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

Baren Digest              Wednesday, 31 March 1999      Volume 06 : Number 509

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From: Cucamongie@aol.com
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1999 08:31:05 EST
Subject: [Baren 3782] Re: Maria's prints 

Hi all - just wanted to say I went to Maria's website yesterday & really
enjoyed the work - it looks great!  There's one drawing that particularly
stuck out in my mind - it looks like the person is sort of disappearing or
slipping into another universe or something like that - liked the prints too -
magnifico!
Best regards,
Sarah

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From: "David Stones" <stones@mb.i-chubu.ne.jp>
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 00:49:59 +0900
Subject: [Baren 3783] Re: Paste and Binders 

DearAll,

Are things getting a bit mixed up here? The binder made of that ox bone
glue (I call it nikawa) is mixed in the ink pot before it goes on to the
block. The (rice/whatever) paste is mixed with the ink on the block... to
confuse you further - I don't use the latter at all anymore... it gets in
the way of letting the block textures come out as they wish (ahhh! Dave B
has just jumped out in front of a 10-ton truck). No prints smear and the
once-dried colours will not run if water splashes on them. Don't know
if this is any help - but it works. Just mind how much water you mix or
don't mix with that glue though... and keep it in the fridge if you've any
leftover and want to use it again.

Dave S

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@home.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1999 13:17:42 -0800
Subject: [Baren 3784] Re: Paste and Binders 

Dave wrote....
>Are things getting a bit mixed up here? The binder made of that ox bone
>glue (I call it nikawa) is mixed in the ink pot before it goes on to the
>block. The (rice/whatever) paste is mixed with the ink on the block... to
>confuse you further - I don't use the latter at all anymore... it gets in
>the way of letting the block textures come out as they wish

I relate to this.  I use rice paste very sparingly if if want texture....it
works for me.
If the first truck misses Dave B the second one won't.

Graham

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From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 09:13:16 +0900
Subject: [Baren 3785] Re: alcohol ... 

Gayle wrote:
> Dave, when you say 50/50 what exactly is the amount per amount of
> pigment. 

There is no 'recipe' involved here.  The quantities don't matter at
all.  This alcohol/water solution that I mix with the powder pigments,
are simply for storage and preparation.

I use 99.99% ethyl alcohol, but I'm probably the only guy in the
traditional group here who does - the rest of them just use a slug of
whatever rotgut they are drinking at the moment.  O-sake is of course
the poison of choice most frequently.

The proportions you mentioned involve quite a bit too much liquid.  The
idea of keeping the pigment stored like this is twofold:

- - storing pigment in a moistened pasty form eliminates completely any
dust in the air.  I can breath freely knowing I'm not getting dangerous
stuff in my lungs.

- - it makes the blending of colours far far easier - adding another dab
of paste, which dissolves in the bowl instantly, is far easier than
grinding in a bit more dry pigment ...

So how much water/alcohol?  Just enough to turn the pile of dry powder
into a moist crumbly pasty texture.  A bit like crumbly flour when your
making a pie ...

***

Dave S wrote:
>  I don't use the latter (rice paste) at all anymore... it gets in
> the way of letting the block textures come out as they wish 

and Graham added:
>  I use rice paste very sparingly if if want texture....it works for me.

Yes yes ... but I didn't need to hear this - I can see it in the
prints.  (Please don't anybody get upset at my comments here - I'm not
being critical, simply 'descriptive')

In the tradition under which I work, the ideal was to try and get the
absolute smoothest colour one could.  When the 20th century rolled
along, and printmakers started to get 'artistic', they started to
produce many different textures with their pigments and blocks, most of
which are 'wrong' from the point of view of the old guys.  Dave S and
Graham are of course using such textures as part of their art.  Me, I'm
still learning how to do smooth colour.

I'm wiggling in my chair right now, knowing that I should get into the
next room to work on the carving for my next surimono, but also wanting
to put some prints under the scanner to try and show some of these
points ...  

Maybe just a _few_ minutes ...

(short break)

OK, check out:
http://woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/012_06/012_06.html

Now about those 10 ton trucks ...  You both missed me!

Dave

And _now_ it's time to get going on that surimono ...   Which reminds me,
there are some new shots of the work in progress hidden away at:

http://woodblock.com/surimono/1999/1999album.html

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From: "Daniel Kelly" <daniel@vowel.or.jp>
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 10:09:15 +0900
Subject: [Baren 3786] Re: alcohol ... 

Hi All,
I would just like to add to this discussion that the pigments I buy from
Karmer Pigments in NY are available in ready made water suspension pastes.
D

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From: Mariten@aol.com
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1999 11:24:30 EST
Subject: [Baren 3787] Re: Cork & woodguys & some answers 

Hi all,
I am floored by your reactions on my website; thank you for the encouragement.
To answer some of the comments made:
Graham wrote: Cork????? (maybe with one less "?"). I used cork as an
experiment, but ended up liking the shimmery/rough texture. Possibilities for
backgrounds on landscapes? It's easy/difficult to cut, translation: soft to
cut but it crumbles away unexpectedly, and "gives up" the ink readily. Don't
think it would work with water base inks because it may absorb all the water?
I'll experiment on that sometime.
Also, first time you entered the Drawings link, the Gallery link is exclusive
to printmaking, woodcuts first. I will add a link on the first page called
Latest Cuts in which to show my latest work. B&W stuff is very challenging for
me and I keep being drawn to it.
Dave and Dean asked about the woodguy1, actually called Out of the Wood I
No Photoshop involved. I made a very sketchy line drawing of a classic nude
model pose taken from a classic-nude-model-poses book. Pencil drawing right on
the block, which is birch plywood, 12x24. Then I attacked my drawing (gently)
straight with the V- and U-chisels without the guidance of the knife,
following the contours and giving the masses more weight where I needed. I
usually stain the block with diluted ink so I can see what I'm doing as I cut;
birch is very light-color, so the image comes to life readily and I need
little proofing, although as I improve I may get pickier and proof more often.
Just learning for now. I used brown ink on different papers, all with a tan
color; the one on the website is Arches tan.
The concept was born out of a passion for the human form and the precision of
line of topographic maps. Something about the modern? concept that the perfect
human form "has" to be precisely this way or that way.
As for the "different from earlier posts" comment from Dave. Yes, I wander
back and forth between exploring the strange imagery that rolls around in my
brain (woodguys, fat and happy), and the more straight forward showing-the-
beauty-of nature imagery. Sometimes I would even call it a struggle, but since
I have been away from the more modern-thinking university crowd I have been at
peace with my wanderings. I enjoy both and it's all me!
Thank you all for your wise thoughts (cracks, in Graham's case ; )
Health to all,
Maria

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End of Baren Digest V6 #509
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