Baren Digest Monday, 13 October 2003 Volume 25 : Number 2405 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Cucamongie#aol.com Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2003 10:51:18 EDT Subject: [Baren 23052] exchanges I have to chime in and send on encouragement to Sue to join an exchange, we would all be happy to have your prints -- go for it! and thanks all for your good wishes, I'll let you know how the opening goes and thanks Bette for the good idea of taking dog treats w/me, I'm sure I'll make many new friends of the furry kind if I do :) best wishes Sarah ------------------------------ From: Catherine Dreiss Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2003 10:01:38 -0600 (GMT-06:00) Subject: [Baren 23053] Re: Iowa Girls! Bette, to say I have a specialty in woodblock printing would imply I have some expertise! In spite of having an MFA in printmaking, my woodcut technique is self-taught and probably a little idiosycratic. In school, I did large scale silkscreens, but when I moved to Des Moines, I got a studio without running water which really put limits on what I could do. So I turned to woodcuts. My woodcuts are large scale also (up to 3 by 4 feet) and I use birch plywood. I print them with an etching press, and I must admit that I love to let my ink get really juicy and sloppy. One of the things I am learning from this great forum is an appreciation for control and technique which I hope to bring to my next print. I hope to set up a website for me and my husband, who is a painter, so I can share my work with everyone. I have two large nudes on view right now in Valley Junction. Catherine Dreiss ------------------------------ From: JMartin906#aol.com Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2003 12:05:16 EDT Subject: [Baren 23054] saving reduction image, the low tech way On the question of keeping your design visible on a reduction block, this works on linoleum and I think it would work just as well on wood. When you have your design transferred to the block--before you carve anything away -- draw the design again (on top of the transfer) with a "Sharpie" extra fine point permanent marker. In my experience the ink from the sharpie holds up through cleaning, even with solvents. I have heard that there may be some changes in the formula of the sharpie ink, though I have not had trouble with my images disappearing. But, it might be good to make a test on a corner of a linoleum block with a new pen, if solvents will be used to clean the block. But, for wood, and water based inks, I think this would work. suzi ------------------------------ From: Bette Wappner Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2003 12:29:39 -0400 Subject: [Baren 23055] Re: Baren Digest V25 #2403 >WOW!! thanks for the timely conversation you-all are having, just when i am >struggling with my first exchange--55 decent prints of the jack of diamonds, >for the deck of cards. >my first cut was made on that spongy white stuff, which i pretty much >shredded in my late night attempts--and then think it might have been the >rubbing alcohol that it absorbed that made for a very motley >print......sooo, i carved it again on some gym floor linoleum from the >school annex-- i had the greasy linoleum problem, which seemed to ease with >a soapy water scrub....then i took on The Press. Two days later, and I am >still 20 short. And the wastebasket must be 40 long. Today I cleaned the >big boatshed, burned, hauled garbage, painted some boards, did everything >but go into my studio to view my pitiful efforts.... >tomorrow's another day! surely i will crank out not twenty but forty perfect >prints, and they will be in monday's mail out to the big world. and yes, >bette, they will definitely leave a trail of smoke behind them! >this gets easier with time, right? ----aimee aimee, when you mentioned gym floor linoeum, i pictured you carving into the court floor! shoot for the basketball hoop, instead of the wastebasket! sorry....thought i'd try and get you to laugh at a rough time of printing. when i get over the frustrations, then things 'usually' run smooth. looking forward to seeing your cards. bette. gymnasium floor a basketball bonks an artist down on her luck b'oki. (bette) ------------------------------ From: ArtfulCarol#aol.com Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2003 14:26:11 EDT Subject: [Baren 23056] Re: Iowa Girls! Hi My 2 cents. Caye, from Iowa, said her woodblock technique is "idiosyncratic". Hold on to idiosyncratic!! Not bizarre or created just to be different, if it suits your personality don't fight it. Use it. Learn all you can about the technicalities and try things. "Love to let my ink get all juicy and sloppy". Read about Onchi Koshiro, The Graphic Art of Onchi Koshiro -Innovation and Tradition by Elizabeth de Sabato Swinton. Thanks to Baren I found this book when I was looking for more information about him for years. Some may not go for his compositions but he has much to offer about what he does that may relate to