Baren Digest Monday, 2 April 2001 Volume 15 : Number 1376 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: David Bull Date: Sun, 01 Apr 2001 23:59:59 +0900 Subject: [Baren 14097] Exchange #10 sign-up 'Early' sign-up for Exchange #10 has now begun. http://barenforum.org/exchange/exchange_sign-up.html Dave ------------------------------ From: Ray Hudson Date: Sun, 01 Apr 2001 15:29:52 -0400 Subject: [Baren 14098] New Mexico Class I'll be teaching a week's workshop on woodblock watercolor printing (shui-yin) at Fruit of the Trees Studio in Lincoln, New Mexico, the week of May 21-May 25. Contact me directly or go to www.fruitofthetrees.com for some information. You can also call or contact Beverly Wilson (of the studio) at 505-653-4699 or fruitofthetrees@softhome.net. Ray Hudson ------------------------------ From: James G Mundie Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 15:23:40 -0400 Subject: [Baren 14099] sized papers; using oil paints Noreen wrote: > thanks for the suggestion- is Stonehenge sized? i've been having a > hard time finding out about the sizing in different papers from my local paper > dealer... Stonehenge is a paper designed for etching and as such is most definitely sized. All papers used for etching (Arches, Rives, Stonehenge, Lana, German Etch, etc.) are sized in the vat at the time of making. This is due to the fact that in order to print an etching the paper must first be soaked, softening the fibers so that they will squeeze down into the plate and lift out the ink. Without the sizing, the paper would likely disintegrate before it made it to the press. So, if you want to use an etching-type paper for hanga woodcuts, it's a fairly safe bet that you won't need to size it yourself. *** Jeanne asked what to do with all of her old tubes of oil paint. The best idea is simply to paint with them! As you've discovered, Jeanne, oil paint in tubes is not ideal for printmaking. What tends to happen is when one prints with oil paint is 1) the paint takes a really long time to dry, and 2) in time the linseed oil leaches from the paint into the surrounding paper, yellowing it and eventually causing it to rot away (the same thing that would happen if you painted on an unprimed canvas). The paint is designed to be applied with a brush, not a brayer. So, if you've given up painting, why not donate them to a local art center or something? Go get some block printing ink instead. This is simply one of those cases where it is best to use the right tool for the job at hand. James Mundie http://missioncreep.com/mundie/index.htm ------------------------------ From: "eli griggs" Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 17:45:43 -0400 Subject: [Baren 14100] web site, brushes Thanks to everyone who sent feedback about my new site. You were all helpful and I appreciated your comments very much. A thank you also to those who responded to my request for recommendations on selecting brushes for applying sumi to blocks. Your tips and links were useful. I do have another question about these brushes. The Baren Mall states that these brushes have already been conditioned on sharkskin. Does this mean that they are in a useable condition as is, or is this simply a 'marketing consideration' by the brush maker that should be disregarded by the printmaker when he/she receives a new brush? Should the brush receive additional attention before first use, as indicated by the Baren Encyclopedia? Eli Griggs Charlotte N.C. USA http://www.geocities.com/eli_griggs/mypage.html ------------------------------ From: Kim Medina Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 15:18:30 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Baren 14101] i'm back Hello all, I was offline for a while but now I am back. I have been reading off and on the past few weeks, reading the commentary, the chiding, the debates and advice. I see nothing has changed, thankfully! Although I probably won't have too much time to participate in the daily postings, but I plan to participate in the exchanges. I contributed to exchange #2. Hello to all new members and old alike! Kim Medina Tucson, Arizona ===== http://www.angelfire.com/biz/topcogsdesign "I can't change the world, but I can change the world in me." - U2 ------------------------------ From: barebonesart Date: Sun, 01 Apr 2001 15:04:10 -0700 Subject: [Baren 14102] Re: Baren Digest v15 #1375 Marilyn & Robert re/tube oil paints: If you paint them on, they work fine, but you cannot roll them without some alteration. But, painting monotypes works very well. You just have to be careful that you don't get too much paint on so that it squiches. If you pile the paint on like you might on a convass, then you will get great blobs of color out the end of your plate (if you're going thru a press - out every which way if you are hand burnishing). Thinner is necessary. With practice you can get some pretty amazing things! I have one friend in CA who used to do her monotypes, burnished by hand, all with her oil paints, though recently she has moved to water base pigments. The monotypes took on a very impressionistic quality. Sharri ------------------------------ From: Mike Lyon Date: Sun, 01 Apr 2001 12:54:56 -0500 Subject: [Baren 14103] Re: Baren Digest v15 #1375 > Hi there: > >I have finally put up a web site and would like some feedback. I am using a >90 mhz Pentium and a slow modem, so I have no idea as to how slowly the >pages load. If you reply, could you let me know what speed set-up you are >using. I used JPEG instead of GIF and I have no idea what that really >means, but JPEG scans do seem to look better. > >You will find my pages here: www.geocities.com/eli_griggs/mypage.html Hi, Eli... Mike Lyon here. First, I thought your pages were very attractive. I don't mind the strong background color at all. Your link to the second page is almost invisible. Give some thought to that, because as you add more images and information, you're going to need to conform to some kind of navigation scheme, or few people will be able to find their way past the first page. I'm using a high-speed cable-modem connection, but have several computers hooked up to the cable modem through a relatively slow wireless ethernet about 100kbs -- the speed of YOUR computer doesn't make a bit of difference, since your pages are on geocities' wide-band equipment, not on your own computer. It took about six seconds to complete loading your page one, and about 12 seconds to load page two. Using JPEGs was a good idea, since that format allows considerable compression. You did a good job making the color images on page one, but you should take a look at the charcoal images -- they have not been compressed enough. Adobe photoshop does a remarkable job at high levels of compression (1, 2, or 3) other software makes a nasty square filled mess of the image at high compression. My sense is that images the size you are displaying ought to all be way less than 30k, most less than 15k. You have several in the 100k range, and I think you ought to re-save those with more compression. Good job overall, thanks! Mike Lyon mikelyon@mlyon.com http://www.mlyon.com ------------------------------ From: "Bea Gold" Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 17:22:50 -0700 Subject: [Baren 14104] Re: New Mexico Class Hi Ray - Great about your class - how much is it - I couldn't find an amount. Are you doing it for the Elderhostel this summer? Bea ------------------------------ From: Sunnffunn@aol.com Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 19:27:16 EDT Subject: [Baren 14105] Re: New Mexico Class This is not woodblock printing. But on March 6th I took a gallery in Seattle. Got a call today and a framed piece was SOLD. Another budding adventure going well. Marilynn http://homepages.about.com/marilynnsmith/myartwork/ Happy printing ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest v15 #1376 *****************************