Baren Digest Wednesday, 14 March 2001 Volume 14 : Number 1353 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "April Vollmer" Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 08:45:48 -0500 Subject: [Baren 13835] Austin, Texas charset="iso-8859-1" Maria, don't forget to OIL your new baren with mineral oil on a felt pad. That will keep it rolling smoothly. Also a sheet of glassine helps it run over the back of printing paper without catching. You missed a fabulous time at the Southern Graphics Council meeting in Austin last weekend. 800 printmakers from all over the country were there. So everywhere you turned, on the elevator, in the bus, folks were having those chats you think only happen in the dark recesses of a printshop. LOTS of bareners were there...I shared a room with the energetic, positive force called Barbara Mason, and the quiet, serious cutter of exquisitely patterned books, Shireen Holman. I flew down with the clever inventor of Akua Color, Susan Rostow. I had the pleasure of seeing Karla Hackenmiller's astonishing relief demo (with Tom Huck and Nancy Palmieri--but they're not Baren). And shook hands with Roxanne Sexauer, several quieter members, and a lurker, from our illustrious group. I hear Dean from Graphic Chemical was there and I may have missed some other folks. I had a great time chatting with Hiromi, the intrepid Japanese paper importer from Santa Monica. Too much to do in a short time! I plan to write up an article for Baren Suji with Barbara and Shireen, so you can get the details there. April www.aprilvollmer.com ------------------------------ From: Daniel Dew Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 10:01:28 -0500 Subject: [Baren 13836] Exchange #9 I am so pumped. I've completed my print for the Salon De Refuse, so now I'm free for the Baren exchange. I want to do a true hanga print, but I've failed sooo many times already, it's frustrating. Just in case, I'm designing my image for both. I'm going to do a manatee, underwater. Sooo cool. Gotta get to work. Which wood has the most prominent and printable grain? thanks, dan dew ------------------------------ From: GWohlken Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 10:01:12 +0000 Subject: [Baren 13837] Re: Baren Digest v14 #1352 Maria and Sarah, you both amaze me what you can do with wood. Sarah, how do you get those sketchy little lines on those dog prints? Maria, your prints just speak wood all the way and I love that you have let it be what it is, yet your imagery rises from it as though the wood itself has given you permission. Wow! Both of you, WOW!!!! Gayle Wohlken ------------------------------ From: Claude Villeneuve Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 10:06:17 -0500 Subject: [Baren 13838] Re: Pochoir technique Greg, I agree with you, I consider pochoir a printmaking technique and use if from time to time with relief prints and while making monoprints. Claude Aimée ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 08:28:28 -0800 Subject: [Baren 13839] Re: Exchange #9 Fir. You can purchase it in plywood ---thickness from 1/4" up to 1" thick Cedar is also good but you can readily (if at all) buy it in plywood form. If you want exaggerate grain you will have to carve to assist the effect or have it sandblasted. If you don't want it too prominent, after you have carved the design, lay damp cloth on the surface for a few days to raise the grain. Dry it slowly. (Is that possible in Florida) and lay on one coat of Varnish cut 50/50 with thinners. This will hold the grain while printing with water base inks. If you us oil inks ... (wash your mouth out with soap Graham) .... I don't suppose you need the varnish. You can see how I used the grain in a very small thingie at.... http://members.home.net/gscholes/fisher.html >I want to do a true hanga print, but I've failed sooo many times already, >it's frustrating. What is causing the failures.....?????? Graham/Victoria BC An Island in the Pacific Boot Camp Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue. ------------------------------ From: "Maria Arango" Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 09:15:22 -0800 Subject: [Baren 13840] Re: Exchange #9 charset="iso-8859-1" > >Which wood has the most prominent and printable grain? > > > >dan dew >If you us oil inks ... In addition to Graham's suggestions, and if you are good with a scroll saw, you may also want to use oak or pecan. Both have grain that will print without any further preparation and will hold through the printing process. Tough to cut pecan and oak will splinter, so beware. You can design your print on birch or whatever you use normally, then attach a block of the grainy wood to the bottom of your smooth block (wheat paste does a nice job and you can pull the blocks apart easily later). I'm assuming you have parts you want grain (like the water) and parts you don't? Cut both simultaneously with a scroll saw. Now you have a puzzle and can assemble your blocks with grain on some parts and no grain on others. You could even print some parts with water based and some parts with oil based inks, after all, Barenforum is the only place where water and oil _do_ mix. If you do *use* oil inks exclusively, an easy way to bring out the grain is to wipe the block with acetone and let it dry naturally; probably in the sun in your parts. The grain will open up and stay open through printing. I found this out accidentally when I cleaned one of my cherry blocks with acetone to remove the permanent marker sketch. When I printed the block later, the beautiful grain appeared. Time to play! Maria <><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Maria Arango Las Vegas, Nevada, USA http://www.1000woodcuts.com maria@mariarango.com <><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ------------------------------ From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 13:03:47 -0600 Subject: [Baren 13841] Re: frustrating.... 