Baren Digest              Tuesday, 9 October 2001      Volume 17 : Number 1581


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From: Mike Lyon <mikelyon@mlyon.com>
Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2001 08:32:46 -0500
Subject: [Baren 15886] Re: Baren Digest V17 #1580 

At 10:00 PM 10/8/2001 +0900, Graham wrote:
> >>must say they do shed a lot!
>
>I have never had any problem with bristles falling out of them.  Is
>it a lot and if so I would ask for a replacement.  A few can and will
>come out but not a lot and not for very long.

Be sure to wet them thoroughly before each use and allow time for hair, 
wood, etc. to expand.  Then bristles should stay in -- once you lose some 
in a hair bundle, the rest will fall out easily, so don't neglect to wet 
your brushes in advance of use.

Mike Lyon
mailto:mikelyon@mlyon.com
http://www.mlyon.com 

------------------------------

From: Mike Lyon <mikelyon@mlyon.com>
Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2001 08:39:16 -0500
Subject: [Baren 15887] Re: Baren Digest V17 #1580 

At 10:00 PM 10/8/2001 +0900, Graham wrote:
>If you purchased the Professional Grade maru bake brushes they do not
>need shaping and fine tuning. The less expensive ones, Sosaku
>Brushes, should be shaped and the hair tapered as shown on my site.

I have had excellent results using a belt sander and 220 grit sanding belt 
- -- very quick and very perfect gradual tapering of each hair in the brush 
- --  I still use sharp scissors to trim to rough shape and length, then sand 
on belt sander with sufficient pressure to bend hairs parallel to sanding 
media -- you can skip singing this way, as the belt tapers the hairs very 
quickly and nicely without smelling up the studio!

Mike Lyon
mailto:mikelyon@mlyon.com
http://www.mlyon.com 

------------------------------

From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2001 23:05:25 +0900
Subject: [Baren 15888] Re: Brush moistening ... 

Mike wrote:
> Be sure to wet them thoroughly before each use and allow time for hair,
> wood, etc. to expand.  Then bristles should stay in -- once you lose some
> in a hair bundle, the rest will fall out easily, so don't neglect to wet
> your brushes in advance of use.

Could I toss in another viewpoint on this Mike?  It's generally the
custom of the pro printers over here in Japan to _avoid_ getting the
wood portion of the brushes wet. 

There are a couple of reasons behind this: first is that if the area up
at the base of the hair gets wet, and doesn't have chance to dry well,
the hair in that area will rot, and you will get lots of breakage.
Remember, these are people who are using their brushes day in and day
out, so the brushes wouldn't have time to dry out well.

The second reason to avoid moisture up there is that the hair clumps are
tied in with wires. If the maker used stainless then OK, but if he
didn't, then rusting of the wire followed by hair loss is inevitable.

To avoid wetting the wood, brushes are usually washed under running
water, with the hair held face down and rubbed in the palm to remove the
pigment/paste. The running water doesn't come into contact with the wood
...

And there are some people (maybe Dave Stones will chime in here) who
don't wash their brushes at all, because of worry about water damage ...

> once you lose some
> in a hair bundle, the rest will fall out easily

This too is really important. If you do start to get a few hairs
sticking down beyond the rest, don't pull them out, or they will soon be
followed by plenty more. Trim them off with scissors as necessary.

Brush maintenance is a constant process - and the more you use them, the
more they need further trimming or rubbing on the sharkskin. They don't
last forever ...  You see guys here working with brushes that have
worked their way down to around a half inch of hair left; these can be
quite useful as the short length gives the hair a certain degree of
stiffness that a regular long brush doesn't have.

Have to admit though, that none of mine are that short ... yet. I'm
still too young!

Dave


------------------------------

From: John and Jan Telfer <jtelfer@iinet.net.au>
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 01 22:26:17 -0000
Subject: [Baren 15889] Re:Japanese Inking Brushes 

Japanese Inking Brushes

When my Japanese friend bought mine back from Japan, I am not sure what 
they are officially called, but they are the ones that are made with two 
wooden battens with the hairs bound between them with copper wire....

the instruction she gave me was:

1.  that they should be soaked in water over their necks, well up the 
handles for at least half an hour before using them so that the wood 
swells and tightens around the hairs.

