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Message 1
From: "Bea Gold"
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 23:39:44 -0800
Subject: [Baren 27261] Re: Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 16:31:54 -0800
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potato, plastic knife, and tempera
Bea

>Hi everyone ,
>I had a question and was hoping someone could help. I wanted to do some prints with 5 year olds
>and need some ideas on what kind of plate could be carved out easily. No sharp tools.
>Also any suggestions on types of ink?
>Thanks Gilda

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Message 2
From: ANDY ENGLISH
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 14:43:07 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: [Baren 27262] Re: Harry's experiments
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Harry wrote:


>The wood was from a Christmas tree, an old chair and
>a dining table leg.

I was particularly interested in seeing the spruce block. On twelth night, I was sawing up our tree to recycle it and I was struck by the cross section so I cut a round from the trunk - rather like your piece. It is still drying out in the press-room but I had the idea of using it to engrave next year's Christmas card. I don't think i will be able to wait that long - I'm looking forwards to trying it out.

This all gave me the idea of a small print exchange using reclaimed/found wood as the matrix. Contact me off list if you are interested. It would take place later in the year - probably in the summer. Here is an image that I engraved on the back of a olive wood ash-tray found in a charity shop. Lovely end grain wood for $0.25!:

www.andyenglish.co.uk/artists.html

Andy

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Artist Printmaker

www.andyenglish.co.uk)

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Message 3
From: Mike Lyon
Date: Thu, 03 Mar 2005 09:41:09 -0600
Subject: [Baren 27263] Re: Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 16:31:54 -0800
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Bea wrote:
>potato, plastic knife, and tempera

Hey, Bea! Don't you really mean, "Potato, plastic knife, and TEMPURA"
?? :-) LOL!
-- Mike


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

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Message 4
From: Sharri LaPierre
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 08:53:28 -0800
Subject: [Baren 27264] Re: survey
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Julio,
Yes there are at least three wonderful, beautiful new motels just
around the corner (remember I live in the country) so that means about
3 - 5 minutes away. I will get a list of names and rates and see if I
can get our Bareners a special rate. This won't happen for another
week or two, though

Sharri

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Message 5
From: "Robert Canaga"
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 09:11:30 -0800
Subject: [Baren 27265] Re: Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 16:31:54 -0800
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There is a material available through speedball that is basically compressible foam like dinner material. Cheep and all you do is impress it with a pencil or stick, ink it, and print it. Great for kids. Teaches the concept with out the "ow".

RC

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Message 6
From: "marilynn smih"
Date: Thu, 03 Mar 2005 10:52:30 -0800
Subject: [Baren 27266] RE: Baren Digest (old) V30 #2978
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I am thrilled to annouce the coming event of my Mexican rooster for the post
card exchange! This hanga stuff is hard, but i am hanga in there. I
printed today and the plates are working if this girl can drop everything
straight!!!!
As for pigment, the dry pigments from the Baren mall are sooooo awesome.
They are easy to use and I have such strong color with only one drop of the
paper onto the plate, amazing!
For the summit i would like to again see David Bull print for us, what a
marvel. And I enjoyed the presentations from members who showed us their
varied works and techniques. And and we need field trips! Also more
lessons on sharpening tools, wetting paper, and applyiing pigment to plate.
As well as alternatives to the traditional kento for getting things to line
up right. All this might take a bit more than a few days but we sure could
try to fit it all in. Don't forget me I am going to be there to help Sharri
and the gang!
Marilynn

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Message 7
From: Daniel Dew
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 14:54:16 -0500
Subject: [Baren 27267] First time hanga boy
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O.K., key block almost done!

Just a couple of quick questions:
- Does it make any difference if the kento marks are in the right or
left corner?
- What is the best paper to print the the initial black line prints on
for gluing down?
- It is O.K. to mix up the wood for the colors? i.e. red oak for one
color and cherry wood for another.
- Where is that link to Dave Bull's demonstration of how to do this?

Daniel L. Dew

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Message 8
From: Robin Morris
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 12:25:24 -0800
Subject: [Baren 27268] Re: First time hanga boy
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Hey daniel-
Folks who know more will have a lot of answers- I wonder if u need to
use red oak or cherry for color blocks though?
If you obtain frinstance Shina ply its pretty cheap and much easier to
carve, just for color mass areas.
Just a thought. I think you were the guy who was cutting huge planks
down to boards tho so maybe your expense isn't so great- tho your time
may cost u money.
I am not trying to make woodblocks here- i got some planks that were
too hard to carve from the lumber store,a nd also tried cheaper softer
woods that didn't hold lines...
Now I'm using cherry for a keyblock and Shina (basswood )ply for the
colors.
But i know nothing, except that this worked well for one print! Your
hardwood colorblocks will last way better for large runs, or to print
many editions. My shina blocks got a bit compressed with hard barening
over a run of 45 plus about 10 proofs., and my baren's bamboo leaf just
about wore out.