03/13/2001 01:03:38 PM Dan writes: "I want to do a true hanga print, but I've failed sooo many times already, it's frustrating." Last week I quoted a little gem of a post from back in 1998 by Richard Steiner in Kyoto. It's great stuff. If you scrap it let me know and I will send it off again....he covers all the basic steps. Like Richard mentions, water is usually the biggest culprit...either too much or too little or in the wrong mix..... With hanga, I find what others here share is so valuable. For instance, my last print for #8 of a little kitty has very large areas of black (probably 75-80% of the block)....I was having problems first with the inks, then with the application and getting very spotty, blotchy results. Was not sure if my paste was too watered down or too thick..it's hard to cover such a large area quickly before it starts to dry on you......After reading Richard's post...I tried something which I had been neglecting to do...that is...after applying the sumi ink on the block and rubbing it all around good...go back with a final very light stroke of the brush across the grain of the wood....starting at the bottom and very gently overlaying each stroke across the whole block....amazing...the spots were gone, no blotches and an incredibly even coverage across the whole area. I did a second impression to intensify the black and was totally pleased. In hanga little things count big time. Getting the block, brushes & paper all in sync is a bit of a challenge...I can give you a beginners point of view which of course will probably be quite different from what the pros at Baren do. My first attempts were disastrous...here's what I do now.... 1- Cut paper to size, a few hours before print time....take a couple of towels or felt sheets (craft stores) (large enough to cover your paper).... and rinse them under the faucet and squeeze almost all the water out. Lay one down and put the first sheet of paper on it...I use a little spray bottle (set on mist) to spray every other sheet of paper...just a few squirts to moisten each sheet...forming a stack....then lay the other towel on top of the stack...put the whole thing inside a large plastic bag, close it.......and place a light weight on top ( a piece of plywood, or a book, etc...). I often open the bag and check for moisture and reshuffle the paper to even things out. You want the paper to feel soft and cool to your face, yet not so wet and limp that it becomes a problem. I usually let it sit at least 6-8 hours minimum....if I run into a scheduling conflict...it goes into the freezer. 2- I warm up the block by squirting some water on it (just a bit with my mist sprayer bottle) and brushing it all around to let the wood get moist (not soaked!). Then I apply the pigment and a little paste with small cheap brushes and rub everything in really good with my japanese brushes (shoe-brush style). The rubbing brush must be dry or just a tid moist....if anything...I squirt some water on my hand and lighthy touch the brushes bristles to my hand...that's it...you don't want water anywhere near it....I repeat this (adding paste/pigment to the block) several times without taking an impression....you must let the block "warmup" , so that the brush will start holding pigment/paste mix....... 3- By now I have opened up my paper bag and depending on how wet the paper is I will replace the towel after pulling out the sheet to print or will leave it uncovered to let it "dry" a bit....sometimes the sheets in the middle are a bit dry so I put the towel back on...and off...and on...etc..each stack of paper is different (remember I am a beginner). 4. After I print a sheet, I will start another stack on my opposite side and again use a towel to keep everything moist...the first few prints are usually not good, the brush is not fully loaded...I use cheaper paper for the first 4-6 prints...then use the better japanese stuff for the remaining of the print run.... 5. You keep adding a little pigment/paste to the block with each new print....except at times your rubbing brush starts to get really saturated and you can do with a little less paste (or no paste at all) in between prints....you can tell when the block needs more..or less....too much paste and the rubbing creates a syrupy mess..too little and the colors won't come out right on the paper...spotty or blotchy....a lot depends on the size of the area you are printing... 