Baren Digest              Friday, 17 January 2003      Volume 22 : Number 2097


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From: David Bull <davebull#woodblock.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 22:15:35 +0900
Subject: [Baren 20442] Re: Dry Pigment Mixing - HELP! 

Jan wrote:

> I have tried mixing them with water, but the powder just floats on top.
> I added a few drops of Gum Arabic (liquid) to the powder and mixed madly
> but it didn't seem to do much.
> I'd appreciate any help or suggestions anyone has.


I wrote a bit about this in the Encyclopedia a while back. If you go to:
http://www.barenforum.org/encyclopedia.html
... and look in the 'One-Point Lesson' section ... lesson #6 explains 
about using alcohol to 'wet' the pigments so they will mix with 
water/gum arabic/glue etc.  The same page then links to some photos that 
show how I keep the pigments stored in paste form - ready-to-use ...

HTH ...

Dave


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From: "April Vollmer" <april#aprilvollmer.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 10:08:47 -0500
Subject: [Baren 20443] nylon no, plastic yes 

Tyrus, I'm with Mike on the nylon barens, they are awful. Clumsy, heavy and
don't let you press hard. The black plastic ones from Baren Mall need to be
OILED. It makes a BIG difference if you rub a little mineral oil on them.
However, if you are going to the trouble of doing hanga in the first place,
I'd get the Daniel Smith white plastic baren ("disk baren") for about $40.
It works MUCH better than the black plastic, and has a replaceable face.

I don't know where you are, Matthew, but my class schedule is at
http://www.aprilvollmer.com/exhibit.html#classes

April
www.aprilvollmer.com


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From: Louise Cass <lcass#primus.ca>
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 10:04:43 -0500
Subject: [Baren 20444] Re: Hand Printing question 

Hi Tyrus -
I ONLY hand print (currently no space or $'s for a press) - I use a tough 
bamboo-covered Baren made in Taiwan (from the Japanese Paper Place
here in Toronto - it sells for about Cdn $5 so must be similar to the one at
Baren Mall) Previously used an old stainless steel soup spoon - still resort
to it for tricky areas 
Louise Cass  

At 11:10 AM 1/15/03 -0700, you wrote:

>Hey folks,
>   I usually use a proofing press to print my oily prints, but need to
>print by hand for a workshop this summer. I am looking for inexpensive
>suggestions for hand printing that the students will be doing. If I'm
>printing by hand (say, to check progress of an image) I use a nice slick
>wooden spoon. How well does that Speedball nylon covered baren work? The
>spoons can take awhile to get into good shape. What do you all think, as
>I try to confirm my supply list?
>
>TyRuS
>
>

http://www.LCassArt.com

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From: "PHARE-CAMP,PATTI (HP-USA,ex1)" <patricia_phare-camp#hp.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 07:15:12 -0800
Subject: [Baren 20445] RE: Baren Digest V22 #2096 

From: michael schneider <mikasch#t0.or.at>
"first week of July at the "art didacta" in Innsbruck / Austria." 

OOOWWW, Austria, My husband went on business a few years back and loved
Austria.  Will class be in English or translated?  Of course I'm only
wishing, can't afford to take the time off of work or to fly to Austria,
just yet anyway...Patti P-C

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From: G Wohlken <blueman#pantek.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 10:30:53 +0000
Subject: [Baren 20446] Number of Prints - Exchange #15 

Question regarding Exchange #15.  I notice we are a group of 28, plus 
archive which makes it 29.  Why are we supposed to be sending 31 prints?  

Thanks

Gayle in Ohio




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From: Mike Lyon <mikelyon#mlyon.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 09:52:35 -0600
Subject: [Baren 20447] Re: Dry Pigment Mixing - HELP! 

At 08:49 PM 1/16/2003 +0800, you wrote:

>I have bought some Langridge Artists Dry Ground Pigments - very finely
>ground.
>I'd appreciate any help or suggestions anyone has.


Take the following with a grain of salt, as I am not any kind of expert... BUT:

Many dry pigments just do not mix easily with water.  First mix those into 
a little alcohol -- buy it at your hardware store -- it needn't be 'food 
grade' nor anhydrous.  Just plain old alcohol -- the stuff you'd use to 
thin shellac.  First mix your pigments in a little alcohol and then THAT 
pigment/alcohol mixture should mix into the water much more easily.

