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Message 1
From: Lana Lambert
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:48:12 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37459] Re: Maru Bake
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Eileen,

LOL, yeah, I learned my lesson too. I'm still using the prepared one I got from Baren Mall but I must invest in more. I have two I purchased from McClain's that were not finished and I purchased some dragon skin. I have not had the time to finish these brushes as I have two jobs and also the county I live in has some funny laws about open fires. I will get to it at some point though and I would think that it would be the perfect opportunity to have some s'mores while you have a fire going!

BTW, I just signed up for the New Years exchange and I am so excited!

-Lana

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Message 2
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:59:27 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37460] Re: Maru Bake
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Lana,
You can carefully round the brushes with the scissors, I did that very successfully as I know how bad the hair smells and have no way to do the burning outside. One would never want to do this inside as the smell is truly horrible. It is important to have the edges slightly rounded so they do not leave marks in pigment or drag extra pigment across the block, as pigment will catch on the edges of the brush if it is not rounded off. Sometimes the obvious solution is sort of overlooked by those who have done things for years in a traditional way. You still have to split the hairs on the dragon skin or sharkskin, or get a fine cheese grator and attach it to a board. I am sure it would work as well. Printmakers are innovative and figure out ways to make it work. We are process oriented or we would not love printmaking so much. I do like the s'mores idea though!
My best
Barbara

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Message 3
From: "Maria Arango"
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:19:13 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37461] Re: Chinese New Year Signup - Ox
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And my rats are off!!!! Just in time for the new print, grrr…sorry everyone,
this is the first year I REALLY fell behind on my critters.
But they are now traveling to you.

Maria

Please change my email address to:
1000woodcuts [at] gmail [dot] com
O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O
       Maria Arango
  http://1000woodcuts.com
http://artfestivalguide.info
 O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O


>The signup page for the Chinese New Year of the Ox is open.

>Anyone wanting to participate this year please go to:

>http://barenforum.org/new_year/ox.html

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Message 4
From: Eileen Corder
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:59:51 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37462] Cheese grater
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Several people have suggested (something like) a cheese grater. How about a
Japanese ginger grater, teeth going in several weird directions and no
holes. I have one of those.

Thanks to those who have responded!
Eileen

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Message 5
From: Marilynn Smith
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:21:10 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37463] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V45 #4604 (Nov 13, 2008)
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Eileen I am surprised others have not responded to your brush
problem. yes, it would be best to buy the metal dragon skin from
McClains. However, in a pinch use a fine cheese grater. it may not
work as well but it should split the hairs just fine. than after you
finish splitting your hairs you need to singe the brush round. Graham
is probably better at explaining this step than I am.
Marilynn

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Message 6
From: Graham Scholes
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:30:54 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37464] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V45 #4604 (Nov 13, 2008)
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Barbara did a Stirling job, answering the BURNING question... (o

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Message 7
From: Graham Scholes
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:43:32 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37465] Re: Cheese grater
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Try it.... on one edge of the brush to see if it enables the needle
shape on the ends of the hair to happen.

I have forgotten about my site at....
www.woodblockart.ca/how-to/.
On the left side is a list of How to Sites... Click on Inking Brush
and you will see so good stuff about fine tuning brushes.
There is a good picture of the finished brush that shows the ideal shape.

Graham

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Message 8
From: "Mike Lyon"
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:46:33 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37466] RE: Maru bake
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The professional already-prepared brushes from Baren Mall are BY FAR the
best I've used -- really excellent brushes and well worth the price!

I've had good luck preparing all manner of brushes this way:

1. trim brush to profile you prefer (slightly rounded seems a bit better,
but I've seen printers use very square-bottomed brushes with good results --
squarer tends to leave more of an 'edge-mark' at the ends of your stroke)

2. singe the hair-ends (animal-hairs only -- don't try this with synthetics)
-- I use a propane torch -- a candle or lighter would also work). If you
skip this step, the sanding/abrading step takes a lot longer)

3. I power-sand the bristles on a belt sander, turning the brush this way
and that until the center bristles have been 'sharpened' to fine points (I
use a strong magnifier to see this). I've tried the metallic 'sharkskin'
from McClains -- it 'tears' the hairs and creates split ends. Try attaching
it to a disk and spin the disk by motor (sander, grinder, table saw) for
faster and easier action. I no longer use the dragon skin as the sander is
much quicker and I never got very reliable 'split ends' no matter what I
tried -- just a lot of broken hairs... But in my MIND, split and tapered
ends are far preferable to just tapered (the more hairs, the finer the
brush)

Conclusion -- the 'prepared' professional brushes from the mall arrive with
TAPERED hair ends -- few if any splits (I can not perceive any split ends
with my 8x magnifier) -- I suspect they prepare their brushes on abrasive
wheels or belts just as I do, but don't know for sure. MAYBE they sit
outside scraping them on tacked up sharkskin!

Good luck -- without power sander or similar it takes a LONG time (several
hours) and HARD work to prepare a brush.

