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

Baren Digest              Saturday, 18 April 1998      Volume 03 : Number 131

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From: Blueman <blueman@pantek.com>
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 09:15:48 -0400
Subject: [Baren 651] Re: Baren Digest V3 #130 

Baren,

Emil asked:
>  Actually, I'd just like to know that I'm 
> not moving to God's Printmaking Wasteland.

Emil, my sister lives in L.A. and her son is involved in art and
probably knows where to start looking for places to go for printmaking.  Give me
a few days to check it out for you.  She isn't hooked up to the Internet
so I'll have to call.  

Gayle Wohlken

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From: Ray Esposito <brassring@brassring.org>
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 09:42:22 -0400
Subject: [Baren 652] Re: Baren Digest V3 #129 -Reply 

Emil wrote:
>Actually, I'd just like to know that I'm not moving to God's Printmaking
>Wasteland.

Emil

L.A. is a printmaker's paradise with many open studio opportunities.  I
would first check out the major museums for leads, then the art departments
of UCLA and USC.  I am sure Gayle will be able to help.  Don't worry about
moving to "God's Printmaking Wasteland".  That title is reserved for
Central Florida.

Good luck.  

Cheers

Ray Esposito

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From: Phil Bivins <pbivins@mindspring.com>
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 13:49:35 -0400
Subject: [Baren 653] Re: video....rewind 

I too would like to confirm Ray's suggestion concerning "Japanese Woodcut
Workshop" video. If you knew nothing about woodcut, by the time you
finished viewing the video you would have a pretty good idea as what to
expect. 

Phil

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From: April Vollmer & John Yamaguchi <jy6@columbia.edu>
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 16:12:07 -0400
Subject: [Baren 654] Re: Why I love Linnaeus  

My framer says that what we call 'poplar' a greenish wood with a little more
grain than what I call basswood, is actually a tuliptree. Tuliptree=Yellow
Poplar or (Liriodendron tulipifera)( eastern US, one of the largest eastern
hardwoods) to be accurate! it warps more than bass, which I think is the
same as shina.

American Basswood (Tilia americana) (northeast US) is a type of LINDEN
(valued as a shade and ornamental tree and for the flavor of it's honey). I
believe that it is this wood or some related basswood that is shipped to
Japan to be made into plywood for our shina ply...very white, very little
grain.

In England the usage is different... poplars are plane trees...that's why
we love Linnaeus!

Dave: I LOVE the list of woodcut printmakers! To replace my question marks:
the paper for that particular print is Stonehenge, though now I usually use
kizuki hanga...Stonehenge is great for proofing, but swells and shrinks too
much for editioning. My wood is shina ply...Have some cherry blocks I'll
try someday....and my pigment is pigment! I mix pigment with a little gum
arabic and glycerine to make a crude sort of watercolor, and add calcium
carbonate to make gouache.

I'd like to see who printed the prints, if they are printed by the artist,
and if they are editioned! I guess that info isn't in our web pages....I
didn't have time to check the collaborations pages...my connection keeps
dropping!  Thank you, Dave, I'm amazed again!

Very clever the way you copied up images from our websites!!!

P.S. Can I be on the video list, too??? Maybe I can find a Japanese friend
to translate...

April Vollmer

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From: David Bull <davebull@asahi-net.email.ne.jp>
Date: Sat, 18 Apr 1998 21:10:38 +0900
Subject: [Baren 655] 'One-point' lessons ... 

A new 'feature' on the [Baren] Discussion Forum - the weekly (?)
'One-point' lesson.  

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

(#1) Using 'nagura' on the blocks ...


Many printmakers working in modern styles like to use the grain of the
wood as part of their print designs. A plank of wood usually has
alternating hard and soft sections formed by the growth rings of the
tree. These retain and release water and pigments in different ways, and
thus can show up as patterns in the final print.

What to do though, if such patterns are unwanted? The first step is
obviously to select the wood with care when planning the print, but what
to do once the carving is finished, and a wood grain pattern starts to
appear in a place where it will spoil the print?

Printers working in the traditional Japanese style have developed a way
of dealing with this problem - wood grain is almost never used as part
of the design in such prints, and it must be eradicated when it arises.
The problem is particularly acute when printing the skin colour on
faces, etc.

The solution is to use the 'nagura' - the auxilary stone used for
dressing the main sharpening stones, and for raising 'mud' for
sharpening. It has enough 'grit' to cut away the hard surface of the
grain rings, but not enough to scratch the block. Select a piece of
'used' nagura - with a smooth and flat bottom, not a new piece with an
irregular shape.

Thoroughly moisten the wood surface that is causing problems, and start
to rub the nagura over the area. Mud will start to form as you rub in
small circles. Continue to apply water as needed to help the stone
'slide' over the wood surface. Be careful not to allow the stone to wear
heavily in any one area, but keep it moving around. The idea is not to
'grind' the surface lower, but just to take the 'hardness' off those
grain rings.

A minute or so should do it. Wash off the mud, wipe the block clean, and
return to the printing. 

(contributed by David Bull)

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

Next week - Printer Matsuzaki Keizaburo describes how he makes 'bokuju'
('sumi juice').

These 'One-point' lessons are being collected into a section in the
[Baren] Encyclopedia of Woodblock Printmaking.
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~xs3d-bull/baren/encyclopedia/updates.html

Contributions from experienced printmakers for future 'One-pointers' 
are eagerly solicited.  The pay is no good, but you will earn the
satisfaction of knowing that you are helping 'spread the word' about
this wonderful craft.

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End of Baren Digest V3 #131
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