I believe that traditional printers cook up a relatively weak hide glue 
(rabbit skin glue or gelatin either one should work OK for us) and mix the 
pigment slurry into that.  Too much glue (not rice paste -- that's more 
vehicle than binder) acts like size and prevents subsequent color layers 
from penetrating -- too little and the color tends to 'run'.

Mike


Mike Lyon
mailto:mikelyon#mlyon.com
http://www.mlyon.com  

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From: Julio.Rodriguez#walgreens.com
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 10:53:05 -0600
Subject: [Baren 20448] Re: Number of Prints - Exchange #15 

Thanks Gayle, you are right...28 plus one for the archives....and 
Kat...you are right...in your hands by 2/1

thanks for the corrections....Julio

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From: michael schneider <mikasch#t0.or.at>
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 20:51:13 +0100
Subject: [Baren 20449] Re: Baren Digest V22 #2096 

Actually I will teach the class, and I will give instructions also in 
English. The class will be 6. -12. July. The home page of the art 
didacta: http://www.artdidacta.at is currently only in German, but they 
are prepared to answer questions also in English.
Usually the office there assists in finding cheap accommodation and 
travel arrangements. Its a family like atmosphere and everybody is very 
supportive.
They do not have the budget to spend a lot on advertising, but the 
number of students is increasing every year, because the town is lovely, 
the classes usually very good and the cultural events that are going on 
in Innsbruck are interesting. (Dance and theater festival)
All classes are held in one building so there are possibilities to meet 
all teachers and participants and make a lot of new friends.
In fact I am looking forward teaching there again, because it was such a 
wonderful group last year and most of them want to be there again this 
year. Number of students in the hanga class is limited to twelve. I 
guess 6 spots are still open.

michael schneider

Vienna

PHARE-CAMP,PATTI (HP-USA,ex1) wrote:


>From: michael schneider <mikasch#t0.or.at>
>"first week of July at the "art didacta" in Innsbruck / Austria." 
>
>OOOWWW, Austria, My husband went on business a few years back and loved
>Austria.  Will class be in English or translated?  Of course I'm only
>wishing, can't afford to take the time off of work or to fly to Austria,
>just yet anyway...Patti P-C
>
>
>  >




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From: "Lopas, Matthew" <Lopas#mercury.hendrix.edu>
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 15:28:26 -0600
Subject: [Baren 20450] Re: block printing workshop 

Michael, Thanks for the response. I am definitell interested. Matthew




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From: Julio.Rodriguez#walgreens.com
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 15:46:02 -0600
Subject: [Baren 20451] Re: cocktail stirring sticks and additional substitutes...


Stirring sticks are good...I also like chopsticks ( always ask for an 
extra set at the restaurant), they are wider at one end so it gives me the 
flexibility to pickup a tiny bit of paste or a big nasty glob....on 
ocassion I have used the handle end of an old worn out watercolor brush. 

For mixing my colors..I like to use those tiny clear plastic cups ( about 
2" diameter, 1" deep) available (for free, ha!) at restaurants, pizzerias 
and fast food places...they are used for carrying condiments like catchup 
or powdered cheese....when I am done printing....just throw them 
out...they are great and they come with their own lids for keeping the 
color mix wet between breaks.

For problem free baren rubbing...I go to my local Dunkin Donuts and grab a 
handful of those waxy papers they give out with their donuts (I just tell 
them I have a big family!)...they are about the right size and placed 
between the paper and the baren it allows for trouble free rubbing and 
preventing tears in the paper.

The small sized Ziplock pastic bags are great for keeping your new year 
card paper stock moist in between print runs. I cut about 50-60 sheets per 
run, spray them wet with my ex-Windex bottle, wrap them in moist towel 
papers and stick them in the Ziplock bags till needed. Every once in a 
while the kids look in the refrigerator and they think is a bag of lunch 
meat or something eatable.....ha !

When I am out of colorants, I just go back to the old fashion methods....I 
take some old clothing that the kids have outgrown and place the garment 
in boiling water to extract the dyes from the material, then I continue 
the process by adding .....oh my gosh...just kidding about this last 
one...I don't really do that.

Julio (the moocher) Rodriguez



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From: Cucamongie#aol.com
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 18:04:32 -0500
Subject: [Baren 20452] call for entry 

I know nothing about the following call for entry but it was emailed to me, thought I'd pass it on for those interested:
   

* * * * 
 
  Subj:    Call For Entries 
  Date:    1/16/2003 2:56:08 PM Eastern Standard Time 
  From:    "Alice Taylor" <acltaylor#goinet.com>  Hello from Taproots School of the Arts in St. Louis, Missouri. 
 