our work My public library searched the whole state and came up with 2 books, the other one is Koshiro Onchi ,Woodcuts, Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts,California Palace of the Legion of Honor, Lincoln Park, San Francisco,California. This one says Circulates by Special Permit! My Librarian was especially nice in getting these books. Go for it. No one will see you. You will not be arrested! Carol L. Irvington, NY http://www.rst-art.com/artfulcarol.htm ------------------------------ From: "marilynn smih" Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2003 12:23:29 -0700 Subject: [Baren 23057] Re: Baren Digest V25 #2403 Sue, I have been embaressed a couple of times by the work I have sent in. I felt the work i received was far superior, but it did not stop me from participating. I guess I feel this group will help me to grow and inspire me to do better the more I participate. My playing card was so messy, but it was my first solo attempt at hanga, with help at the summit. Sooo next time i do a hanga print for an exchange I will be inspired to show that I have grown and learned. Consider it a challenge and join us, no one is criticizing, only helping. Just looking at others wondefrul work is a learning experience. We all have different subjects we do well and different ways of approaching our art, that makes it exciting. And I love seeing work of all levels and than seeing personal growth from fellow members, including myself. We all have to start some where. So happy printing and hoping to one day own one of your prints in a collection with some of the rest of us. Marilynn ------------------------------ From: jack reisland Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2003 09:48:28 -1000 Subject: [Baren 23058] Wood Engavings Hello, I have a couple of wood engraving questions for you practitioners of the oily arts out there. What inks do you prefer for printing wood engravings? Any additives? Will etching ink work? What papers do you prefer? Paper soaked or misted and stacked overnight? OK, I guess that was more than a couple of questions. Jack R. ------------------------------ From: FurryPressII#aol.com Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2003 20:21:21 EDT Subject: [Baren 23059] Re: Wood Engavings ink for wood engravings should be stiffer than wood cuts my fav is litho ink mixed with some relief ink. That would be for black ink. Generaly color litho ink is too runny so to make it the right viscosity i would add some mag carbinate. I would not print with damp paper. Damp paper affects the wood and in my opinion it effects it in a rather negative manner. My fav paper is arches silk screen because it is very smooth. Wood engraving needs a smooth paper. etching ink? generally not additives depends on the viscosity of the ink john center ------------------------------ From: Chromoxylo#aol.com Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2003 21:57:04 EDT Subject: [Baren 23060] Re: Wood Engavings Hi Jack, The really good woodcut (and wood-engraving) inks are not made anymore and the composition of most inks have changed with the addition of synthetic oils, etc. Daniel Smith letterpress is about as stiff as you need for most purposes but I find that it needs to be mixed with a drop or two of cobalt drier. Once again - any time you add reducers (oils or varnishes or waxes) or extenders (magnesium carbonate) you can affect the opacity of the ink and in most cases you should not have to do this. The ink manufacturers go out of their way to make a good product out of the can. If you use a litho ink you will probably have to add a lot of drier or be very patient because depending on the paper you print on it may not dry for months. Etching inks are too oily for relief printing and should be avoided Western hand-made and mould-made papers usually need to be dampened to work well because of the sizing used in manfacturing the paper. Dampening softens the size and the paper becomes more receptive to ink. Hand-made papers can have small particles in the paper that can seriously damage a wood-engraving so great care must be exercised in selecting the right paper. The two papers that a lot of engravers use are Basingwerk and Stonehenge and both work very well dry. I often print on a machine-made gampi tissue and get very good results. Hope this helps, Paul Ritscher ------------------------------ From: MccarthyDb#aol.com Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2003 22:52:58 EDT Subject: [Baren 23061] Re: Wood Engavings I use litho inks almost exclusively because of the heavy pigmentation and relative stiffness (not as stiff as etching ink but much better than relief)- cobalt drier is ok for very dark colors but i find it turns blues to greenish tones and destroys lighter colors. have not had a problem with drying- i use a fan and a couple of days, but i apply in thin repetitive rolls- maybe this makes a diference. b ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V25 #2405 *****************************