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

Baren Digest             Wednesday, 14 October 1998     Volume 05 : Number 312

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From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1998 07:52:42 +0900
Subject: [Baren 1867] Inks ... 

Mario wrote (off-list):
>Do you have ink recipes for printmaking? How much rice paste for
>gouache? Do I need anything but pigment and rice paste for printing ink?
>I have been taught to use speedball inks and they have weak pigment.

It would be nice to be able to point you to the 'Pigment' section of the
Encyclopedia, but as that hasn't been written yet ...

'Inks' used for woodblock printmaking fall into two very general
categories:

water based 
oil based

(I have personally always felt that the term 'ink' was only used for
oil-based products - printing inks such as those used with printing
presses, etc. - but it seems as though I am a bit out-of-line there ... 
Water-based 'inks' are becoming more popular, it seems.)

For your question: 'Do you have ink recipes for printmaking?' I can
_partly_ answer it.


Water-based - simplest method:
- - some tube watercolour squirted into a dish
- - a cup of simple white paste (rice, wheat, etc.)
- - Dab some of each onto the lightly moistened wood surface, mix and
spread out with a brush, take the impression (usually by hand with a
baren).


Water-based - simple Japanese method
- - some powdered pigment
- - a cup of simple white paste ...
- - grind the pigment in water (with a touch of alcohol for some pigments
that don't 'dissolve' well)
- - (optional) add a touch of gum arabic (or liquid gelatin) to thicken if
necessary (also helps keep pigment particles in suspension)
- - Apply both pigment and paste to the lightly moistened wood surface,
mix with a brush, take the impression (usually by hand with a baren).


A press is not (usually) used for these methods because during the time
that the block and paper are being 'set up' in the press, the pigment
coating will dry out.  For press work, one usually uses oil-based ink,
as this will 'sit' for a while without drying out.


As for the next part of the answer - the 'recipies' for oil-based inks -
they will have to come from another [Baren] member.  I've never used
them so it would be silly of me to try and describe their use here ...


Dave B.

By the way, welcome to [Baren] Mario.  Please pop up and introduce
yourself sometime ...


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From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 18:21:11 -0500
Subject: [Baren 1868] re: Tomikichiro Tokuriki 

For those interested, I have posted in my web-site an essay/interview taken
of Mr. Tokuriki back in the 1950's. He touches briefly on our current
discussion topic  of art vs. technique....and on his early days learning
printmaking. I remember some members indicating that they had studied with
Mr. Tokuriki, (Daniel & Richard ? or what is it Dave S. ?).

Is under the "Prints" section at:
http://www.skokienet.org/skyouth/syjcrp1.html

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From: Matthew.W.Brown@VALLEY.NET (Matthew W Brown)
Date: 13 Oct 98 22:22:13 EDT
Subject: [Baren 1869] Address 

Gayle,
	I want to send you a copy of my little book, but can't find your
address! Can you send?

Matt

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From: Matthew.W.Brown@VALLEY.NET (Matthew W Brown)
Date: 13 Oct 98 22:37:13 EDT
Subject: [Baren 1870] Computers 

Baren,
	Oops! Are not mistakes and errors our greatest teachers.? Moments ago I
had thought to send a personal post to Gayle W., but  on my new and faster Mac
machine I was traveling at way too fast a rate of speed, and used the wrong
address. How to learn to go slow with 'right direction' on these amazing
machines? Is this not an example of the nature of the tool (the technique)
affecting the form of the result (the art)?

Matt

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End of Baren Digest V5 #312
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