2.  never pull the hairs out of the brush.  If they do become long, cut 
them off because everytime you pull the hairs out it loosens the others 
bound by the wire and eventually they will all fall out

3.  Look after them really well and they will serve you well.  After 
using them each time, wash them gently in clear water and then with a 
little soft soap and rinse.

4.  Never leave them standing in water.  Initially they will "float" but 
when fully charged with water they will sink.  I use a chopstick between 
the two battens and prop it on the top of the water container to hold up 
the brush off the bottom of the container or you can put a string through 
the top hole and string that through.

5.  You can use that same string to hang them up on the studio wall 
between printings.

6.  There is no need to "burn" these good brushes on the Bar B Q and 
thrash them on the sander or the shark skin as they are perfect from the 
manufacturer....

7.  These are expensive brushes, look after them.

Just a few tips from my friend to you.
Cheers,
Jan
Perth WA 

PS Yes, I am saving up for two weeks at Bootcamp...If I come all that way 
I might as well put two of Marco's years into one!!  Marco has been three 
times!  That is the only way I am going to catch up to him!


------------------------------

From: slinders@home.com
Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2001 09:32:56 -0500
Subject: [Baren 15890] Subject: Re: Taxes 

Philip,

I'm not the 'good tax person' you were looking for, but this
might be a time to mention the Chicago Artists' Coalition
publications:

Artists' Bookkeeping Book. 
        This workbook includes text explaining how to keep
records and what deductions to take. Use this book to record
your income and expenses, summarize your cash flow on a monthly
basis and balance your books.      

Other publications that help are  
        "Juried Art Exhibitions" ethical guidelines
and                 practical applications.  
        "Artists' Yellow Pages" (which lists LAWYERS, among             
other professional services) an annual          publication.
        "Artists' Gallery Guide" 
        "Artists' Self-Help Guides" on 
                Contracts
                Copyright
                Funding
                Publicity

 <caconline.org>  click on "Chicago Artists' News" to read more
about our group and these publications.

There was an article on artists' tax questions and changes early
this year in our newspaper.  I'll look it up for you if you feel
that would be useful.
Sharen

------------------------------

From: "David Stones" <stones@mb.i-chubu.ne.jp>
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 01:48:51 +0900
Subject: [Baren 15891] Re: Brush mositening
Dear All,

>And there are some people (maybe Dave Stones will...
>...don't wash their brushes at all....

Not quite true but I don't wash them thoroughly until the end of a run and
just "rinse" them similar to how Dave B said. If there's a gap of a day in
printing, they get put in the sun to dry out - not too fast though. I've
also got five brush sets for each of the six major colours I use which cuts
out a lot of work and washing. That said, my brushes are no show-pieces and
in various states of "repair"- how they get the pigment down is their judge
of usefulness though.

One thing, I certainly do NOT soak them. The amount of moisture is brought
up to speed in a few minutes... before use. As my printing days have
decreased, with sometimes a month between use, some brushes are leaving
bristles on the blocks. Rot, and wood shrinkage, have made two of them
ready for the bin but as one is large and only used for white, it may
escape... just bit longer.

Dave S (Ishita)


------------------------------

From: "Bea Gold" <bnj50@earthlink.net>
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 10:53:31 -0700
Subject: [Baren 15892] Baren Exchange #12 

Hi all,  The sign up for #12 is now open to all.  Go to
http://barenforum.org/exchange/exchange_sign-up.html
New size - Take a look. Have fun!  Cut/Print.     Bea

------------------------------

From: Graham <gscholes@home.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 10:49:46 -0700
Subject: [Baren 15893] Hairy and Wet. 


