[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking.

Baren Digest               Saturday, 27 June 1998       Volume 03 : Number 195

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From: Ray Esposito <brassring@brassring.org>
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 09:17:29 -0400
Subject: [Baren 1007] Re: Can you trust your children ... 

Dave wrote:
> _You_ smile like this  :-) 
> But a man with a beard smiles like this  :-)>  

But I smile like this :>)  Does that mean I have a bigger beard? 

Or as it grows toward my goal of having it reach my belly-button do I just
keep adding to my smile?  :>)>>>>

Cheers

Ray Esposito

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 08:14:30 -0700
Subject: [Baren 1008] Re: Can you trust your children ... 

Ray wrote
>But I smile like this :>)  Does that mean I have a bigger beard?

No it means you have a bigger nose. :<)

Graham

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 08:25:10 -0700
Subject: [Baren 1009] Re: Printmaking Biennial 

Ray wrote........which goes for me as well Roxanne.
>Welcome to baren, the friendiest group on the internet.  (And the
>wordiest.)  I hope to see some of your work soon.

And he wrote....
>Just look out for the jokes and remember, you can't trust these foreigners.

We call them Yank....eh.

Graham

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 08:41:11 -0700
Subject: [Baren 1010] Re: Phillips essay ... 

Dave wrote......
>These are scans of two prints side-by-side printed from an engraved
>block (the second scan is a close-up).

I tried several times to get there.
Has anybody else had problems?....eh

Graham

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 08:52:07 -0700
Subject: [Baren 1011] Re: Various recent posts ... 

Dave wrote (re: Art Gallery of Victoria).....
>Graham, what do they have there?  Do they have all his blocks?   I've
>very much wondered what happened to all those ...

No they don't have all of Walter Phillips blocks.  His daughter lives in
Victoria and I will be getting in touch with her some time.  The timing is
not good just now.  I will keep you posted.

>Printing on the most recent poet was finished last night ...   95 down ... 5 to go!

Nice feel eh Dave.
I have 10 lights to go.

Graham

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From: jimandkatemundie@juno.com (James G Mundie)
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 13:49:35 -0400
Subject: [Baren 1012] needlework,etc. 

Gayle wrote:

>The first question:  How deep do you needle, James?  

Hmmm.... I don't know precisely, I just know when it "feels" right.  But
that's not what you wanted to hear. 	
	The issue is often more about the width of your scratch than the
depth.  Depending on the consistency of your ink, even the most shallow
and inconsequential scratch will print as white. 
	How deep or closely one needs to scratch varies from board to
board and wood to wood.  If you are still using poplar, you will need to
be a bit more fierce than you would with pine.  
	No matter what, you will need to proof at some point to see if
you are getting the desired effect.
 

>My biggest question:  How do you proof without ruining the
>look of the block.  I found when I pulled a proof the block was
>so uncleanable and the needling so subtle, I lost my way to get
>back in there and do what needed to be done?  

Here's a chance for me to describe my block cleaning method!  	

	But first-- before you ink the block for a proof-- take an old
tooth brush and use that to gently brush away any stray fibers, dust, and
woodchips from the block.  Ink as usual, take your proof, and then... on
to the cleaning.	
	Many people make the mistake of splashing thinner over the block
in big pools.  My method uses a minimal amount of solvents, but takes
some care.  The key is that you don't want the scratches to soak up all
that thinner and ink.  
	Apply a small amount of thinner to a sheet of paper towel folded
in quarters.  Gently stroke the surface of the block with the towel.  
	As the first side of towel blackens, turn the it over and use a
clean side.  Repeat this with each clean side of the towel.  You will
probably need to prepare another paper towel, stroking the surface until
something of the color of the wood begins to come through the ink haze.  
	If you have drawn on the block with a permanent pen, those lines
will become visible again.  Hopefully, you will be able to see your
scratch marks as well; but you may need to turn the block at an angle to
the light to see them more clearly.   
	What you have now is a block with a bit of a stain.  I'm under
the impression that this "stain" helps prime the block from later
printings-- helping the block to accept the ink.  Set it aside for a day
or two to dry.  Then, go back in with your needle and make your
adjustments.

>I'm working on one now that I started last week and I'm wondering
>if it's ready, but I don't want to mess it up.  Do you varnish these,
>James (I mean after the razoring and needling, etc. and before you
>pull the first proof?)

I haven't varnished a block yet, but I may give Graham's method a whirl. 
It hasn't seemed necessary to me yet.

***
Dave wrote:

>Jim, please don't take this as a personal criticism, but I don't see 
>it that way.  

None taken. 

>Only if _nobody_ bought these things, would they stop ...

True, but that isn't going to happen.  I take solace in that my
contribution to this reprehensible practice was in the form of a loose
sheet from an unbound folio.   

>P.P.S.  Did you see that?!?   [Baren 1000] !!

I'm honored to have been the thousandth.  How many of those thousand
messages included a patented Graham Scholes one-liner, do you suppose?

***

Welcome to Baren, Roxanne.

Mise le meas,
James Mundie, Philadelphia USA

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From: julio.rodriguez@walgreens.com
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 12:58:59 -0600
Subject: [Baren 1013] The personal touch...... 

