[Baren] Daily Digest

Today's postings

[Baren 36493] Re: Thanks (Dave Bull)
[Baren 36494] serrated bar (Scholes Graham)
[Baren 36495] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification (Blog Manager)
[Baren 36496] Hori dai (Barbara Mason)
[Baren 36497] Titanium Bokashi (Tom Kristensen)
[Baren 36498] Jig questions from ex-lurker (Rosposfe # aol.com)
[Baren 36499] Re: Hori dai (Scholes Graham)
[Baren 36500] Re: Titanium Bokashi (Scholes Graham)
[Baren 36501] Registration marks ... (Dave Bull)
[Baren 36502] chinese cutting ("Eva Pietzcker")

Message 13
From: Dave Bull
Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2008 03:09:28 GMT
Subject: [Baren 36493] Re: Thanks
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> The smoothness of the BAREN is a wonder, which means that
> YOU are doing it all the time and doing a good job too.

Whoa! Please don't get me in trouble here! I'm just _one_ of the
Council members, and - not being modest - one who actually doesn't do
much day-by-day.

Gayle is over there frantically beavering away trying to keep up with
keeping the archive up to date, Barbara is handling all the Mall orders
and the (plentiful) behind-the-scenes bookkeeping/paperwork ... Others
are shipping paper, handling endless spam and 'bounce' messages from
the server, you name it ... I don't want to try to list everybody,
because I don't even have a clear handle on all the helpers at present
...

This is one reason why I actually don't post much these days, to try
and rub away some of that feeling that people _still_ seem to have -
that this is somehow 'Dave's group'. [Baren] went 'public' many years
back, is now a legally registered NPO, and doesn't belong to anybody at
all.

Dave is a 'Councillor-at-large', who handles some background php
scripts on the website. That's pretty much it these days ... (too
selfishly involved with his own work!).

(But anyway, glad to hear that you are enjoying the forum ... we'll all
share in your praise together!)

Dave

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Message 1
From: Scholes Graham
Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2008 03:49:01 GMT
Subject: [Baren 36494] serrated bar
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I mentioned a few days ago about a video clip of a serrated bar.

This is now ready and it will just fit into a e-mail at 3+ MB.
If you would like to receive a clip of this please contact me
off line graham@woodblockart.ca and I will forward it to you.

It is quite simple to adapt the strip with the use of a file, small
grindstone in a hand drill, and or a dremel does a dandy job.

Regards
Graham

PS. One person thanked my for the hori dai that is explained on my
website.
http://www.woodblockart.ca/how-to/

Look on the top right corner of this site Hori-Dai Caving Bench
All the instructions are there for you to enjoy good posture....

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Message 2
From: Blog Manager
Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2008 03:55:55 GMT
Subject: [Baren 36495] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification
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Message 4
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2008 04:29:07 GMT
Subject: [Baren 36496] Hori dai
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Graham,
I had one of these from the first boot camp I attended but just never could seem to use it well, so I ended up giving it to a gal with a muscle disease and it changed her life. She can carve easily with it as she needs less pressure. So for some it is the ticket...I just use that magnifying lamp and some of that rubber shelf liner to hold the block in place and I am good to go.... I just need to go more often as have gotten totally bogged down in solarplates. The print for Wanda's exchange was my first relief print in awhile.
I think it is whatever works for each person. I guess thats why they make chocolate and vanilla
My best
Barbara

> PS. One person thanked my for the hori dai that is
> explained on my
> website.
> http://www.woodblockart.ca/how-to/
>
> Look on the top right corner of this site Hori-Dai Caving
> Bench
> All the instructions are there for you to enjoy good
> posture....

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Message 5
From: Tom Kristensen
Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2008 04:32:51 GMT
Subject: [Baren 36497] Titanium Bokashi
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Carole asks why using titanium based ink will make for an easy bokashi

In simple terms bokashi is blending or gradation of colour. In
Japanese prints this was typically done by working with the ink into
a wet zone on the block. Keeping the moisture consistent is tricky
and typically each impression involves working the block with a wet
rag as well as the brush. Problems can easily arise with unwanted
goma zuri and controlling the build-up and spread of the pigment.
Still, it is all worth it and when mastered it gives the most
beautiful result. Then there are the shortcuts:

1 Forget the water, just use a brush wide enough to cover the block
with an entire impression made with nori. A strong translucent
pigment will work through the starch without altering its viscosity
too much. A titanium pigment will also blend nicely with the nori.
(you may need to spray a little water on the block to control the
brush marks)

2 Use two colours of ink made with titanium base. The two inks will
blend together on the block and because of the opaque nature of
titanium you can see your bokashi clearly before you print.

Like many things it is easier to just give it a go.

Graham would like to know where I pulled the dates for Chinese
woodblock printmaking. Ummm... Wikipedia under "woodblock printing",
a nicely referenced entry.