We are holding our annual Book Arts Fair April 5 & 6, 2003.

The Fair will feature exhibits of professional and student work
in the book and paper arts, including papermaking, letterpress,
bookbinding and artists' books, as well as an artists' market. 
Author readings and talks, led off by this year's winner of the
National Book Award for Fiction, Julia Glass, along with musical
performances and a cafe will round out the only event of its kind
in the St. Louis area.

Taproots' Book Arts Center is the only venue in St. Louis and the
region that offers professional studio space and equipment for
rent, instruction for all levels, and a supportive community for
the book arts.  Taproots is also an urban neighborhood art school
with a focus on developing literacy in school-age children
through the book arts. www.taproots.org Exhibitors and vendors
are welcome to contact Ginger Gambaro via bookarts#taproots.org



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From: Cucamongie#aol.com
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 22:33:05 -0500
Subject: [Baren 20453] ground pigments 

Jan, I don't know if you can, but if I were you I'd return
whatever of that powdered pigment that you haven't used and get a
refund, that sounds like a big mess.  You'll do fine with the
Winsor newton in tubes if you can't get your hands on pigments
already dispersed in water or Akua Kolor waterbased inks.

take care,
Sarah

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From: "Bea Gold" <bnj50#earthlink.net>
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 20:16:41 -0800
Subject: [Baren 20454] Re: ground pigments 

Hi Jan,  Sorry we didn't get together last summer when you came through LA.
Did you?  We had some medical problem going on at the time I think.  Hope
you are settled into your new life.  I had a game of trying to get pure
alcohol to start to mix  the powdered pigment with.  Couldn't find the
dispersed pigment.  I now use gin to start.  I have liked Da Vici water
colors in the 37ml tubes though.  You can use a lot and not feel like you
have to be careful.   They're cheaper too.  You can hunt on line for price
comparisons and since they are the same no matter where you buy them you can
find bargains in Canada or other states without paying tax or shipping.
Like this one http://www.currys.com/paint/prodinfo.asp?SubcatID=404&catID=1
I do want to try the Akua Kolor though.  Sarah is a great salesperson.  Bea
Gold

- ----- Original Message -----
From: <Cucamongie#aol.com>
To: <baren#ml.asahi-net.or.jp>
Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 7:33 PM
Subject: [Baren 20453] ground pigments


Jan, I don't know if you can, but if I were you I'd return whatever of that
powdered pigment that you haven't used and get a refund, that sounds like a
big mess.  You'll do fine with the Winsor newton in tubes if you can't get
your hands on pigments already dispersed in water or Akua Kolor waterbased
inks.
take care,
Sarah


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From: JMartin906#aol.com
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 23:50:28 EST
Subject: [Baren 20455] inks 


 Jan in Australia---  RE. ink for hanga 

It doesn't have to be that hard.  The Japanese teacher I took a hanga 
workshop from had us use gouache, Winsor Newton is fine.  Mix 2 parts gouache 
to 1 part rice paste - as a general rule.  Increase rice paste for more 
transparency, or decrease for more intense color.  You will get water in the 
mix from the wet watercolor brush you are using to do the mixing.  You may 
have to add more water to get the consistancy you want.  I am still a 
beginner, but this works for me, I am using it for #15 exchange (using food 
grade rice paste).


For the person looking for an intense Hanga Workshop---PNCA (Pacific 
Northwest College of Art) in Portland, Oregon, usually has a one week 
Japanese Printmaking workshop in July.  I have taken the class twice and 
several other Baren members have taken it, too.  The teacher is Yuji 
Hiratsuka.  He is a really good teacher and the class is lot of fun.  You do 
have to make a black and white print, a reduction print and a multiple block 
print in one week, that's pretty intense!    

Suzi


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From: michael schneider <mikasch#t0.or.at>
Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2003 12:11:42 +0100
Subject: [Baren 20456] Re: block printing workshop 

The class will be from 6.- 12. July. One week intensive. With an 
exhibition at the last day. Participants number limited to 12. Material 
list will be provided. Tools and paper can be bought there. The office 
of the "art didacta" e-mail:  artdidacta#aon.at is prepared to answer 
questions in English and they can help finding cheap accomodation and 
travel arrangements.
The fee for the class is 273EUR.
Class is held every day from 9 to 12 and 13 to 18h.
As I teach the class, I can not praise it, but I can assure you that I 
will do my best.

Michael Schneider
Vienna



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End of Baren Digest V22 #2097
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