[Baren] Daily Digest

Today's postings

[Baren 33030] response to Alex (cucamongie # aol.com)
[Baren 33031] Thanks ("Orgren Alex C \(Alex\)")
[Baren 33032] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification (Blog Manager)
[Baren 33033] Re: Annie's how-to (Julio.Rodriguez # walgreens.com)

Message 1
From: cucamongie # aol.com
Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2007 22:03:15 -0400
Subject: [Baren 33030] response to Alex
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Alex, there have been wonderful responses by baren members to your questions but I wanted to add a few things. There is a tendency to put too much stuff on the block - too much pigment, too much water, too much paste. All of these things can result in lines, mottles, etc. If you want to get a solid area, it generally works better to acheive this by printing the same area several times. You may need to let the paper "rest" between printings so the moisture on the paper has a chance to get re-balanced. Also, if you plan to continue to print large flat areas, I highly recommend a ball-bearing baren. It is like a power tool of barens, and you can achieve a much smoother printing of these areas by using this. I have two of them, and use them all the time. I purchased mine from McClain's, but others on this forum have purchased them from the Baren mall and have also given good reports.

also, more specifically, if you are getting mottled paper consistently, you may need a bit more paste and less water.

just my two cents-

Sarah

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Message 2
From: "Orgren Alex C \(Alex\)"
Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2007 23:52:35 -0400
Subject: [Baren 33031] Thanks
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Annie, Ian, Louise and Wanda,

Thanks for the advice and encouragement! Besides repetition and
experimentation (I agree there is no substitute for either), I have to
credit Mike with drying me out.

Here are a few more follow-up details:

1. Mottling
------------
Looking at the woodblock and the prints with a 10x loupe was interesting.
Coloring in the "pioneers" on cheap paper are nice and smooth. The blocks
are stained uniformly (except for early wood/late wood takeup differences).
However, small regions in the lower red portion on good paper are almost
unpigmented, though they are surrounded by strong color. The effect is
consistent in character across the prints, and doesn't occur in the yellow
and brown regions. In my continued review of the archives, I saw a mention
of using paste on only the first impression of a two- or three-impression
bokashi. I wonder if that might make a difference.

2. Ink Consistency
------------------
I wouldn't say I have a preference on consistency per se. My actual goal is
to develop control over the uniformity and intensity of color, and I thought
ink consistency might affect these properties. The Akua Kolor yellow is
very liquid, but seems to print weakly if not thickened, perhaps due to
rapid sedimentation. In my continued slog through the archives, I finally
came across Mike's advice in Baren 15785 on ink consistency. Perhaps I
missed something earlier, but I'm pretty sure that's the first time it was
discussed. Anyway, continued experimentation seems necessary.

3. Clarification on Bokashi and Impressions
-------------------------------------------
My description was a little too cryptic. I'm trying to achieve "futa iro
bokashi" (two-color gradation). There are two color blocks, with a
two-color gradation on each (orange/red-to-yellow on the top,
red/orange-to-red/brown on the bottom). I'm trying to figure out how to get
the colors to fade well into each other. I did three/four impressions of
each color. The two halves of the bottom block were printed on separate
days. The two halves of the top block (seven impressions in all) were
printed in the same session. I suspect that caused it to expand more in
relation to the key block.

4. My Drying Trick (for Annie Fitt)
-------------------------------
I feel a bit silly doling out tips at this stage, but I was very happy with
my drying experiment. I slip the wet prints between pages of a spiral-bound
book of 120-lb Strathmore cold-press watercolor paper under a heavy book. A
few hours later I moved them to another book and let them sit overnight.
Afterward, I stand the blotter books on edge and fan out the pages in a
circle (that's where the spiral binding helps). Thus every inch of every
page is directly exposed to air. The blotter books dry quickly. Because the
pages heavy and somewhat stiff, they dry flat.

OK, I'm back to lurking for a while.

Alex

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Message 3
From: Blog Manager
Date: 23 Mar 2007 03:55:25 -0000
Subject: [Baren 33032] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification
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Message 4
From: Julio.Rodriguez # walgreens.com
Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2007 23:20:42 -0500
Subject: [Baren 33033] Re: Annie's how-to
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In case you missed it....Annie Bissett has put together a great how-to
section in her blog 'Woodblock Dreams'.....just follow the current thread
back to the last few posts and you can follow Annie step-by-step in the
making of a Moku-hanga print.....
great photos too !!!

http://woodblockdreams.blogspot.com/2007/03/another-iceberg-layer.html

thanks....Julio Rodriguez

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Baren Archives

[Baren] - the International Forum for Woodblock Printmaking

Volume: 38 / Number: 3842

Friday, 23rd of March, 2007

Today's postings

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