[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Sunday, 26 July 1998 Volume 04 : Number 225 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Gary Luedtke Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1998 09:51:59 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1242] Woodblock Thoughts Dave, a magnificent carving, and I'm sure we are not seeing the half of it! The loss of resolution over the computer monitor I'm sure has subtracted many of the finer features of that block, so that we can only guess at what lies in the detail beyond our monitors. How will such a block be preserved? It appears to be in excellent shape for what, eighty years of age? What is the life expectancy of that block, kept under the most ideal conditions? A few other thoughts evolved from this. Would it ruin the block to make a casting of it? I know the thought challenges my sanity, but it would be an interesting way to "preserve" and share the block. Here's what led to that thought. Seeing the block reminded me of carving my father used to do. He created a series of collector's plates in which he carved walnut discs with relief scenes of the scenic county he lives in. After the carving was done, he applied a silicone release agent to the block, then brushed in latex molding rubber, into the fine detail and until the block was initially coated topwise. Then, having created a wall around the perimeter say, half an inch deep, he filled the remainder of the latex in which would later act as some body to the mold. When cured, he then peeled his mold off of the block, leaving it as before, with only a slight coating of silicone on it, which did not harm the wood. He then used this mold to pour WEP in to create his reproductions of the original block. These, when cured, looked exactly like the original block, down to the finest detail. He then stained and varnished these and sold them at local art galleries. (WEP incidentally is Water Extended Polyester) They have since improved that catalytic mixture as it's main defect was some shrinkage. A couple of ideas here are: to reproduce the block to preserve it in a way where many could admire it without risking the original's safety, and also the thought of "casting" blocks in some other material which would eliminate the normal expansion and contraction and sometimes warping of woodblocks, and use _those_ blocks for printing. I am not a carver or printer, so you could enumerate the dissenting views on this better than I. Just a thought. Now I understand you do not own the block and would never attempt any such thing on _this_ block, but the idea was theoretical for perhaps other blocks. Does anyone in Baren know of experimentations like this? For long run editions, this would mean no shrinkage, and if in the course of printing, damage or wear occurred to the block, another one exactly like it could be placed into service without having to recarve it. In fact, such a block as Dave's "Goyo" could have been set aside in "mint" condition, and the clones could have been used to do the work. I'm not sure how critical the block's absorption is in printing, and perhaps that would be one drawback, and there may be others, but it was an interesting thought to speculate on. Nice job, Dave, now I expect some of my future blocks to look like that! Gary Luedtke KC ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1998 08:27:18 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Baren 1243] Re: Woodblock dreams ... Dave, I was trying to access http://www.woodblock.com/images/goyo.jpg image and get a window that states File Not found. Just wondered if there was a broken link. It would be lovely to look at close ups of the woodblock image in relationship to the plates. It is quite amazing the way in which the carver has overlayed the hairs removing the material in such critically small areas. I had often seen this on prints in the Victoria Art Gallery and had it figured that there were two plates to acheive the effect. Most enlightening. Having seen the detail in the close up of http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/002_05/images/eye2.jpg I am confused. Let me explain if I can. Opposite the eye are several hairs that are horizontal with the many vertical hairs that look to go behind. The question and confusion is this. The carving looks like a relief and the images looks as if the horizontal hair is higher - (because of the shadow along the bottom of the horizontal hair). If this is the case how can it be printed and not have a white space in the printing under the higher horizontal line. I have another. You have written bottom of page http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/002_05/002_05_frame.html >These wisps of hair fade >away into invisibility - and >not a single scratch >remains on the surface of >the wood to show where >the knife finished each >stroke ... If the carver used a very small Komasuki tool instead of a knife there would be no tell tale knife marks. Is it possible the gouge was used for these wisps of hair. I sure would love to see these works of art. Truly mind boggling. No rush to reply here. I know you have another print to do. (Then there will be 4). Graham ------------------------------ From: Sheryl Coppenger Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1998 13:10:28 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [Baren 1244] Re: Rollers Matt Brown wrote: > Someone, Andrea?, mentionned using kerosene to clean rollers. I have wondered > about this. Could it be kerosene is not so good for rollers, and a roller plate > wash is better? I have used both, wondering . . .. Anybody know? I don't know, but just a data point. We use rubber rollers with oil-based inks at school and clean up with lithotine (a boiled turpentine which has less odor and supposedly is a little safer than gum turpentine). Those rollers have lasted for years. I've never seen/used anything made especially for the purpose and am curious about that. Sheryl Coppenger ------------------------------ From: jimandkatemundie@juno.com (James G Mundie) Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1998 15:24:50 