Today's postings

  1. [Baren 45408] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification (Blog Manager)

Digest Appendix

Postings made on [Baren] members' blogs
over the past 24 hours ...

Subject: One small step for a man ...
Posted by: Dave Bull

... one large step for Mokuhankan!

What with all the new projects going on here recently, we're running into a real space problem. The four levels of this building are all now pretty much crammed with stuff, and not 'stuff' as in 'junk', 'stuff' as in tools, materials, prints, and blocks!

And now with the very large project for building the wooden cases for Dave's subscription prints building up to a climax, the situation is critical. The other day, when we had to do the first testing of the setup for varnishing those cases, we had to do it outdoors ... in the rain!

What to do?

Well, have a look at these photos ... Here's a photo taken this morning, showing one corner of the downstairs workroom:

(entry continues here ...)

This item is taken from the blog Mokuhankan Conversations.
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Subject: The miracle of the mask
Posted by: Elizabeth Busey



I am often asked "what is a reduction print?" A reduction print is where one block is used for the print (instead of carving a block for each color.) After each layer of ink is printed, some more of the block is carved away. I like this method because it is easier for me to register the work and it creates complex and surprising colors. Plus my work is large enough that carving a block for each color would definitely give me carpal tunnel.

Elizabeth Busey, Coming of the Zephyr. Linoleum Reduction Print, 15 x 24in, 2012.


The problem arises when the block is almost completely carved away. You can see to the right that very little of the block for Coming of the Zephyr remains. Even with a small brayer, it is nearly impossible to only ink the raised parts. Some ink gets on the lower carved away part, and sadly this does show up on print. The time spent carefully wiping the stray ink is frustrating.

I learned a solution to this problem from Karen Kunc, a printmaker from the University of Nebraska. She showed us how create a stencil using brown kraft paper. Simply print the block onto the paper, and then carefully cut out around the printed areas. I like to reinforce the areas with clear packing tape before I cut. With the stencil over the block, no ink gets on the part of the block that is carved away. 


I used a related stencil for my print Vernal Paradox.

[Long item has been trimmed at this point. The full blog entry can be viewed here]

This item is taken from the blog The World in Relief.
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