off/over the edge 

hey, sylvia,
congratulations to you too!  i guess it pays off for you to throw in the
"whole kitchen sink"! ;D  do you know where the "on/off/over the edge" show
is travelling?  i heard that they have four venues set up already (don't
know where)... i am also trying to get the show to come ot the university of
arizona's joseph gross gallery... we'll see if that works out, because this
would ve the first show i've arranged in my life!

love <3 & lint * !
kat
http://www.u.arizona.edu/~katherip/art.html





------------------------------

From: Lawrence <vurt1@optushome.com.au>
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2000 13:41:47 +1100
Subject: [Baren 12058] Re: ink questions 

For relief prints you might find that using printers offset rubber mats 
give you a better print than etching felts ;-) You can get old ones from 
printers cheaply often, as they are no longer good for the offset presses. 
Their loss our gain. As far as the shift goes you can pack up with card or 
MDF around the block tape it or otherwise secure it to the bed, around the 
block, helps with stopping the movement of the block when the roller is at 
the same height all the way through the impression.

Regards


Lawrence



------------------------------

From: B Mason <bemason@concentric.net>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 20:22:17 -0800
Subject: [Baren 12059] inks for linos 

Thanks to all for your suggestions, I will try them all. I think making
a box for the block will keep it from moving, that was a good idea.
Some of the products are unfamiliar, this is always a problem going from
one continent to another, different names for similar or the same
things.
Thanks again,
Barbara

------------------------------

From: "Jean Eger" <jeaneger@LanMinds.Com>
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 22:04:37 -0800
Subject: [Baren 12060] Re:   Baren Digest V13 #1210 charset="iso-8859-1" 

Barbara Mason,
I have tried printing linoleum block prints both ways and I find that
printing by hand is much more satisfactory than printing linocuts on a
press.  I use the wooden spoon.  You can weight one end of the printing
paper down, then lift the other end and re-ink and then re-spoon, if you
don't have a deep enough and consistent enough color.  I have usually
printed oily ink on a thin paper such as Mulberry, but I have seen nice
prints on BFK Rives which had been dampened.  You can get a nice emboss on
dampened BFK.  You have a lot more control if you print by hand.  The little
bit of extra time it takes is more than made up for by the mistakes through
the press.
Jean Eger-Womack
http://users.lanminds.com/~jeaneger

------------------------------

From: Lawrence <vurt1@optushome.com.au>
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2000 18:34:02 +1100
Subject: [Baren 12061] Re:   Baren Digest V13 #1210 

hate to wax lyrical as there is nothing wrong with hand printing (in fact 
one of my teachers did a hand rubbing of one of the blocks at the pyramids, 
the print was 5 metres by 2 metres, there were two of them her husband 
watching for guards , as she unfolded the paper and reregistered it rubbed, 
folded it for the guards next pass, it must have taken a while but the 
thing is the print is perfectly registered. For those of us with lesser 
skills the press is a better option. The beauty of a press is that you do 
not need thick ink (which if you follow Ivans model, ie the history of 
print being the history of removing muddy water from a deep ditch to a 
situation where embossing and ink are to a minimum) then the press is 
ideal. Still a spoon print on a small scale can be nice, say for wood 
engraving.

Bottom line is it depends on the result. I can do wonderful things with a 
press but have always found the results of hand burnishing less than 
satisfactory for the imperfections that it will carry due to thick paper 
and attention deficiency syndrome
;-)

Another 2 cents worth...


Regards
Lawrence

------------------------------

From: Gerald Soworka <chockings@DINGOBLUE.NET.AU>
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2000 18:35:40 +1100
Subject: [Baren 12062] Re:inking and printing linocuts 

Enjoying and learning reading everyone's approaches to lino printing.

I'm a fan of printing my linocuts through the etching press. I use
runnners (a strip of wood the same thickness as the lino down each side
of the press bed) and since I've been using a sandwich of coarse blanket
and then boxboard between the printing paper and the blanket I've had no
problems with the lino slipping.

I do a lot of fine (shallow) cutting and the boxboard helps to keep the
fine lines printing crisply especially on any smooth crisp paper
surface.

There is a rubber based relief ink that prints best in my experience.

Cheers
Gerald



------------------------------

From: Bonnie Blitstein <BBlitstein@netscape.net>
Date: 11 Nov 00 01:17:56 PST
Subject: [Baren 12063] New Member 

Dear Baren Folks,

Just wanted to introduce myself as a new member. Happy to be part
of a great venue and discussion of prinmaking.



------------------------------

From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2000 21:32:00 +0900
Subject: [Baren 12064] Israel Exhibition update 

Arye Saar sent in this translation of some of the introductory material
that will be included in the Israel exhibition opening shortly.

***

WOODBLOCK PRINT EXHIBITION
BEIT GAVRIEL
NOVEMBER 20 ~ DECEMBER 16, 2000

There have been many exhibitions of woodblock prints held, but this one is 
different - the participating artists live all over the world - their contact 
point is [Baren] an internet forum for woodblock printmaking.

The forum was started by a Canadian, Dave Bull, who lives and works in Japan. 
The medium of woodcut prints has lost popularity in recent years due to the 
development of newer process of printing, but the stubborness of Dave Bull 
helped develop the [Baren] Forum, which has slowly grown over the past few years 
until there are now more than 250 members, who live all over the world. The 
artists are in daily contact over the internet, communicating with both email 
and images.

This is the fourth one of these unique exhibitions following others in New York, 
Chicago and Kampala Uganda. The high class of the artists and their different 
backrounds promises an exceptional exhibition.

We, the members of the [Baren] Forum, hope you will enjoy looking at our works 
as much as we enjoyed making them.

***
WOODBLOCK PRINT EXHIBITION

This exhibition was built with contacts made in cyberspace based on the 
'woodblock.com' website, home of [Baren] the international forum for woodblock 
printmaking.

This exhibition is made possible by the help and support of:

Beit Gavriel Degania Silicone and Degania Sprayers

On behalf of the members of [Baren], and the artists participating from all over 
the world, we are grateful for this assistance. 


Arie Saar Degania Bet Israel


------------------------------

End of Baren Digest V13 #1211
*****************************