[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Tuesday, 31 March 1998 Volume 02 : Number 111 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Blueman Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 08:50:19 -0500 Subject: [Baren 520] Re: Baren Digest V2 #110 Baren, Since I receive the Baren as a digest, I'm among those who are last to receive the postings, so James, I'm glad you're here even if it's a day late. I have just looked at your artwork (as well as the rest of the work in the CAN gallery). You have a lot to tell everyone. Your portraits are amazing. I'm so new here myself, I feel awkward giving you the kind of welcome the seasoned Baren members can; please share how you achieved those sensitive results, the shadings and nuances reminiscent of paintings. Gayle Wohlken ------------------------------ From: April Vollmer & John Yamaguchi Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 09:08:28 -0400 Subject: [Baren 521] Re: Out of Print! Dave, I love the idea of putting up out of print books! I found Toshi Yoshida and Rei Yuki's 'Japanese Print-Making' to be extremely helpful, with clear illustrations. I still refer to it often: I have a xeroxed copy. I think hanga is best studied with someone who has done it, but that book is a big help. I'm sure you have more treasures, too! Also enjoyed Matt's improvements on his page: looks very nice! Good scans, nice clear pictures! I must confess my web skills are mimimal. I have been doing the images for my page in Photoshop, but depend on my brother to put them up. Must learn! One correction: it's McClain's printmaking supplies (not McLain's). A great resource for tools. Call 800-832-4264 for a catalogue. April Vollmer ------------------------------ From: jimandkatemundie@juno.com (James G Mundie) Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 15:01:49 -0500 Subject: [Baren 522] C.A.N. address, Dave's request to share previous information For anyone else that might have been having trouble accessing the Creative Artists Network site, you might have more luck with: http://www.libertynet.org:80/~canart/jmunde_a.html That should allow you to bypass all of the introductory C.A.N. material and take you directly to my three pieces. Many thanks to Dave for his advice yesterday on how to navigate the site. Dave asked me to relate some of a previous conversation that I had with him: >How did you get the varoius greys? Multiple blocks? I'am afraid that I haven't been able to retrieve my original reply, but I will do my best to duplicate that information for the rest of you: The woodcuts that I am producing now are cut with a razor blade (the single-edge industrial type one uses in paint scrapers) into the plank side of a pine board. Many people think that pine is too soft to hold up to the intricate cutting and the rigors of printing, but if handled properly the board will do what you ask of it. I find that white or "clear" pine are best for my purposes (yellow pine is a bit too resinous and sticky for my liking) due to it's homogenous strenghth through the grain and pleasing texture (which nicely complements the texture of human skin in my portaits). I then roll the block up with ink and use a spoon to transfer the ink onto various types of mulberry paper. [Although the woodcuts on the C.A.N. site have a purplish cast, they are actually printed with one block in a graphite-coloured ink onto buff kitikate paper.] I have been experimenting with various ways to achieve the even tonal qualities one gets more easily in etching, painting or drawing (or washes for those of you using Japanese colour techniques). I have acheived some marked success through a combination of close and intricate cutting, stippling with an etching needle, and brushing the surface of the board to reveal its grain. For larger works, I often employ the use of a soft copper-wire to expose the grain; lately, though my work is rather small (in the neighborhood of 4in x 9in) and I've found that a sewing needle stuck into the eraser end of a pencil is very effective for picking out and highlighting small areas. I'm working on a portrait of a friend right now in which I'm combining the brushing technique and scraping with the flat edge of the razor to expose the grain further. The anal-retentive aspect of my character finds this most appealing. At one time I found myself fighting the character of the wood. My work was decidely more linear at the time, and I found the wood's texture, scratches, knot holes, etc. to be most annoying. I thought perhaps linoleum would be the way to go, but it felt creepy and unnatural (one shouldn't have to keep running a blow-dryer over his cutting surface). [If there is anyone out there who swears by linoleum, I don't mean to offend. Lino is good for some affects but entirely too limiting (not to mention, nearly impossible to clean) in my experience.] I persevered with wood and in time came to appreciate the unique qualities of every board, and began to accept its contributions to my prints. I've become a firm believer that a woodcut should and must impart something of the wood from which it came. I don't go so far as to "ask the wood what it wants to be," as a former instructor suggested, but I do allow the wood to make some of my decisions as to the final appearance of the print. Enough of my prattle for the moment. Mise le meas, James Mundie, Philadelphia PA ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 20:03:58 +0900 Subject: [Baren 523] Re: James' prints Jim Mundie wrote: > The woodcuts that I am producing now are > ... cut with a razor blade ... > ... stippling with an etching needle ... > ... a soft copper-wire to expose the grain ... > ... a sewing needle stuck into the eraser end of a pencil ... Gee it's great to hear about these techniques! I know I shouldn't be bugging you about this so soon - but I'd _love_ to have a page in the Encyclopedia showing this sort of thing. I'd really like to have the thing show a wider focus than just the Japanese stuff. If you ever have a few days when you've 'just got nothing to do ...'? These techniques are very new to me - have you worked these out by yourself, or are there other people working this way as well? And may I ask - what does 'Mise le meas' mean? I thought I wasn't too bad at recognizing latin roots, but you've got me on this one ... Mise ... misery ... miserable ... miserly ... Meas ... measure ... Be miserly about measuring ... Perhaps it's a motto for a bartender! ***** Speaking of the Encyclopedia, another new page went up this evening. It's in the tools section, and is a simple page describing my carving tool 'collection' (with photographs). Nothing new for most of you I think, but perhaps those weird people who use razor blades and needles can see how it _should_ be done ... (That's a joke, James ... James? Jim? ... Where did he go?) Dave ------------------------------ From: Matthew.W.Brown@VALLEY.NET (Matthew W Brown) Date: 31 Mar 98 06:55:12 EST Subject: [Baren 524] Questions Baren, Dave, Could you describe a bit about the labels and cases for prints I have noticed you referring to here and there? Would you call these portfolios?Am curious if anyone else also has tried presenting prints in portfolios. Also, would anyone wish to comment on storing prints, and how they 'keep it all organized'? On web images. I am not doing the web-site work myself. My friend John and I scanned "The Studio" print on his equipment. (He does this web-work full-time.) Other images came off a CD. (All I have at my house is an old SE!). If I want to look at stuff on the Web I go to our local library. So James, it will be some time before I get a chance to visit your stuff on the web. But welcome! I'm curious about your 'raising the grain', with wire brush? And the soft copper wire? What are you doing with this, and how? (Perhaps you can compose a bit more about this for Baren and Dave can take it and put it on the 'Pedia.) Matt ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V2 #111 ***************************