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Message 1
From: Jerrick Fulkerson
Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2011 19:48:53 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43139] HELP!
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I'm a new "woodcutter". Im printing on hosho paper with water-soluble block printing ink. After I ink the block and use my baren, the paper is sticking. It looks fuzzy and is sticking to the block. It's so expensive to make these mistakes. I am in rural Alaska without an art store, so I need an easy fix. Please feel free to contact me at jerrickcale@gmail.com

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Message 2
From: "Mike Lyon"
Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:20:28 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43140] RE: HELP!
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It's the ink which is causing your problems...

Purchase some rice starch and mix paste (corn starch from the grocery or
your kitchen cabinet will work almost as well -- mix about 2 level teaspoons
into 1/2 cup of water and heat over double boiler until it's smooth and
pasty -- keep extra in fridge for up to a week. For pigments, use dry
pigment (least expensive way), pigment suspension, or watercolors (most
expensive way). Dampen paper overnight before printing (mist every other
sheet and fold into damp newsprint and put in plastic bag overnight).
Dampen block about 10 minutes before printing -- when you're ready to print,
block should be damp, but NOT glossy... Put a dab of paste onto the damp
block, put a dab of pigment into the paste, brush all over block with shoe
brush until it's homogenous -- again, before registering your paper, be sure
block is damp, but NOT glossy (no free water or paste or pigment -- it's all
'soaked into the block' sorta... Then register paper and print. It'll come
away cleanly. If you're only printing one color (black) use sumi ink
without paste and brush it in as normal -- if it seems to be drying too
quickly you can add a bit of paste if you prefer.

That's about as easy as it gets!

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

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Message 3
From: "Mike Lyon"
Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:29:14 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43141] RE: HELP!
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OH! One more thought about the HOSHO... If it's the kind you buy at the
art supply store called 'hosho' (very white and kinda velvety) -- its pretty
soft for Japanese printing, totally falls apart when over damp, not usually
well sized if at all -- it delaminates at the drop of a hat.

Even though it is SO light weight, you'll have better luck with kitakata or
mulberry paper (both also readily available at art supply stores - they're
lighter weight than your hosho, but much stronger).

You'll have BEST luck with a paper MADE for Japanese technique printmaking
-- these also can be called hosho (lots of different papers are called
"hosho")... You can order from Baren Mall -- other printers will be able to
recommend their favorite papers.

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

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Message 4
From: Graham Scholes
Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:01:55 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43142] Re: HELP!
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Not seeing the information on the label of the ink tube, my guess is that you are using etching ink that is water soluble. You should be using watercolours.... or colorants that have be made for moku hanga.
Until you find a source for moku hanga pigments (which you will get from other members here) you can easily use transparent watercolours.... any good quality will be fine.

http://www.watercolorpainting.com/pigments.htm

Rembrandt (Holland)
Da Vinci
Sennelier (France)
Grumbacher (U.S.A.)
Schmincke (W. Germany)
Holbein (Japan)
Winsor & Newton (England)
Maimeri
Van Gogh (Holland)
Rowney (England)

Regards
Graham

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Message 5
From: olek wozniak
Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2011 22:33:44 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43143] Re: HELP!
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hi guys. little bit offtop: How do you find using black sooth as a pigment?
Yesterday I got big jar of good quality soot , my friend sweeper call it
"english". Is it ok to use it?

Jerrick - damp a paper well, and the block. as Mike Lyon said. I used to
work on a rice paper, the cheapest one, and it works well, so I think
quality of paper is not so important for this particular problem. Try to
pracitice on rice - if you print on this, you will print on everything hehe.
cheers.

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Message 6
From: andrea # starkeyart.com
Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2011 23:58:50 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43144] RE: HELP!
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Just curious... are you using Speedball inks? Because that sounds exactly like what happened to me on my first few prints. The block pulled the paper apart. It was very frustrating and I'm surprised I just didn't give up on the process. Here's a blog post about it. Anyway, through some experimenting I found that the Speedball ink is just too tacky, or something. If you use their extender modifier it helps with the problem a bit. The best solution I could find was just to wipe the surface very clean and dampen it between each printing...sometimes you can't even see the little fibers of paper stuck to the block but if they are there they will pull of more on the next print. The final solution I found was to switch to Akua Kolor inks and better papers. Good luck!Andrea Starkeywww.starkeyart.comwww.starkeyart.blogspot.comwww.starkeyart.etsy.com

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Message 7
From: Julio.Rodriguez # walgreens.com
Date: Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:29:23 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43145] Re: HELP!
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Alaska,...are you printing in a cold area ? I mean near freezing like
temperatures ?

When I try to print in cold weather (outside in my unheated garage) I get
similar results, I brush my pigment/paste on my block and it starts to gel
up and my paper sticks.......


.....Julio

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Subject: Sanding and Staining
Posted by: Ellen Shipley

This item is taken from the blog Pressing-Issues.
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Subject: Senshafuda Project - Spring 2011 keyblock done
Posted by: Dave Bull

This item is taken from the blog Mokuhankan Conversations.
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Subject: At Last!
Posted by: Renee A. Ugrin

This item is taken from the blog Mira Vista Studio Arts.
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Subject: Print-ku
Posted by: Sherrie Y

This item is taken from the blog Brush and Baren.
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