[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Thursday, 15 April 1999 Volume 07 : Number 528 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: April Vollmer/John Yamaguchi Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 22:32:17 -0400 Subject: [Baren 4018] Understatement of the week Grahm, thank you so much for the supply list. One of the big problems with hanga workshops is figuring out how to get people the right tools. It is worthwhile to get good tools, but of course that's only true if the participant in question is planning to continue. Thank you for sharing your info, you are absolutely more organized than I am! But I have other compensating qualities! Gayle, I think McClain's Japanese curved-bevel chisels (soainomi?) are probably the best quality. They are two kinds of steel bonded together, and sharpen to a razor edge. Woodcut requires a slightly different toolkit from other kinds of carpentry, so you might be safer sticking with tools that are designed for this kind of cutting. Get the biggest you can afford if you are working more than 12" wide. All are very useful. And as Grahm pointed out, a mallet is not necessary for shina. And Ruth, thank you so much for the compliments on my website! Hanga has been a revelation to me. After many years of printmaking, I've found it to give the best color, the best registration and the most subtle effects (bokashi, embossing, layering). But it is sort of difficult to learn. (Understatement of the week.) I have seen hanga printed on a press. If the print is quite large with lots of big areas of color, it might be worthwhile. But generally it is much faster and more efficient to print with a baren. Once you get used to it, a press seems very clumsy and slow! Inking (especially rolling up a big mess of oily ink on a huge sheet of glass), carrying the plate over to the press, lining it up, putting the blankets down, turning the crank through, lifting the blankets, and removing the plate again to carry it back to your inking table. The whole operation would take seconds with a baren! (Though I must say the biggest drawback is scale, the color will starts to dry much quicker, so it gets much more difficult to print as you increase scale, my biggest is 3 feet, and that was a challenge.) I remind new members (Judy?) that the Baren Digest is a delight. Just one e-mail a day is so much easier. But don't forget to delete your quotations, it's still a lot to read! April Vollmer ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 19:14:08 -0700 Subject: [Baren 4019] Re: various ... Dave wrote.... >Buried in work this week ... doing 200 (+10%) copies of the newest >surimono print, and it's 20 (or maybe 21) impressions ... Doesn't >leave a whole lot of time for email ... Great scott.....your arms must just be a blurr rr rr with the activity. Graham ------------------------------ From: "Gregory D. Valentine" Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 19:17:44 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Baren 4020] gscholes materials list Graham, I was looking at your materials list; I think I understand the uses of most of the items, but what is a rug hug, and how do you use one? - --GV ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 19:28:43 -0700 Subject: [Baren 4021] Re: Baren Digest V7 #526 >British Columbia Lighthouse etc. internet address: My site is http://www.members.home.net/gscholes/ newest work at http://www.members.home.net/gscholes/ConcertRussian.html Blah blah blah about the new work at http://www.members.home.net/gscholes/studioexhib.html enjoy Graham ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 20:20:28 -0700 Subject: [Baren 4022] Re: gscholes materials list >Graham, I was looking at your materials list; I think I understand the >uses of most of the items, but what is a rug hug, and how do you use one? >--GV Ha ha..... I am I going to have fun with this or what. I will be glad to tell all after the workshop.! ! Graham ------------------------------ From: Sherpsm@aol.com Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 23:38:12 EDT Subject: [Baren 4023] Re: the size matter (ha ha) Sarah Thanks for digging out the sizing info from Daniel Smith. Joe ------------------------------ From: "Bea Gold" Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 21:04:43 -0700 Subject: [Baren 4024] Printing with water based paints? Hi April - I am interested in knowing if printing with water based colors can be done on a press - I know I can do small prints by hand (even then who knows how long) but can I do beautiful water paints on a press? Loved reading Grahams list for his workshop and wondered how different it will be from yours. Is it? I am so looking forward to August and my first Elderhostel and especially working with you - only one catch - I will have knee replacement surgery probably in May and just wish there will be no reason to keep me from going. Bea Gold ------------------------------ From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 08:23:30 -0400 Subject: [Baren 4025] Re: Baren Digest V7 #527 David Stones, thanks for the information about the mallet. I went ahead and ordered one yesterday from Japan Woodworker (a small one) and I'm now glad I did after reading what you had to say about them. The price was decent, I thought. I also ordered a bullnosed chisel. The reason I'm so interested in these is I noticed Dave Bull's cleaned-out areas on his blocks (as shown in photos in the Encyclopedia) and he said this was from using a chisel. I have some tiny chisels, but they don't do the job the way I like, and I spend a lot of time with q-tips desmudging the blank areas. * * * Graham, your new print is quite exciting to me. I can't believe how well you did the musicians at such a small size. You did this on basswood? I should think the grain of the wood would give you some problems, no? I shouldn't even have asked that, but I know the trouble I have in doing small details. The musicians look really musical. Gayle ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V7 #528 ***************************