[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Saturday, 28 November 1998 Volume 05 : Number 357 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Fri, 27 Nov 1998 10:22:08 -0500 Subject: [Baren 2213] Re: Baren Digest V5 #356 Happy Birthday, Baren, my refuge and school! Gayle Wohlken ------------------------------ From: Wanda Robertson Date: Fri, 27 Nov 1998 11:27:23 -0700 Subject: [Baren 2214] Re: Happy Birthday! Yes, Happy Birthday Baren! And may there be many more. I feel like I've found a home here, with other artist/craftsmen and a fountain of inform- ation. Thanks to all of you! I'm really looking forward to the coming year of Baren participation. Wanda ------------------------------ From: Roger Ball Date: Fri, 27 Nov 1998 14:26:47 -0700 Subject: [Baren 2215] Thanks! Baren: Thanks to all for the helpful and encouraging comments about my latest cut. I've been able to do a little more work on it and feel a little better about the "clean-ness" of the print. Still have at least two more blocks to go. Carving! In regard to Julio's questions: The gradation was a happy experiment printing the background block twice; once with blue and once with the two-color gradient. While I think I need to practice the technique more, I like the way it looks and while it only adds one more impression, I get much better color. Believe it or not, the village print is from an original design that I came up with while speaking to an artist friend on the phone. You'll find the final art for it at: http://www.inquo.net/~beckorro/woodcut/vill4b.jpg Many of the "lines" shown on the final art aren't cut into the block yet. I have several scans of other stages available; if you would like to see them, I will happily post or send at your request. The sketch went through about twenty iterations to get to a design that I thought I could cut. I did it on walnut and its hardness is what allowed me to get that level of detail. The print is nine impressions from a single block. The "woman swimmer" cloud is unitentional and I must admit that it took me awhile to see it. As to the "guy" inside the window--he isn't there on the block. It's just the way I shaded the window...and the "guy" was pointed out to me later as being "really cool." "the white area next to him...equate to the sun outside"?? Well, I know what you are saying and the answer in 'no,' however, that yellow blob in the upper right is meant to be a stylized _moon_...but most viewers have failed to interpret it that way. I think I have some very difficult shading problems to overcome later when I _really_ start printing it. The print you see out there is one of eight that have ever been printed from the block and I still don't know if I am happy with the result. We'll see if I can do better with it after the exchange when I'm sure I'll be more likely to give it the time it needs. Many thanks to all again. Joy-- - -Roger http://www.inquo.net/~beckorro/woodcut/woodcut.htm ------------------------------ From: Becky or Roger Ball Date: Fri, 27 Nov 1998 18:59:14 -0700 Subject: [Baren 2216] Paste and question I believe Julio wanted to know what other people are using for paste. The only recipe that I could ever get to work reliably is Matt Brown's 2/3 cup water to tablespoon of rice flour described in the Baren encyclopedia. What I would like to know is how many out there print standing up at the kitchen counter? I have figured out that I need to raise my board up about 8" to do this comfortably. Have others come up with other solutions? Cheerio, - -Roger ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V5 #357 ***************************