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Message 9
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 13:31:35 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Baren 27269] Re: First time hanga boy
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Dan,
Hanshita paper either from the mall or Mcclains is best, but both Wanda and I have had real good luck with sumi paper, the kind for brush painting and caligraphy. If you cannot see through it well enough when it is dry, oil the back of the paper a bit, as the sumi paper is thicker than the hanshita paper. You need a paper that will not wrinkle when it gets wet. Kento marks are supposed to be in the right corner if you are right handed. About the wood, I don't know.
Best to you,
Barbara

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Message 10
From: Daniel Dew
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 16:54:10 -0500
Subject: [Baren 27270] Re: First time hanga boy
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The only reason I brought up the wood was texture.
Last time I printed with red oak, I fell in love with the way it looked
when printed. Very grainy and cool.
Will probably not use Poplar ever again, crummy wood, chips too easily.

Still very nervous.


Daniel L. Dew

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Message 11
From: ArtfulCarol # aol.com
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 16:56:36 EST
Subject: [Baren 27271] Re: First time hanga boy
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Hanga Boy,
You can mix up the wood all you want. If it serves your purpose do it and
have fun with it.
There are rules??
Carol L/NY

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Message 12
From: Mike Lyon
Date: Thu, 03 Mar 2005 16:16:05 -0600
Subject: [Baren 27272] Re: First time hanga boy
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Dan wrote:
>Just a couple of quick questions:
>- Does it make any difference if the kento marks are in the right or left
>corner?
>- What is the best paper to print the the initial black line prints on for
>gluing down?
>- It is O.K. to mix up the wood for the colors? i.e. red oak for one
>color and cherry wood for another.
>- Where is that link to Dave Bull's demonstration of how to do this?


1. Since you generally 'bump' the corner of the paper into the corner
kento, and THEN gently pull the paper and bump it into the side kento, it's
usually easiest for right-handers (and I'm left handed and do it this way,
too) for the corner kento to be carved in the lower right corner of the
block with the side kento to the left about 3 to 5 inches from the edge
opposite the corner....

2. Baren mall sells some nifty two-layer hanshita paper which handles very
well and after printing and pasting down, the thick layer peels off leaving
the image clearly visible through the pasted-down tissue layer.

3. Yes, you can mix wood as you please with a couple of 'minor' cautions
which become more major as the block size increases -- different woods have
different coefficients of expansion when damp -- the mostly expand and
contract perpendicular to the grain direction (fiber bundle direction) and
also differently depending on whether plank or quarter sawn, so on large
prints you can have large block movements opposite the corner kento (does
not apply to plywood which is pretty stable regardless).

4. Do a search in the form at the top of www.barenforum.org in
'Encyclopedia' for 'kento' and you'll see there are a LOT of Dave Bull
comments about this stuff.

-- Mike


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

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Message 13
From: Julio.Rodriguez # walgreens.com
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 16:58:56 -0600
Subject: [Baren 27273] Re: First time hanga boy
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Dan writes:

- Does it make any difference if the kento marks are in the right or
left corner?

Others can expand on this, I don't think it makes much difference unless
you are a professional printer...by that I mean you are doing large
editions and under time pressure. I am lefty so I cut my kento corner on
the left side of the block (right side of the print !) so that I can drop
the paper into the kento corner with the thrumb & index finger of my left
hand. But I have done them 'righty' and it has not made much difference.
What's more important I think is to carve your kento marks along the
longest side of the image so you get finer registration when doing
multiple blocks. Also keep in mind that the first pressure of the baren on
the paper should be in the direction of the kento corner to sort of lock
the paper in place....(the pigment/paste mix holds the paper to the block
once initial presure is applied ). So the hand that holds the baren &
movement of the baren could play a part on where that kento should be ???
I am lefty so I hold the baren on my left hand and with the kento corner
on the left side of the block as it faces me and the long registration
mark at the bottom on my right side...my first motion is clockwise toward
the kento corner to lock the paper in place.


- It is O.K. to mix up the wood for the colors? i.e. red oak for one
color and cherry wood for another.

Probably no problem if you use plywood, but if you use solid wood and the
woods have different expansion rates and you happen to be doing fine line
registration...it could be a problem. I think I read somewhere you should
have the grain of all the woods run the same way ?


- Where is that link to Dave Bull's demonstration of how to do this?

Do you mean this link with the step by step process:

http://www.woodblock.com/surimono/process.html

thanks........Julio Rodriguez

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Message 14
From: Mike Lyon
Date: Thu, 03 Mar 2005 17:44:58 -0600
Subject: [Baren 27274] Exchange #22 Gallery on-line
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Hi, all! The gallery of prints from Exchange #22 is on-line (still hoping
to add coordinator's comments from Mary Kuster), but I imagine you will be
able to see the prints -- do let the artists hear from you via the comment
forms if you like the
work! http://barenforum.org/exchange_21/exchange_frame.html -- I also
updated the #21 gallery intro page with an image of Bette's beautiful case!

-- Mike


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

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