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Message 1
From: cucamongie # aol.com
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:05:18 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37476] maru bake
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folks, with all due respect to Mike Lyon, you do not have to singe the brushes with a blow torch!

The way I do it, is to take a hot plate out on my fire escape, and use a cheap pan which I don't care about.? just heat it up, and put the brush in the pan, bristles down, sort of press it down on the hot pan, and they will be singed in no time.? It does smell awful, so that is why I do this outside.? After the ends of the brush are singed, you can do the dragon skin or sharkskin routine.

Sarah

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Message 2
From: Dave Bull
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:13:15 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37477] Re: maru bake
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> ... singe the brushes ...

For what it's worth, there are two contradictory views on brush burning
here in Japan. A number of the printers (most? many?) do indeed shape
their brushes this way.

But the brush _makers_ themselves think that this is an abominable
practice, which is destructive to the basic structure of the hair. They
(the ones I have spoken to about this) recommend shaping by mechanical
means (trimming, etc.), and _then_ splitting the ends. And the good
ones do actually get the ends split, rather than just tapered, which is
what the 'quick 'n dirty' work with sanding gets you.

Dave

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Message 3
From: Graham Scholes
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:56:08 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37478] Re: maru bake
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You know what Sarah.... You got that right!
That is the technique taught to me by Noboru Sawai who in turn learned
if from
Toshi Yoshida who in turn learned if from father... Hiroshi Yoshida
who inturn learned if from ..... well you get the idea.

I have tried the blow torch thing and there is not enough control for
me .... sez he nodding and drooling... I wasn’t always like this.

Colour me hobbling for cover
Graham

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Message 4
From: Graham Scholes
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:02:47 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37479] Re: maru bake
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Dave Bull wrote:

>> For what it's worth, there are two contradictory views on brush
>> burning here in Japan. A number of the printers (most? many?) do
>> indeed shape their brushes this way.
>
> But the brush _makers_ themselves think that this is an abominable
> practice, which is destructive to the basic structure of the hair.
> They (the ones I have spoken to about this) recommend shaping by
> mechanical means (trimming, etc.), and _then_ splitting the ends.
> And the good ones do actually get the ends split, rather than just
> tapered, which is what the 'quick 'n dirty' work with sanding gets
> you.


I ask two things here....

What tool or device splits the ends.

Show us a real closeup showing the split ends of the hair. I am
wondering how far up the hair this split end goes.

I can imagine that split ends would do a great job as this would be
softer and more pliable.
However.... I cannot fault the result I get with my pointy hairs...
that sound obsene... (

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Message 5
From: Rosposfe # aol.com
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 05:28:12 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37480] First time carving Maple/Test block/Pandering to the market
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"An acquaintance of mine suggested I'd sell more work if I stopped
drawing all these naked people and did some baby animals or something. Since, so
far I've never sold anything, I couldn't really test this hypothesis, so rather
than argue I went ahead and sketched, carved and just finished printing the
keyblock proof on a little piece that shamelessly is pandering to the market.
I haven't decided yet if I'll carve the color blocks or just leave it black
and white. Nor can I decide whether to print it in a special limited edition
to artificially inflate it's value or leave it open, to better anticipate
possible future demand. My eight-year-old son, said, "Dad, I think that's the
best drawing you've ever done." But, he likes worms."

I'd never carved maple so plunking down $50.00 on a big piece of wood
was a bit of an impulsive gesture. Actually, I came out of the hardwood lumber
store with this amazing 17" X 96" X 1" maple plank. Other men turned and
whistled, saying things like, "hey dude, nice board!"....(this is California).
I had them cut off a few feet so I could get it in the car and from that
piece I cut off a sliver about 5" X 10" that had a small knot. This little
print was an exercise to see if I could carve it. It was definitely harder than
anything I've carved before. I had a hard time trying to carve deeply but
with lighter, delicate pressure it carved pretty well. More importantly it
didn't chip at all so while it wasn't easy to carve, in tight spots, pieces didn't
pop off. I'm getting ready for exchange 39 and this little piece was my
"test block" to see if I could manage carving the keyblock on Maple. It wasn't
so bad so I'll move on with preparing drawings and sanding my block.

