Wood block prints

[tea lady]

I always thought originally you needed one of those huge printing presses.

Yeah! Me too. Although they are beautiful things.

In an old craft book passed on by my mum there is a chapter on wood block printing. They actually coat the woodblock with flock. (just the high bits) I guess it holds the ink. I have never seen anyone ever do this. (I like the "wood" effect. )

[Claw Hama]

Hi TL, that may have been needed in the "old days" but now with modern inks I don't think you need the flocking stuff. When I use Kauri the raised wood sections are very smooth but if I use Aust Cedar you can actualy get the grain pattern in the print too which I like (if you use it right, ie grain is working with the carving) you would loose this sort of detail plus any nice crisp edges with flocking (I guess). I am only using the budget inks at the moment $16 -$18 a jar but I will try the ritzy goo soon $50 a jar and see if it makes any diff.

[AlexS]

Lovely work, Claw. Yet another great piece of art from wood.
Sorry to hijack, I love woodblock prints and keep telling myself I should have a go at it.
Attached is a pic of Ron Hanks about to print one of his woodblock prints, made for the 'Kauri Project'. I'll post details of the exhibition elsewhere. If you're in Sydney next month, get along to it at the Botanic Gardens.

Kauri project

[tea lady]

I am only using the budget inks at the moment $16 -$18 a jar but I will try the ritzy goo soon $50 a jar and see if it makes any diff.

$50 a jar? What do they do that makes it worth that much more? Minarel pigments instead of synthetic? Low acid or something? Better colours perhaps? I think the papers you use would make more difference. Cotton rag or some other ritzy thing.

[Frank&Earnest]

Claw and Underfoot, you have actually done it, so you can talk by experience: how hard is getting a good print out of your woodblocks? I have a good reason for asking this question. Yesterday Silvio Apponyi had an open day at his studio so I took the opportunity to catch up and scrounge some advice. He went to Japan to learn the art of woodblock printing, and as you all know he is a very good sculptor, so the technical part of carving the blocks is obviously not the issue, but he said that he had a hard time getting good prints out of them and had switched to linoleum because he can get much better results with it. His words were "from 1 good print in 10 to 1 bad print in 10".

I admit I am rather crestfallen, given that I am 1% as good as he is, I would be lucky to get 1 good print in 1000. True, his idea of "good" could be too high a bar, but I do not rate highly my chances to get to even "passable". Should I keep my cherry tablets for relief carving instead?

[underfoot]

. True, his idea of "good" could be too high a bar, ?

Yep...he's just too fussy
Not one of my prints would have passed silvio's scrutiny

[Claw Hama]

Hey guys, some good stuff here, Alex, yes I would love to get to the Kauri project still waiting to see if it fits in with whats happening. I am afrade I know no boundaries, I see something and just think "I can do that" and off I go. I know mine are very basic at the moment which is due to time as much as inexperience so with a little more of both I am sure they will get better. I did get a well done after putting the two in the art exhibition from one of the local and in the know print makers so I figure thats not too bad. She didn't just laugh at them. Must rush catch you later.

[Frank&Earnest]

Thanks for your answers, guys. Fair enough, a hobbyist only has to please himself while a professional has to make a decision of what is good enough for his market. My perplexity is a bit on the philosophical side, though (as usual ). If what I enjoy is carving wood, I do not need to make prints with it. If I want to try making prints, I do not need to use wood if there is a more effective medium. See what I mean? Like using a hand tool instead of a power tool just to be true to traditional methods.

The real question, I think, is: we all know that lino is easier, but does wood produce a superior print if one is good enough to master the process? If no, using wood is just darksiding for the sake of it. If yes, does the cost of mastering the process justify the benefit of the superior result? Commercially it seems not to, as Silvio has worked out for himself, but one can do it just for the satisfaction of the achievement.

Edited to add: if one trusts Wikipedia, lino seems to be the way to go. Any thoughts?

[Claw Hama]

Being a woodie, I'm not interested in carving lino. Soemwhere up the posts I said that the Kauri gave a nice smooth print with zero wood texture which was nice but then when I used some Aust Red Cedar I also got some (what I thought) was beautiful Cedar wood grain texture which if you use it with the carving I thought was fantastic. I don't think carving lino would be (even if heated) would be easier than carving Kauri or Aust Red Cedar. Its about like carving chedar cheese, super easy, I am only using the little shot pen size carving tools. No big chisels or mallets. Of course you need some nice straight grain sections. The carving is pretty easy (I know I still to learn a lot) but getting or comming up with good contrasting designs that have impact is the harder part for me. Also drawing in relief, which I have adjusted to by using a black pad and a white pencil.
Anyway for me its just another aspect of woodwork and for that mater the paper is made of wood or rice so also close to wood.
If you just wanted to make perfect prints the lino would be cleaner although the Kauri is very good I found.

[underfoot]

Also drawing in relief, which I have adjusted to by using a black pad and a white pencil. .

great tip with the white on black Claw
and yep,..being a woodie it just wouldn't be a wood block print without the wood, would it

[Claw Hama]

Exactly Undie. If I was a plastics engineer or a print maker that would be cool I'm sure but for me its about the wood carving as much as the print. The wood blooks after inking and printing look better than the prints. They have a lot of character.

[Frank&Earnest]

Ok,ok, fine, I get your drift. Such a pity that you disown your beautiful bronzes, Undy, and that your prints will be devalued, Claw, because you will never have the strength to deface your beautiful blocks after the print run...

BTW, Wikipedia also tells me that traditionally the drawing, the carving and the printing were done by an artist, a carver and a printer... horses for courses?

[Claw Hama]

That was in the days before multi skilling, now we have the (well some of the) skills and the tools it's all up for grabs. Like Undie I am more than happy to do metalwork or whatever, but a "woodblock print" wouldn't be a woodblock print done with lino, its just "a print".
Deface the block, no, change it a bit yes.