>At 10:00 PM 10/8/2001 +0900, Graham wrote:
>>If you purchased the Professional Grade maru bake brushes they do not
>>need shaping and fine tuning. The less expensive ones, Sosaku
>>Brushes, should be shaped and the hair tapered as shown on my site.
>
>I have had excellent results using a belt sander and 220 grit 
>sanding belt -- very quick and very perfect gradual tapering of each 
>hair in the brush --  I still use sharp scissors to trim to rough 
>shape and length, then sand on belt sander with sufficient pressure 
>to bend hairs parallel to sanding media -- you can skip singing this 
>way, as the belt tapers the hairs very quickly and nicely without 
>smelling up the studio!

Gosh Mike, I only do my singing in the shower and my singeing in the 
backyard..... Sorry I just could not resist.   (<:

I have found that cutting with scissors that I could never gets the 
evenness of a nicely rounded-over form along the perimeter of the the 
brush.  When I used the belt sander and found that 220 was too fine. 
(Maybe it is the length of time I used it). I have moved to a 120 and 
even 80 grit paper which is my preferred choice.  I prefer the disc 
on my table saw with the metal grater and sandpaper.  However I 
realize that everybody does not have this equipment and a belt sand 
is certainly adequate, (should add this to my page), even better. 
Because when you want some studio-sport you can get a long extension 
and sit on the disc sander and scoot around your studio. Invite a 
friend over and have a race!!!!! (Warning...Kids do not do this at 
home).

One important caution about using power sanders.....  Sanding 
generate a great deal of heat that can burn the bristles.  Keep some 
moisture on the bristle tips so as it does not burn which nullifies 
the tapering of the tips of the bristles.

On the subject of wetting brushes.  What a dilemma!
As mentioned, wetting leads to major problems down the road (Not the 
belt sander road).  It is so hard to get the colour out of a brush, 
ready for the next inking without generous amounts of water.  Of 
coarse if you are hugely rich (rich artist... there's an oxymoron) 
you can have a brush for every colour and never worry about 
thoroughly getting all the colour out. Noboru Sawai advocates the use 
of wetting the brush including the wood. There seems to be two 
schools of thought on this.  As Mike said, this causes the wood to 
swell and tightens the grip on the bristles, and we all need to get a 
grip on on bristles.  Drying it afterwards is so terribly important.

I have found a little (actually big) kitchen tool that works like a 
charm to get the moisture out.

You ever see the gizmo that is used to spin the water out of lettuce?
For those that don't know what I am talking about let me know and I 
will put a picture on my site.

You can position the brushes, you need an even number ... 2 or 4 to 
maintain balance, bristles facing outward in the inside spin 
container and twirl the heck out them.  You can take a brush that has 
been rubbed with a cloth and shaken the devil out of, to give up more 
water. This is a sure method of getting most of any remaining 
moisture out.  If you are finished printing and the brushes won't be 
used for a few days or a month. (tsk tsk), after the spin cycle you 
can give your brushes a blow job with a hair dryer.  Feather the 
bristles and blow the warm air down to the heel of the brushes to dry 
any remaining dampness.  Warning... do this slowly and on low heat. 
It can take 15 to 20 minutes to be assured that the job is done.    
End of Water Problem.

Graham/Victoria BC
An Island in the Pacific
Home of the Boot Camp
http://members.home.net/woodblocks

------------------------------

From: Graham <gscholes@home.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 11:27:10 -0700
Subject: [Baren 15894] Re:Japanese Inking Brushes 

Jan wrote.....
>Japanese Inking Brushes
>When my Japanese friend bought mine back from Japan, I am not sure what
>they are officially called, but they are the ones that are made with two
>wooden battens with the hairs bound between them with copper wire....
>the instruction she gave me was:
>1.  that they should be soaked in water over their necks, well up the
>handles for at least half an hour before using them so that the wood
>swells and tightens around the hairs.
>2.  never pull the hairs out of the brush.  If they do become long, cut
>them off because everytime you pull the hairs out it loosens the others bound by the wire and eventually they will all fall out

I use to have some these Hanga Bake brushes. One looses a lot of hair whereas the other has not lost any and they both have had the same treatment, wetting
before use, not soaking.  Mind I recall the bigger one always lost hair and I would remove the loose ones.... which I bet compounded the problem.