I was going over some of the earlier discussions from the start of Baren...and 
I guess I was re-reading some of the earlier threads and all the back & forth 
discussions of our infancy when it suddenly hit me..... What is it about 
woodblock printing
that attracts me so ?  More than other types of printing ? 

It is the personal touch ! 

Having a background on woodworking; I just love the whole process of selecting, 
preparing and digging (carving)  into that "blank page". The whole concept of 
preparing and mixing your paste and pigments, applying them by hand.....and 
then......using a baren (or baren-like tool) to inprint your work......just 
totally overwhelms me. No matter how careful you are....no two prints can be 
totally alike because of this personal touch!  And there lies the beauty of 
woodblock prints....but for the slighthest change in pigment-mixture and/or 
baren pressure can lead to subtle but still wonderful and amazing results.

Other printing processes use harsh-chemicals, cold-metallic plates, and 
heavy-powerful-space-hogging printing presses to have a technician replicate in 
minutes what probably takes days for a woodblock artist to create by hand. 
These other are fine processes in their own rights, but for me,  I will stay 
with traditional woodblocks and the personal touch and satisfaction  that they 
bring to me.

 JULIO.

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 12:45:22 -0700
Subject: [Baren 1014] Re: Can you trust your children ... 

Dave quoted a web site:
>>Authenticity is guaranteed by an embossed seal below the image and each
>>original print has a certificate of authenticity. The woodblock prints in
>>these editions are printed from the original blocks on an 1890s Golding foot
>>treadle printing press by YYYY and signed by him. Additionally, each
>>print is also signed by ZZZZ, daughter of XXXX.

I don't know why you eliminated the names of the people that are scamming
the public.  It certainly is not ethical and publishing names is the only
way to make it known of the dishonesty of persons.

This is being done by A.J Cassons Daughter here in Canada. They are not
woodblocks, but reproductions where it, A.J.'s work, and the signature look
like his on a quick glance. Some of the images have been altered to look
better and like his later work as this is the stuff that sell.  I
personally know a chap that comes to the drawing sessions in my studio that
was a retouch and dot etch artist, for the company, that produces the
stuff.

>>I especially like that comment 'No further editions will be produced'.
>>Anyway at least not until it's the grandchildren's turn ...

I can never happen here. The temptation of human nature been what it
is.....the ball peen hammer solves the problem. A little tap and presto.

Graham

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 12:51:21 -0700
Subject: [Baren 1015] Re: Phillips essay ... 

>I tried several times to get there.
>Has anybody else had problems?....eh

It OK guys.  I finally got in.

Graham

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From: Ray Esposito <brassring@brassring.org>
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 15:26:26 -0400
Subject: [Baren 1016] Re: Phillips essay ... <199806251647.BAA20914@ml.asahi-net.or.jp> 

Graham wrote:
>>These are scans of two prints side-by-side printed from an engraved
>>block (the second scan is a close-up).
>
>I tried several times to get there.
>Has anybody else had problems?....eh

I also couldn't get in but haven't had time to look further.

Cheers

Ray Esposito

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From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Sat, 27 Jun 1998 13:05:33 +0900
Subject: [Baren 1017] One-point Lesson ... 

Here is this week's 'One-point' lesson (contributed by David Bull)

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

(#11)  Reinforcing the 'kento' corner of the paper ...

Sometimes the figures we come across when reading about traditional
Japanese printmaking seem quite hard to believe.  Some Ukiyo-e prints of
beautiful women in multi-layered kimono were printed with three dozen or
more impressions; I have a set of blocks here in my shop for a print by
modern artist Okada Yoshio that took more than 90; and a recent TV
program here showed a large print being made that took more than 200
impressions ...

When one considers that the paper, Japanese 'hosho', is always in a damp
condition when being printed on, it seems beyond belief that it can
stand up to the punishment it receives during this long and involved
process.

But it stands up very well indeed, and provided it is allowed to rest
and 'breath' for at least a couple of hours between repeated printing on
any particular area of the sheet, it will accept all this punishment,
and more.

One particular spot on the sheet though, _does_ start to show wear from
repeated printing - the corner that is inserted into the 'kagi', the
L-shaped registration mark.  No matter how carefully the printer slips
the sheet into the mark, the moist and thus soft tip of the exposed
corner inevitably starts to become a bit battered. On prints containing
delicate registration, this can cause major problems towards the end of
the process.

The solution is simple - before starting the printing, even before
making the paper wet, apply a thin solution of clear nail polish to that
corner of the paper.  Don't brush on so much that the clear shape of the
corner is distorted; use just enough to give the paper adequate strength
to survive the repeated insertions into the registration mark.  The
paper will thus slip smoothly into the corner as many times as needed.  

What did they do in the old days before nail-polish was invented?  No
problem - a small dab of 'urushi' (Japanese lacquer) did the trick ...


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

Next week,  'Look at those nails!  Is he a woodblock printmaker, or a
guitar player? ...'

These 'One-point' lessons are being collected into a section in the
[Baren] Encyclopedia of Woodblock Printmaking.
http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/updates.html

Contributions from experienced printmakers for future 'One-pointers' 
are eagerly solicited.

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End of Baren Digest V3 #195
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