Baren Digest              Friday, 7 February 2003      Volume 22 : Number 2121


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From: G Wohlken <blueman#pantek.com>
Date: Thu, 06 Feb 2003 08:46:24 +0000
Subject: [Baren 20660] Sponge brush, Calendar, Akua Kolor, Paste 

Charles, I'm curious how you use the sponge brush.  You said it was 
small.  How do you get the necessary smooth and even layer of ink on the 
board with such a small brush?  It seems it would take the larger brush 
to be able to do that.  

A calendar project would be fun, Julio.  I like Barbara's idea of 
several of these exchanges at one time so more people have a chance to 
participate.  

Maria, the liquidness of the Akua Kolor wasn't a problem for me.  I 
brought it over to the board from the pigment bowl by using a watercolor 
brush.  At first I tried a stick and it was way too liquidy for that.

About the paste.  I made such small amounts I had to remake it each day 
of the printing.  It never had a chance to mold.  How much do you people 
make at a time?

Gayle/Ohio

      
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From: Charles Morgan <cmorgan#uvic.ca>
Date: Thu, 06 Feb 2003 09:51:36 -0800
Subject: [Baren 20661] Re: Sponge brush, Calendar, Akua Kolor, Paste 

Well, you just apply the ink like you would paint. Use a very light touch 
and even strokes. Look at the block obliquely to see the ink clearly. I do 
not find it to be much of a problem. Most of the areas you are inking will 
not be really big anyway. I do find some pigments give a smoother effect 
with only one printing than others.

I like to use the small brush because with a small brush it is easier to 
keep the ink off those areas I do not want to print. I am too sloppy with a 
big brush.

If the ink is too viscous, you will get gobs of ink at the edges of the 
carved areas. Just thin the ink with a little bit of water. I keep a little 
plastic spray bottle handy for this purpose. When the ink becomes too 
thick, I spritz a few squirts of water into the ink bowl and stir it 
around. The mixture is quite thin ... like thin cream.

Remember the paper covered brick ... hold the paper in place by setting the 
brick on one edge; lift the paper to look at the image. If there is 
unevenness in the first application, just add a bit more ink where it was 
light, lower the paper, and burnish again ... just as you would with oil 
based ink.

All I can suggest is that you try it ... then you will understand how easy 
it is.

Cheers ...... Charles

At 08:46 AM 2/6/03 +0000, you wrote:

>Charles, I'm curious how you use the sponge brush.  You said it was 
>small.  How do you get the necessary smooth and even layer of ink on the 
>board with such a small brush?  It seems it would take the larger brush to 
>be able to do that.



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From: Sharri LaPierre <Barebonesart#attbi.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 12:48:34 -0800
Subject: [Baren 20662] Re: Baren Digest V22 #2120 

Charles' sponge brushes are great for inking blocks with fabric ink, 
too, as it is not brayer-able. Those little brushes are a god send.

I love the idea of a calendar, but I don't know that it needs to be an 
exchange. I haven't thought this through, but if x amount of people sent 
in 12 prints, no matter how many folks sent you would have a calendar to 
return to everyone, right? They would not all be exactly alike, but 
there would be one for everyone.  Count me in!

Sharri


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From: "Colleen Corradi" <colleen#tin.it>
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 22:56:43 +0100
Subject: [Baren 20663] calendsars 
Hi Julio,

the idea of the calendar is a great one!

I only have one question: would the image be printed on the pre-printed 
page that we would get or would we print an image on some paper we 
choose, which then would be attached to the calendar? - the secon option 
I think would work, as one would then remove the images - or art prints 
- - from the mounts and have a nice collection to keep through the years 
and discard the calendar.

Count me in - if you accept participants from Italy and not only from 
the us, as I think...

Colleen


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From: Julio.Rodriguez#walgreens.com
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 16:36:25 -0600
Subject: [Baren 20664] Re: calendars  



Colleen writes about the calendar:
"...Count me in - if you accept participants from Italy and not only from the 
us, as I think..."

Everyone is open to participate....good ideas coming in, I guess WEN (Wood 
Engravers Network) has been doing these for years and very 
successfully...I think their members print as many as hundred sheets per 
participant !!! ....many options to consider...

do we buy pre-printed calendar sheets and print our images on them ? or do 
we get some handy baren member good at letterpress to print us a stack of 
calendars ? besides Japan...is there a source for these pre-printed sheets 
in the US ?

Or do we go as Colleen suggested and simply attach the prints to the 
calendars instead of printing them on ?

Also...if we go the 12 participants to a calendar route (with multiple 
calendars in the making at the same time) and someone needs to drop 
out....what are we going to do ? My greatgreatgreatgrandpapa...Julius 
Ceasar would not be too happy about us dropping a month on him....plus for 
obvious reasons this has to be a very timely project....nobody wants to 
get a calendar in late February.... 

http://www.theriverstyx.net/roman_calendar.html

Now you know why I want to make a calendar...is the family's claim to 
fame...{;-)
Lots to think and discuss..please share your ideas with the list...

Julio Cesar Rodriguez (Skokie, Illinois)

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From: "Carol Myers" <carollm#concentric.net>
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 19:54:25 -0500
Subject: [Baren 20665] calendar, hanga 

The calendar idea sounds really neat, count me in. Please, though, don't
make it a totally hanga project.

I have been reading all of the various ideas and discussions with interest,
and feel a little bad not to participate. However, I've been white-knuckling
this #15 exchange and frankly, it's not a pretty picture. I find that I have
learned so much, I'm on line looking things up at every turn. I think I
might get it in about 10 years. It's not messy, and I am slowly getting the
hang of it. But I'm working into my third printing effort, hoping to get
enough decent prints for the exchange. What was I thinking?!

Anyway, everyone's hints and encouragement have helped. I'm finding that
mixing the paste and pigment off of the block helps, so things don't get too
dry or too wet. Rather than using the foam brush, however, I've been
painting it on with a small brush, then using the 'shoe brush' looking brush
to distribute the pigment evenly. AND, my hand sized paper is working
nicely.

That said, it's back to printing. Wish me luck!
Carol Myers in snowy Indianapolis


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From: "Jean Eger Womack" <jeaneger#jeaneger.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 21:38:55 -0800
Subject: [Baren 20666] Re:   Baren Digest V22 #2120 

I'm interrupting my viewing of the life of Michael Jackson program to
comment on the minutae of hanga printing...only yesterday I tried printing
by mixing the paste in with the pigment (before Charles suggested it it:
funny coincidence).  It was the paste in the green tube that McLains sells.
That has to be thinned out quite a bit before using.  It was OK for awhile
but I got down to the level where it was too thick, and the paper stuck to
the block.  Needless to say, a great amount of fuzz was left on the block..
It's easier to control if you mix it on the block.

No, the rice paste is not a release agent like the gum arabic is for
monoprints.  It is a binder.  It does tend to stick the paper to the block
if there isn't enough water.  After all, it is glue.  It's just that it is
so good with a little bit of milk and sugar.  Also, you can put a lot on the
paper and then dry it so that it crunches when you munch on it.

Jean Womack


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End of Baren Digest V22 #2121
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