I guess I should have listened to Noboru Sawai about soaking and not pulling loose hair.  It makes perfect sense. Do you suppose if I soaked my head (it has
often been suggested) that it would prevent my hair loss.?

Jan, how long have you had them and used them as described above.



>PS Yes, I am saving up for two weeks at Bootcamp...If I come all that way
>I might as well put two of Marco's years into one!!  Marco has been three
>times!  That is the only way I am going to catch up to him!

I am beginning to wonder if I can even catch up to him.... !!!!!

Graham

------------------------------

From: "Maria Arango" <maria@mariarango.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 13:04:19 -0700
Subject: [Baren 15895] FW: Memorial Portfolio

Of interest to printmakers, perhaps.
If you are not a member of the Print Alliance, you might want to join as a
way to keep up with printmaking stuff. Birds of a feather...

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Maria Arango
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
http://www.1000woodcuts.com
maria@mariarango.com
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-PRINTS-L@raven.cc.ku.edu
[mailto:owner-PRINTS-L@raven.cc.ku.edu]On Behalf Of printalliance
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2001 11:34 AM
To: PRINTS-L@KU.EDU
Subject: Memorial Portfolio


The American Print Alliance and its member organizations are organizing a
very special Memorial Portfolio in honor of the lives lost in the tragic
events of September 11. To celebrate those lives with esteem and reverence,
Alliance director Dr. Carol Pulin is asking all members of our councils as
well as subscribers to the journal, Contemporary Impressions, to create an
original work of art on or of paper (print, drawing, watercolor, etc., on an
8" x10" vertical sheet). The exhibition of these 6,000+ artworks will honor
the individuality of each victim and convey sympathies to surviving families
and friends.

Complete information and entry procedures are at www.PrintAlliance.org.
Entry is free, due February 15. Please resolve to take part in this
collective honoring and healing process.

Forgive us if you receive duplicate copies of this message, since we use
multiple mailing lists.




------------------------------

From: "eli griggs" <eli.griggs@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 19:19:27 -0400
Subject: [Baren 15896] digital stuff 

Hi there:

The link below is to a digital Ukiyo-e artisan's site. I don't know if it
has been listed before, but here it is now.  It may be possible to learn
from this artist a bit more about 'digital printing' onto Japanese papers.

Because Ukiyo-e is so closely linked with woodcut, I went ahead and included
Baren in my post.  At the least, Baren'ers (?) may find this an interesting
site for a modern Ukiyo-e viewpoint.

http://village.infoweb.ne.jp/~tatuharu/index-e.htm

Regards,
Eli





------------------------------

From: "Maria Arango" <maria@mariarango.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 16:49:43 -0700
Subject: [Baren 15897] RE: digital stuff 

Eli wrote:
> Because Ukiyo-e is so closely linked with woodcut, I went ahead 
> and included
> Baren in my post.  At the least, Baren'ers (?) may find this an 
> interesting
> site for a modern Ukiyo-e viewpoint.
> 
> http://village.infoweb.ne.jp/~tatuharu/index-e.htm

The correct term is: "Bareneers" (like, Musketeers, for example)

;-)

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Maria Arango
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
http://www.1000woodcuts.com
maria@mariarango.com 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
 

------------------------------

From: Graham <gscholes@home.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 18:52:47 -0700
Subject: [Baren 15898] Re: digital stuff 

I wonder if I am prejudiced (hell that is a given) or is it that one cannot appreciate digital imagery as seen on a monitor
I have the feeling it is a waste of good Japanese papers ... especially if it is Hosho.

Graham


>Hi there:
>
>The link below is to a digital Ukiyo-e artisan's site. I don't know if it
>has been listed before, but here it is now.  It may be possible to learn
>from this artist a bit more about 'digital printing' onto Japanese papers.
>
>Because Ukiyo-e is so closely linked with woodcut, I went ahead and included
>Baren in my post.  At the least, Baren'ers (?) may find this an interesting
>site for a modern Ukiyo-e viewpoint.
>
>http://village.infoweb.ne.jp/~tatuharu/index-e.htm
>
>Regards,
>Eli


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End of Baren Digest V17 #1581
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