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Message 6
From: Rosposfe # aol.com
Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2008 04:38:20 GMT
Subject: [Baren 36498] Jig questions from ex-lurker
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Hi bareners.
I recently introduced myself as one of the hordes of silent lurkers,
quietly and secretly carving away from the public eye and made the great leap to
announce that I would become a participant.
Then my computer crashed as I tried to upgrade my no longer supported browser
to a more modern version. Attempts to post directly via the Baren website
have failed so I'll try via another email address.
First, I managed to load some images of recent work on the following
website and I welcome comments and suggestions.: rospobio.blogspot.com

There are last year's Year of the Rat/Boar cards and a wine label I
printed.

My first question follows the thread of the recent postings regarding jigs
for multiple blocks. How can I print on a bigger piece of paper than
originally cut as the kento?
As I usually use a xerox-type hanshita with the kentos printed on them my
color registration has been ok but since they are usually somewhat randomly glued
to the boards (that may not be all identical), I can't quite figure out how
to set up a jig that would be registered to the kento and not the block corner
so I could use paper bigger than my original block.
Similarly, I am now working on a new block and carving the key block.
I can't quite figure out how to deal with the kentos if I want to use this to
print the kentos in the traditional manner. If I carve a normal kento on my
key block then on the color separations the paper corner and edge will be where
I need to carve the kentos? Or If I carve a raised kento/edge that prints
on my hanshita separations how do I go back and carve it away precisely on the
key block? I've looked over the encyclopedia but don't quite get it.
Thanks in advance, I can't express how much I have appreciated the forum
as I have been dabbling away here in my dark corner.
Sincerely,
Andrew Stone
Santa Cruz, CA/Florence, Italy

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Message 7
From: Scholes Graham
Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2008 04:39:54 GMT
Subject: [Baren 36499] Re: Hori dai
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Sure glad someone is benefiting... Thanks for the feedback...
I know personally that I could not spend hours every day humped over a
desk carving over 600 plates. My back is touchy as it is and this
sure gives me wonderful posture as illustrated in the little image on
site.
They are not hard to make... A drill and few bits and pieces as
discribed.
I must remove the "order it here" off the site... I don't do that
anymore.

Regards
Graham

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Message 8
From: Scholes Graham
Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2008 04:48:27 GMT
Subject: [Baren 36500] Re: Titanium Bokashi
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I don’t use anything but transparent colours for my bokashi.
I do print them twice with one large brush with colour on one end of
the brush and rice paste on the other.
Works for me. Most of my pieces have bokashi.

If it is a small area the brush is appropriately smaller.

I think I shall try the white stuff....
It concerns me the the pigment might take on a chalky look....
Is this a problem Tom

Regards
Graham

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Message 9
From: Dave Bull
Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2008 04:51:28 GMT
Subject: [Baren 36501] Registration marks ...
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> How can I print on a bigger piece of paper than
> originally cut as the kento?

OK, in for a penny ... I'll bite today ...

Registration marks are _completely_ flexible. If they're not in the
right place, just move them ... cut more where they are needed.

In the case you mentioned, you might first tack on some extra strips of
wood to the edges of your woodblocks, to expand them to the dimensions
you need for the new larger paper.

Then cut new registration marks on the new expanded keyblock, in
approximately the correct location. (Lay your large sheet down on the
dry block, and roughly get it to the correct place.)

Print a test sheet from the key block.

Use a knife and chop out one of the colour areas on the test sheet. Lay
it down on the appropriate colour block, and looking down through the
open hole, get it into approximately the correct location. Cut the
registration marks.

Repeat for other colour blocks.

Now, do a proof. Some of the new colour block registration marks will
need slight adjustments, in or out, so trim or shim as necessary ...

What you are describing is very common in traditional work, as
publishers will frequently send paper of an incorrect size - too small
or too large, and the printer has to be ready to move the registration
marks to wherever they are needed. Old blocks frequently end up with
multiple marks, all over the place ...

Dave

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Message 10
From: "Eva Pietzcker"
Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2008 11:31:34 GMT
Subject: [Baren 36502] chinese cutting
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Dear Bareners,

I am the author of the website giving information about Chinese woodblock printing and I would like to answer to Graham Scholes harsh comment regarding the photograph of the cutting. The woman you see here cutting is a mastercutter who participated in a year-long project recutting the "Ten-Bamboo-Collection". You can see in the photograph that she is supporting the knife with her thumb, similar as Japanese cutters do it. Also, as I wrote this in the text, this knife is not only used as the hangito by pulling it towards the cutter, but also by pushing it forward.

Kind regards

Eva Pietzcker

----------------------------------

Eva Pietzcker

www.pietzcker.de

www.druckstelle.info

----------------------------------

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Baren Archives

[Baren] - the International Forum for Woodblock Printmaking

Volume: 44 / Number: 4473

Saturday, 9th of August, 2008

Today's postings

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