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Message 1
From: "Mike Lyon"
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 08:20:46 -0500
Subject: [Baren 30905] Re: Back to woodblock
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Dave wrote:
>I also noticed around the edges of the dark grays there is a darker
>outline as if extra ink held onto the edges of the cuts.
>
>Over here that's called 'tamari', and is usually indicative of too much
>'stuff' on the surface of the wood. You might try making a few very
>gentle light strokes across the surface of the block as the last step
>in the brushing process, with the brush held at an angle so just one
>edge of it sweeps across the wood; this also helps to reduce it
>somewhat.

I agree with Dave's comments, Nels, and here's another observation which may
help -- use a lighter hand on the baren for small areas and near edges!

Wood is mostly fiber-bundles which is how the trees move water and
nourishment from the earth to the leaves -- these fiber bundles are kinda
like long and tiny drinking-straws bundled up parallel to one another and
all glued together. In plank wood like we use for construction and most
woodblock printing, the surface of the plank is more or less parallel to the
length of the soda straws, so there are some solid areas where the sides of
the straws are planed off, and some hollows where the straws have been
opened by planning/sanding (open grain). Then ends of the tubes are much
more absorbent than the walls, and water and pigment can go right in -- like
straws, the fiber-bundles are flexible and can be compressed.

Moisture and pigment enter the end-grain of the wood at each of the cuts you
make during carving and can be squeezed back out near the surface when you
use your baren to print. In a flat area on the surface of the block, the
pressure from your baren is widely distributed, but at the edges, the same
'weight' of your hand on the baren generates much more pressure on the
smaller printing surface and a bit of extra water and pigment can be
squeezed out and into the paper -- so you have to go 'lightly' in thin
lines, small areas, and at the edges or you'll produce those dark outlines
no matter how carefully you brush out the block. You'll notice, too that
the outlines are strongest where you've cut across the grain and weak on
non-existent where you've cut with the grain.

-- Mike

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Message 2
From: "Mike Lyon"
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 08:32:53 -0500
Subject: [Baren 30906] RE: Back to woodblock
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Nels wrote:

>There are some minor carving corrections necessary, but I am more
>concerned about how the inks printed, mainly the blacks. It has a
>blotch appearance. Perhaps I used too much paste (methyl
>cellulose)?

Nels -- on the 'blotch' appearance -- looking at the larger image on your
link, it appears to me that there are several factors contributing to the
uneven pigment take-up -- first, your paper may not be quite soft enough
(not damp enough) to contact the block evenly (or it may not be of even
enough thickness throughout). Second, you may not have used sufficient
methyl cellulose (less paste makes a more granular print, more paste makes
pigment smoother, even more paste leaves 'brush marks' in the print).
Third, more pressure on baren is required to print larger areas and less for
smaller areas. Fourth, a printing brush with denser hair makes a quicker
and much more even application of pigment. Last, for the smoothest color,
usually several inkings and re-printings of the same block are required.

Good luck!

-- Mike

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

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Message 3
From: "Jean Womack"
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 12:52:22 -0700
Subject: [Baren 30907] print exchange reminders
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Who is sending out the reminders for the latest print exchange? I have started to depend on those email reminders, especially since I started smoking again, briefly and found Marlboros with the CA tax stamp on the bottom to be not very good, and lucky if I can remember the names of my family members after smoking one of those cigarettes, so now I am in the process of quitting once again. I hope this is relevant to printmaking.

Jean Womack

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Message 4
From: "Mindy Wilson"
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 16:13:55 -0600
Subject: [Baren 30908] I'm enjoying this woman's work--prints
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Hello, I thought I'd share this link. I really am enjoying this gal's work. Does anyone know her?


http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=10635

Mindy Wilson (I just got DSL and won't be getting in hot water anymore for plugging up my phone line)

http://mwilson.etsy.com

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Message 5
From: "Marissa "
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 18:16:07 -0400
Subject: [Baren 30909] Re: I'm enjoying this woman's work--prints
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I know her. I just traded for one of her prints. I can't wait to get it!

~marissa lee

www.mleefineart.com

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Message 6
From: "Eva Pietzcker"
Date: Fri, 19 May 2006 00:26:08 +0200
Subject: [Baren 30910] printing black and plywwod
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Dear Bareners.

Still being mainly a "lurker", I would like to ask two things to you. First - as Nels just wrote in his blog (congratulation Nels for the nice print!), he made the experience, like me, that printing black over grey in moku hanga often lightens the black. Did somebody made some other experience, maybe with strongly sized paper?

And - I found out that plywood is glued with glue containing formaldehyd and/or organic cyanat etc., which is harmful and, in theory, can cause cancer. Regarding the fact that during cutting or especially clearing the fibres can fly everywhere: Does anybody know details about that and the risks for people who are cutting a lot with plywood? I am working mostly with solid wood, but would like to know what to tell my students... Also, when working with cheap Chinese ink, I often noticed a very strong strange smell... what could that be? What about sumi ink, could there be any harm?

Thank you and greetings!!

Eva

-------------------------------------------
Eva Pietzcker

www.pietzcker.de

www.druckstelle.info
-------------------------------------------

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Message 7
From: "Mike Lyon"
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 17:50:37 -0500
Subject: [Baren 30911] RE: printing black and plywwod
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Eva wrote:
>Still being mainly a "lurker", I would like to ask two things to you. First
>- as Nels just wrote in his blog (congratulation Nels for the nice print!),
>he made the experience, like me, that printing black over grey in moku hanga
>often lightens the black. Did somebody made some other experience, maybe
>with strongly sized paper?
>

Dear Eva,

For me, printing black over gray (or gray over gray) darkens the black
unless the block is less damp than the paper, in which case the block can
absorb some of the moisture (and pigment) from the print. That is an effect
I occasionally use intentionally, but it is much easier to make over-printed
areas darker and darker and it is more difficult to make them lighter in my
experience. The stronger the paper sizing, the less absorbent the paper, so
I suppose that might make it easier for such offsetting of color from paper
to block to occur. (?)

I wouldn't worry about formaldehyde from plywood glues when hand carving (if
you want to really worry over this sort of thing MANY woods are quite toxic
and/or carcinogenic as well - try a google search for "wood toxicity") - the
dangers from these are mostly from inhalation of dust during day-in and
day-out machining with power tools, although certain aromatic woods can
cause a bit of dermatitis from long handling.

Sumi, I believe, is made from carbon and fish glue, so should be more or
less edible if you happen to suffer from some carbon pica. (LOL)!
Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it.

Best,

Mike

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

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