Baren Digest Tuesday, 12 March 2002 Volume 18 : Number 1759 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Maria Arango" Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 18:58:44 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17461] last week I'm off to an art festival tomorrow morn so everyone has one more week to submit their website for the Member's Websites page. After I get back I will update that page. Then I guess I can move on to updating the Who is Baren pages, hey? Thanks! Maria <><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Maria Arango Las Vegas, Nevada, USA http://www.1000woodcuts.com maria@mariarango.com <><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ------------------------------ From: Graham Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 19:48:01 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17462] Re: Curiousity >I did as you asked. > >Since that time, I have heard from a number of members who thought that >I should not have followed your instructions. They felt that once material >had been submitted to the Encyclopedia or to an Exchange, it should not be >withdrawn. But I'm not interested in 'legal' points; if you don't want to >contribute, or don't want to be part of the exchanges or other [Baren] affairs, >then that is your call. > >Dave Mind you, when I asked to remove material I did not think of the images of the exchanges. You could leave those. It was the reference material that was already on my site and did not want to have it in two places. Graham ------------------------------ From: "marilynn smih" Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 20:06:01 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17463] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1754 Maurice welcome to the group. I am sorry if i cringe when I heard pacific northwest college of art, Portland, Oregon. I went back to school with 2 children in school and a husband working his heart out to make it happen for me and his children. The most I could afford was Portland state, and I know that makes me a local outcast. But I love the art and it was who I am and who I will always be. so pardon me and barbara i love you too, but the credentials mean nothing to me. join an exchange and be an artist, that means the world to me. Marilynn ------------------------------ From: Graham Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 20:34:55 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17464] Need advice for printing on heavyweight paper Welcome... sirima Looking in on your site the work looks interesting but because of the size of even the enlarged images it is nearly impossilbe to determine the end results as all details and the impact of such large prints is not there. Questions... Are you using water base or petroleum base pigments. The edition states A/P Did you print one image only or several and call them all A/P ??? What kind of press do you have. Have you ever used an 8 momme weight kizuki hosho paper. Warning.... do not use this paper because if you do you may never use anything else. (<: If you print with water base inks you have to dampen the paper... If you use paper other than Hosho you have to soak the paper to soften it and then allow it to dry back to a damp condition. Using the cotton papers, BFK i.e., is very nigh on to impossible to get a solid lay of colour using a baren. It seems not enough press can be applied to get the ink into the tiny valleys of the paper surface. Most cotton papers will stretch when used on a press if too much pressure is applied. Running the paper through the press several times before printing is the solution. Graphic Chemical have water base pigments the folk use States side. I use a product that is available here in Victoria BC Go to http://www.woodblock.info/bootcamp/materials.html they ship anywhere. I can hardily recommend these, having used them for 9 years. Graham/Sidney BC An Island in the Pacific Home of the Boot Camp One space available in June. http://woodblock.info ------------------------------ From: "pwalls1234" Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 22:44:26 -0600 Subject: [Baren 17465] Re: last week Maria, Did I send you my web address? If not it is: http://www.firsttree.com Thanks again,, Peter Walls LSU Baton Rouge - -----Original Message----- From: Maria Arango To: Baren Date: Monday, March 11, 2002 9:18 PM Subject: [Baren 17461] last week >I'm off to an art festival tomorrow morn so everyone has one more week to >submit their website for the Member's Websites page. After I get back I will >update that page. Then I guess I can move on to updating the Who is Baren >pages, hey? >Thanks! >Maria > ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> >Maria Arango >Las Vegas, Nevada, USA >http://www.1000woodcuts.com >maria@mariarango.com ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> > ------------------------------ From: Graham Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 21:01:10 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17466] Paste. Hi Charles.... Did you get the answer you needed for the rice paste. Let me know if you need help. We will be making paste at Boot Camp. It ain't quite as simple as one reads. First off, the information re flour is 30 to 60 years old in those books a http://barenforum.org/ and there has been some significant changes to flour products over time. I use to use wheat flour to make a wonderful paste. Not now. I recall when Barbara was at Boot Camp and she tried to make paste from the wheat flour... She sweated over that brew for some time before she found out what I had been saying... Lots of laughs though. (<: ... They have done something to the flour that will not make paste. The rice flour you purchase locally will not work either. Corn starch will work and it is archival. Let me know how you make out... 655 0600 Graham ------------------------------ From: Charles Morgan Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 21:16:30 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17467] rice paste, ink Thanks everyone for the help with rice paste. I will try making my own from rice flour, which is readily available. Now, one more question. From what I have read, one brushes on the ink and the paste separately. Why do this? Is there any reason not to just mix the ink and the paste together in a small dish and then brush the ink/paste mixture onto the block??? ------------------------------ From: barebonesart Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 21:41:50 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17468] Re: Baren Digest V18 #1758 Sirima, It sounds like you had maybe a little too much pressure on the press. I use a press with oil based inks and never have trouble achieving a nice crisp line. Also, I print in several layers and colors, and registration is not a problem, so I don't really think stretching is the problem. Like someone else said, it sounds like it was the press. I use the paper damp, not wet - it grabs the ink better and makes nice soft velvety, buttery colors and rich blacks. My favorite paper is Somerset Satin, and for a light weight its Toyama Kozo. Both take layering and color very well. Dampen them the night before and keep them in a plastic bag. I