Andrew S.
www.rospobio.blogspot.com

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Message 6
From: Lynn Starun
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 05:29:22 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37481] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V45 #4605 (Nov 14, 2008)
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Hi Group,
Just my little bit of experience--before I got the wonderful prepared bruses on the baren mall I got some good quality shoe brushes
and trimmed them with scissors and then burned them on a heated cast iron griddle. I turned on the exhaust fan over the stove and
it wasn't so bad--kinda fun! I found that using the cheese grater tended to pull the hairs loose. I still use them for lesser work
like collagraphs but I LOVE the real thing from Japan.
I was impressed with how quickly they came, too.

Lynn

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Message 7
From: Graham Scholes
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 06:52:52 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37482] Re: First time carving Maple/Test block/Pandering to the market
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Andrew wrote:

> "An acquaintance of mine suggested I'd sell more work if I
> stopped drawing all these naked people and did some baby animals or
> something.

I ain’t going there.... each to his own.
If you do go there... you might as well do the image in high key...
dazzle them with screaming colours... It is fashionable.

> My eight-year-old son, said, "Dad, I think that's the best
> drawing you've ever done."

From the mouths of babes......

> I'd never carved maple so plunking down $50.00 on a big piece of
> wood was a bit of an impulsive gesture.

Well now, you won’t have to go to the Gym to get your upper body
strength in shape.
You will have biceps that will impress the gals... Don’t they sell
basswood or Cherry ????

Graham

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Message 8
From: Jan Telfer
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:28:04 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37483] Preparing brushes
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On my recent trip to Japan and a visit to Woodlike Matsumura I bought a
range of brushes and while I waited in the office a very nice gentleman
prepared them for me......... perfectly....... no sweat!! My original
brushes also hand bought from Japan by a WA Friend were also
professional quality and also prepared ready for printing. Baren Mall
uses Matsumura why not ask when ordering them and then you will have no
"Stuff ups".

Mine look so nice it was hard to use them for first time just like a
big big sheet of expensive white painting paper....... don't get one,
get several!

Just my tuppence worth! And no stress involved!!

Jan

Perth WAust

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Message 9
From: Dave Bull
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:54:32 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37484] Re: maru bake
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> What tool or device splits the ends.

The sharkskin.

> Show us a real closeup showing the split ends of the hair.

Here's a quick run at a brush tonight ... My upstairs computer desk
isn't where I usually do this, but anyway, just to get some quick
photos ...

The sharkskin:
http://woodblock.com/temporary/brush/sharkskin.jpg

The brush before cutting - as it comes from the manufacturer:
http://woodblock.com/temporary/brush/step_01.jpg

After trimming with scissors to the desired shape:
http://woodblock.com/temporary/brush/step_02.jpg

After a good run on the sharkskin (ten minutes or so)
http://woodblock.com/temporary/brush/step_03.jpg

Shot of the action side of the brush ...
http://woodblock.com/temporary/brush/step_04.jpg

And a closeup of the hairs ... some tapered, some split ...
http://woodblock.com/temporary/brush/close_up.jpg

Dave

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Message 10
From: Blog Manager
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:54:40 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37485] 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. (54 sites checked, five minutes before 9:00 AM Eastern time)

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

Site Name: 1000 Woodcuts Updates

Author: Maria
Item: A personal effort to stimulate the US economy (wink wink)?
http://1000woodcuts.com/2008/11/personal-effort-to-stimulate-us-economy.html

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

Site Name: Phare-Camp Art Journal

Author: Phare-Camp
Item: The Chariot
http://phare-camp.blogspot.com/2008/11/chariot.html

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

Site Name: Lacrime di Rospo

Author: Andrew Stone
Item: Not just another segmented worm
http://rospobio.blogspot.com/2008/11/not-just-another-segmented-worm.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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