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1245] more about brayers, and other topics Gayle wrote, concerning Speedball brayers: >What happens to [the brayers] that you recommend discarding them after a >couple years. Am I missing something important about brayers? I find that after a number of years that the texture of the surface goes through a number of changes. With the hard rubber rollers, they seems to be prone to denting, chipping, warping and pitting after a number of years. The soft rubber rollers (my favorite) can harden over time and acquire an unwanted texture from the gradual build up of that final bit of ink residue that refuses to be cleaned away. I imagine it is all relative to many different factors-- temperature, binders, solvents, etc. Because the Speedball brayers are so inexpensive, I like to replace the primary brayer every couple of years. I usually hold on to the "retired" brayers in case I have need of them. As Andrea said, the small size of these brayers can be a problem. For large woodcuts, I prefer a roller with a 3 inch or more diameter. Its easier to get an even coating of ink with a larger diameter roller, as the roller will cover a larger surface before needing to be re-inked *** Jeanne wrote: >I notice that when I put my dampened paper between blotters, the water >seems to sit on top in beads. It is hard to get it just right for printing. >I am using my favorite Rives for this and smooth blotters. I have never >tried to use the rough blotters. Could this be the problem? I think this is a sizing issue. I assume you are soaking the Rives (BFK? Lightweight?) in a pan as you would to prepare the paper to print an etching. It may be that you are not soaking the paper long enough... the water hasn't had a chance to break down the sizing and properly moisten all the fibers. When you remove the paper to the blotters, are you using a rolling pin to extract the excess moisture? *** Re: "woodblock dreams" I seem to be missing a sock. If anyone finds it, let me know. Wow. That block truly deserves to be preserved for all eternitity as an example of the higest quality carving. You are a lucky man, Dave, to have it your home for unlimited gazing and study. Mise le meas, James Mundie, Philadelphia USA ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1998 12:50:31 +0900 Subject: [Baren 1246] Re: Woodblock dreams Thanks everybody, for the enthusiastic feedback, both here on the forum and privately. I'll certainly be letting Saeki-san hear about your comments. Graham wrote: >I was trying to access http://www.woodblock.com/images/ .. goyo.jpg The link on that image is now fixed. Sorry about that! I was just in too much of a hurry to get that stuff uploaded to stop and check it properly. >Having seen the detail in the close up of >http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/002_05/images/eye2.jpg I am >confused. ... >The carving looks like a relief and the >images looks as if the horizontal hair is higher ... I went back to the block to check this Graham, and also took another photo, in a bit of a different light angle. There is no difference in the heights of those hairs. A couple of the hairs _do_ fall a bit short of meeting the crossing line, and that's where a bit of the shadow effect comes from. http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/002_05/images/eye3.jpg will perhaps show it a bit better ... (I'm gradually learning how to use that new Sony camera I picked up last week, specifically for shooting this block. That thing will zoom in so close I expect to see bacteria popping up in the viewfinder!) >If the carver used a very small Komasuki tool instead of a knife there >would be no tell tale knife marks. Is it possible the gouge was used for >these wisps of hair. I don't think so. The side of each hair clearly shows the flat shape characteristic of a knife, not a gouge. It's just that he gradually 'pulled back' the pressure on the knife as he went down towards the end of each hair, and by the time he got to the end, the blade was just cutting through thin air ... *** Gary wrote: >How will such a block be preserved? It appears to be in excellent shape >for what, eighty years of age? What is the life expectancy of that block, >kept under the most ideal conditions? Who knows? If it is kept away from too much moisture, it shouldn't suffer much at all. How long do pieces of wood last? Certainly some hundreds of years, I should think ... >Would it ruin the block to make a casting of it? I don't know much about the casting idea, but back a hundred years or so ago, in the golden age of wood engraving, it was very common to make metal 'blocks' from a wood engraved original (stuff engraved on end grain wood with a burin ...). This was done either to allow multiple printing presses to be used at the same time, or else to allow printing more copies than could be taken from the wooden original before it wore out. I understand that it was frequently done with freshly carved blocks, with the resulting metal plates (blocks?) being used to do the printing, and the original being pretty much discarded ... I don't have the details of how this was done in front of me at the moment, but I think it was some kind of electroplating process ... Hmmmm ... Have to give this some thought ... *** Jeanne wrote about mildewed paper ... You will find a summary of viewpoints on how to treat your damaged prints in the Encyclopedia page at: http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/002_qa/002_qa.html Which is best? Who knows ... *** Nice to see the Encyclopedia logbook shows that people are going crazy with the new Yoshida book. Probably more people have looked at that book in the last 24 hours, than in the last 24 years ... *** Those of you who are waiting for your mug to appear on the 'Who is Baren' page, please hang on a bit longer. I'm in the middle of printing #96 at the moment. Sumi last night ... colours starting as soon as I wrap up this email ... Anybody got any suggestions for a good colour combination this month? Dave ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V4 #225 ***************************