6. Key is to keep moving, printing and to keep things in sync...you don't want to take a break or something and comeback to find the ink on your block dry, your brushes stiff , the paper dry and the paste thickening up.... I learn new things everytime, but it is not as hard as some people think, but it does take discipline and a certain adherence to the rules....and lot of practice.... good luck...julio (Skokie, Illinois) ps. If anyone sees where I can improve on the above method, please let me know....us newbies need all the help we can get... ------------------------------ From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 14:24:13 -0600 Subject: [Baren 13842] Re: grainy woods... 03/13/2001 02:24:03 PM Both regular ply and oak are good....here are two of my prints where I used the wood pretty much as it was....I might have brushed some water on to raise the grain like Graham suggests... The first one is a strip of oak flooring.....I have a nearby flooring shop and they throw away lot of raw cutoffs and scrap into their dumpsters....oak, maple, etc.... http://barenforum.org/members/rodriguez/exchange_6.jpg For the second one I used a combo like Maria suggests...the sky was printed from a construction-grade piece of plywood and the bottom ocean waves came from another piece of oak flooring (3.5" wide & cut to desired length....) http://barenforum.org/members/rodriguez/paradise.jpg For a great example taken to the max, take a close look at Pete White's print in #5, you have it in your folio...wow! http://barenforum.org/members/white/mother.jpg Julio Rodriguez (Skokie, Illinois) ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 16:00:24 -0800 Subject: [Baren 13843] Re: grainy woods... >For a great example taken to the max, take a close look at Pete >White's print in #5, you have it in your folio...wow! > >http://barenforum.org/members/white/mother.jpg If you ever get the chance to see some of KIYOSHI SAITO (1907-1997) He was used wood grain masterfully. The folks that attending last years Boot Camp saw a 70 pc exhibition of his work Fabulous. Now one face the problem of doing something different and not mimicking him. Gawd its hard to original and unique..... Graham My reality check bounced. ------------------------------ From: Nilsa Macaya Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 19:45:51 -0500 Subject: [Baren 13844] workspace Last week, I introduced myself. I call myself a pre-newbie, as I am still in the research stage of hanga. My hands have not even touched a piece of wood yet. I have set up a small space in my apartment for the designing and the printing stage of the work. However, I just realized that I might need to set up a separate area for the actual working of the wood. I don't know, I'm only guessing because the books I have consulted do not mention how much debris I should expect. I suppose my question is directed at anyone who lives in small living quarters. How much workspace do I need? I live in the middle of Manhattan and although I have a great view, I have limited space. Thanks for any advice you can offer. Nilsa ------------------------------ From: "Philip Smith" Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 17:02:11 -0800 Subject: [Baren 13845] Re: workspace charset="iso-8859-1" Welcome Nilsa.... Please check out the encyclopedia at the Baren sight. It will show you that you can pick a any spot on the floor of your apartment. Work small at first. Clean up as you go. All will be well. Just start carving. Philip Hammond, OR USA ------------------------------ From: "Daniel L. Dew" Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 20:10:51 -0500 Subject: [Baren 13846] Re: workspace Welcome Nilsa! I also work in tight spaces. There is not that much scrap to deal with. I like to carve on top of a dishtowel (on the floor, on the table on the bed, etc...). Brush all the debri unto the dishtowel and at the end of the carving session, give back to the earth by shaking out the towel. My wife likes that method also I should add, less vaccuuming. dan dew ------------------------------ From: "Daniel L. Dew" Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 20:27:45 -0500 Subject: [Baren 13847] Quasi question I have a quasi ethical question: I completed and signed and editioned a print about two years ago. I have never truly liked it. A bolt of lightning struck today and I realized what was wrong ( a forgotten shadow on a major design element). Oh, it was reduction block. Can I or should I go back and fix it? It would be easy to fix, but is it right? dan dew ------------------------------ From: "Gretchen" Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 20:49:53 -0500 Subject: [Baren 13848] Re: workspace charset="iso-8859-1" Nilsa, I also live in a small New York apartment, and dream of having even a single table to devote to printmaking. But relief printing is great because you can do it in a lot less space than some kinds of printmaking that require presses and other equipment. I do my cutting on a fast-food-restaurant style tray, and that catches most of the mess, so I do it anywhere--on the couch, at my desk or wherever. Space to store drying prints is harder for me, especially with two cats who can climb just about anywhere, but I string them up high along the kitchen walls and it works well enough. Having space to spare would be luxurious, but it can definitely be done in a tight space. Gretchen ------------------------------ From: Mike Lyon Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 19:45:10 -0600 Subject: [Baren 13849] Re: Baren Digest v14 #1352 Hi, Maria, Mike Lyon here and back from amazing SCUBA and culture shock in Palau and Yap, Micronesia! Wow! I looked at uprooted -- those 'stripes' are chatter in the veneer -- they exist on virtually all baltic birch (and on most surfaced hardwood, too). The can be sanded out prior to cutting -- I use a 5" variable speed random orbital sander made by Porter Cable -- a great tool which makes relative fast work of this on large surfaces, but still takes some time and elbow grease -- use 100 grit to sand out the ridges, then 150 and 220 (and I stop with 400). Mike mikelyon@mlyon.com http://www.mlyon.com ------------------------------ From: Sunnffunn@aol.com Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 21:08:55 EST Subject: [Baren 13850] Re: Quasi question Well Dan if you have all the prints to rework them all would seem fine. If not than I am guessing that you would have a 2nd edition that was revised. ------------------------------ From: "Garth Hammond" Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 20:11:58 -0700 Subject: [Baren 13851] Re: Pochoir technique Pochoir: The Art of Coloring with Stencils "POCHOIR" is the French word for hand coloring by means of stencils.(1 someone who has a clue how do you pronounce PoCHOIR? a little phonetic = lesson would be nice. please and thank you. Garth ------------------------------ From: Nilsa Macaya Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 22:20:15 -0500 Subject: [Baren 13852] Re: Quasi question Dan, In answer to your question, here is a passage from an article entitled "What is an Edition? written in World Printmakers: "A 1960 resolution of the International Congress of Plastic Arts states: The above principles apply to graphic works which can be considered originals, that is to say, prints for which the artist made the original plate, cut the woodblock, worked on the stone or any other material. Works that do not fulfill these conditions must be considered "reproductions." I hope this helps. Nilsa http://www.worldprintmakers.com/english/edition.htm Dan wrote: I have a quasi ethical question: I completed and signed and editioned a print about two years ago. I have never truly liked it. A bolt of lightning struck today and I realized what was wrong ( a forgotten shadow on a major design element). Oh, it was reduction block. Can I or should I go back and fix it? It would be easy to fix, but is it right? ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 20:47:21 -0800 Subject: [Baren 13853] Re: Quasi question Dan, Only one factor will govern this question/answer. Have you sold any? If no .... then correct the prints. If yes .... write on the corrected prints.... State 2 or State II and all will be legit. Graham/Victoria BC An Island in the Pacific Boot Camp I don't suffer from stress - I'm a carrier... >I have a quasi ethical question: I completed and signed and editioned a >print about two years ago. I have never truly liked it. A bolt of >lightning struck today and I realized what was wrong ------------------------------ From: "Murilo Pereira" Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 02:30:52 -0300 Subject: [Baren 13854] Re: Graham charset="iso-8859-1" I took a look at your ne works - I visited your site a lot - and they1re all wonderful, don1t look like woodcuts, all those colors, I would never be able to do it. If I could I'd like very very much to go to your Camp but........... who knows what1s gonna happen tomorrow. I liked very much that one that has a boat and somebody in it, it rememberd me a master piece of Monet that is here in Brazil in the MASP - São Paulo - two girls in a boat . alwaus I can I go there to see it. You r work made me remembee . I1m sorry if my English presents mistakes but I am just let it go without worrying so much to have a perfect one. Congratulations. Murilo Pereira, florianópolis. ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 21:34:37 -0800 Subject: [Baren 13855] Re: workspace Philip wrote..... >Welcome Nilsa.... >Please check out the encyclopedia at the Baren sight. It will show you that >you can pick a any spot on the floor of your apartment. >Work small at first. Clean up as you go. >All will be well. Just start carving. Please be very mindful of you posture. Sitting on the floor is probably the worse thing you could do for your spinal column. It may look cool but that is about all you can say for it. A small sturdy table in a corner of a room works just fine. On the subject of posture go look at my carving table. http://members.home.net/woodblocks/hori-Dai.html and notice the posture of the handsome devil working at the table. Easy to make or have made as all the dimensions are there. You remove this from your sturdy table and it can become a print table. Look around the my site and the Baren sight for ideas. Oh and welcome a board.... Graham I'm slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter! ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 22:04:26 -0800 Subject: [Baren 13856] Re: Pochoir technique How does this sound.... PO-SH-UAR ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest v14 #1353 *****************************