Mike

Mike Lyon
Kansas City, MO
http://mlyon.com

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Message 9
From: "Mike Lyon"
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:51:46 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37467] Re: Maru bake
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Sorry -- in 1. above -- when I said 'trim' I meant with scissors...

Mike Lyon
Kansas City, MO
http://mlyon.com

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Message 10
From: ArtSpotiB # aol.com
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:35:17 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37468] Exchange 38 L.Phelps Arrived
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Still trickling in!

Looking forward to seeing the art work.



"It is neither wealth nor splendor, but tranquility and
occupation, which give happiness."
--Thomas Jefferson

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Message 11
From: "Elizabeth Nielsen"
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:38:20 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37469] Introduction and question on shomenzuri
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Hello--

My name is Liz, I'm currently working on an MFA in printmaking. I learned
the moku hanga technique last year, and now am pretty much learning as I go.

A couple of examples of my moku hanga work:
AkaAka

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd144/Toshieri/AkaAkaMtnWB.gif

Self portrait as Rock Garden:

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd144/Toshieri/SelfPortraitRockGardenEwb.gif


Right now I'm attempting a black on black moku hanga print using a
shomenzuri technique.

It entails first printing the black area (I'll probably do this at least
twice for a deep black), then letting the paper dry, placing it face-up on a
block carved not in mirror image. The paper is then "polished" with a
boar's tusk (or spoon, or whatever) creating a shiny area of black different
from the matte background. I have a print by Yoshitoshi that uses this
technique to give a pattern to a black kimono.

However, I've never done this technique before. Have any of you? If so, do
you have any tips? Will it matter that I plan to use Akua Kolor instead of
sumi/goauche and rice paste?

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,
-liz-

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Message 12
From: Dave Bull
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:43:52 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37470] Re: Introduction and question on shomenzuri
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> However, I've never done this technique before.  Have any of you?  If
> so, do you have any tips? Will it matter that I plan to use Akua
> Kolor instead of sumi/goauche and rice paste?

For best results, you need plenty of glue in the original pigment mix
... so the final result will have a nice glossy appearance.

Another problem comes with the change in dimensions of the paper
between printing the original black - on moist paper - and doing the
shomen-zuri - on dry paper. Do some tests, and then cut your block
carefully.

For what it's worth, I don't use a 'tusk', but just a normal baren ...

Dave

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Message 13
From: cucamongie # aol.com
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:35:45 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37471] maru bake
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I have the "dragon skin" and it works very well, so that would be my personal preference. The burning of the ends of the hairs stinks, so I do it on a little hot plate out on my fire escape.


however, some people have said that they have used their brushes without splitting the hairs and they work ok. any feedback on that.

Sarah

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Message 14
From: "Maria Arango"
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:48:34 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37472] RE: maru bake
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Well, I know we've had our past differences but...

I just have to recommend Graham's DVD on a lot of this moku-hanga stuff
(unsolicited endorsement ;-) if anyone wants to see the techniques involved
"live". I'm not really a workshop person and learn mostly from books but
sometimes it helps to get a visual reference for all the lengthy
explanations.

The bit on papermaking from Japan is a great bonus. And the DVD would make a
nice present for someone's Christmas, ey?

Maria

Please change my email address to:
1000woodcuts [at] gmail [dot] com
O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O
       Maria Arango
  http://1000woodcuts.com
http://artfestivalguide.info
 O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O

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Message 15
From: Graham Scholes
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 06:19:32 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37473] Re: maru bake
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We did sort of get off on the wrong cord.... but....

Holly Molly.... If I lived close by I would run right over and give
you a hug.

Hugs.
Graham

Marnie endorsed this e-mail ......

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Message 16
From: Graham Scholes
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 06:28:00 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37474] Re: maru bake
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Sarah wrote:

> I have the "dragon skin" and it works very well, so that would be my
> personal preference. The burning of the ends of the hairs stinks,
> so I do it on a little hot plate out on my fire escape.

For sure... I always did the burning at bootcamp outside..

> however, some people have said that they have used their brushes
> without splitting the hairs and they work ok. any feedback on that.

I am wondering if thems that used un-tuned brushes have experienced
the results of a tuned brush with the needle shape hairs. I know I
have done trial comparison and if you are in favour of
streaking ???? don‘t dress up your brushes...

Colour me silly
Graham

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Message 17
From: Blog Manager
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:54:25 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37475] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification
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This is an automatic update message being sent to [Baren] by the forum blog software.

The following new entries were found on the listed printmaker's websites during the past 24 hours. (55 sites checked, five minutes before 9:00 AM Eastern time)

*****************

Site Name: Woodblock RoundTable

Author: Dave Bull
Item: Next print begins - Seacoast in Winter
http://woodblock.com/roundtable/archives/2008/11/next_print_begins_seacoast.html

*****************

A list of the sites/blogs currently being checked is available at this address:
http://barenforum.org/blog/rss/blog_main_urls.txt

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