have kept them for a week as I printed one color over another. This might not work if it is very warm - could become a moldy mess! (Heat is generally not a problem in the NW.) Use only one blanket on the press - just the pusher, remove the cushion and sizing catcher for another day. The upper cylinder on the press should just barely engage the block - just enough to make it turn. But, take a few proofs on newsprint before you begin to print - and then consider your first print a proof. Sometimes I put a sheet of tag board or matboard between the print and the blanket to act as a tympan - more or less. It depends on the block and the image. According to the resident hanga buffs I'm a greasy gal - but, I'm really very neat and tidy. Sharri ------------------------------ From: "Lee and Barbara Mason" Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 21:36:30 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17469] rice paste, ink Yes there is a reason, it gives you less control over the amount of pigment and past. everyone uses too much of both at the beginning and their block is way too wet. It takes practice and patience. Barbara From: "Charles Morgan" the paste separately. Why do this? Is there any reason not to just mix the > ink and the paste together in a small dish and then brush the ink/paste > mixture onto the block??? ------------------------------ From: sirima Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 21:58:24 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17470] Re: Need advice for printing on heavyweight paper WOW! Thanks everyone. I've been printing by hand with a bamboo rice paddle on barely damp mulberry paper and the impression came out great. But my shoulder can't take the strain. ( this is where a better baren would seem to help) When I used the rotary etching press I rented time in a SF bay are studio that seemed to be dominated by intaglio/monotype folks. Their advice didn't feel right but followed it since I didn't know what else to do technically. I was told I could only run my blocks on their presses if they were unmounted and if I always used 2 blankets (thin). The only decent print I pulled from the etching press were low-medium pressure, super ink loaded block face up, dry paper. (but the prints have some ink pinholes and faint spots). I'm the first to admit that I'm an inconsistent printer so I then I tried working with a edition printer. That person told me to apply more pressure which caused this new problem of of stretching. (definitely stretch.. we tacked it down and held the tail) On the etching press printing...I have to find a different print studio w/ a 30" x 48" press then I'll try dampen paper, BFK as tympan, and face down. I'll also try hand printing again with a better baren and dampen heavywt paper. I haven't tried a vandercook (proofing/letterpress) since I don't have access. There are some many variables, its been so frustrating. It so nice (understatement) to get all your advice. And thanks for the compliments on my web site. (yes, the images are too small) sirima ------------------------------ From: Graham Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 22:42:13 -0800 Subject: [Baren 17471] Re: rice paste, ink >Thanks everyone for the help with rice paste. I will try making my own from rice flour, which is readily available. If it works please let me know. I have tried two makes and none of them gave me the translucent consistency needed for a proper paste. I did find a flour for the last workshop that worked and damned if I can recall what it was and where I got it. I could not find it in the cupboard. I think Marnie used it. By the way Noboru Sawai supplies the paste already mixed. It is what I use.... personally I can't be bothered fooling around mixing paste every time I want to print. >Now, one more question. From what I have read, one brushes on the ink and the paste separately. Why do this? Is there any reason not to just mix the ink and the paste together in a small dish and then brush the ink/paste mixture onto the block??? There is no reason you couldn't do it that way. It would be very difficult to gauge the amount of paste with the larger volume of pigment needed for any given plate. I suppose you could start working out proportional volumes and keep records of the batch mix as in a lab control situation .... or even cooking recipe scenario. I like the simplicity of a little dab will do you and Bob's your Uncle. It takes a fair amount of trial and error to get it right.... Not to panic Charles .... Boot Camp makes it all understandable with hands on demos. Do remember that it is a Hanga of a job to break bad habits. cya Graham ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 18:10:00 +0900 Subject: [Baren 17472] Re: Dave Bull's live web cam is on Bette wrote: > I'm also glad that I can finally see Mr. Bull work via his live web cam. > What a great opportunity this is and I'm grateful for the effort he has > put > out to share this with us and the world. > > Go to: http://www.woodblock.com/webcam/thumb_camera.html The webcam has been up and running for a few months now, and I've pretty much got used to the feeling of having the camera up there looking down at me all the time. I'm not quite sure just how _useful_ it is for people - with only one shot every dozen seconds or so, you can't much feel for the motions involved in the carving or printing. And this morning I had quite some trouble - the camera was focussed _so_ closely onto the block, that every time I moved the work a bit, the carving point slipped out of the field of view. It must have been quite frustrating to watch ... Another problem is of course the time difference between overseas viewers and me; when you most want to watch, I'm in bed, and I'm not putting a webcam in _that_ room! The people who make the webcam software I use have promised me that they will consider developing a 'playback' mode, which I could turn on each day when I finish work. This would play back the day's recorded images, so that no matter what time of day you accessed the camera, you would still be able to see something. In my mind, all this is pretty much just a 'practice' run; what I think would be much more useful for people to see would be printing work in full-motion video, but that's not going to be possible for at least a couple of years yet. The government here seems to be fairly serious about encouraging the development of broadband access, and have established some kind of policy to 'guarantee' fiber-optic type access to every home within the next few years. So if we get to that stage, the webcam might really be worthwhile. Until then, it's just kind of a curiosity ... But I get plenty of feedback from people who are collecting my prints, and who are happy to be able to get a glimpse of them while they are 'under construction'; I think this reinforces the 'hand-made' feeling ... For first-time viewers who would like to visit the 'Woodblock Webcam', _this_ link would be better, as the webcam schedule is posted there: http://www.woodblock.com/webcam/index.html ... and Boots is here waiting and ready to read your 'I see Boots!' emails ... Thanks for the feedback! Dave ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V18 #1759 *****************************