Today's postings

  1. [Baren 31841] Block design at the touch of a button... ("Mike Lyon")
  2. [Baren 31842] Re: sekishu paper (Wanda Robertson)
  3. [Baren 31843] Re: Block design at the touch of a button... (Bobbi Chukran)
  4. [Baren 31844] Re: Baren Digest (old) V36 #3629 ("Marilynn Smith")
  5. [Baren 31845] Re: Block design at the touch of a button... ("Mike Lyon")
  6. [Baren 31846] Re: sekishu paper (a stark)
  7. [Baren 31847] sizing paper ("Robert Viana")
  8. [Baren 31848] Re: sizing paper (Barbara Mason)
  9. [Baren 31849] Re: Block design at the touch of a button... ("Maria Arango")
Member image

Message 1
From: "Mike Lyon"
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2006 09:49:09 -0500
Subject: [Baren 31841] Block design at the touch of a button...
Send Message: To this poster

Don't throw away your knives and chisels (yet), folks! But yesterday David
Bull sent me links to some raster to vector conversion demonstrations of
Adobe Illustrator which were pretty interesting to me.

http://media.studio.adobe.com/linked_content/en/illcs2ttL03/illcs2ttltcolor.
mov

http://media.studio.adobe.com/linked_content/en/illcs2ttL03/illcs2ttltswatch
.mo v

http://media.studio.adobe.com/linked_content/en/acs2ttL07/illcs2ttlvtrc.mov


http://media.studio.adobe.com/linked_content/en/acs2ttL07/illcs2ttlvpnt.mov


http://media.studio.adobe.com/linked_content/en/acs2ttL07/illcs2ttgapopt.mov




Coincidentally, Google Alerts sent me a link this morning to a movie (about
half-way down the page) demonstrating the "Woodcut" function of CorelDraw:
http://photography.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=66
695 - the second half of the movie is particularly interesting, maybe. Less
control than Adobe's vector tracing, but adds a black 'woodcut' outline
component generated from value changes in a bitmap image. These
capabilities really evidence very deep understanding on the part of the
graphics programmers, I think.



-- Mike



Mike Lyon
Kansas City, MO
http://mlyon.com
Member image

Message 2
From: Wanda Robertson
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2006 08:26:14 -0700
Subject: [Baren 31842] Re: sekishu paper
Send Message: To this poster

IMHO - definitely water based, hanga method! I've used Sekishu paper
often & it works really well with the hanga method. I think I've done
a couple of the exchange prints on it, but can't remember which ones at
this time. You might try doing a search on "Sekishu" in the archives &
see what comes up.

Wanda
Member image

Message 3
From: Bobbi Chukran
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2006 11:37:43 -0500
Subject: [Baren 31843] Re: Block design at the touch of a button...
Send Message: To this poster

>Don't throw away your knives and chisels (yet), folks! But
>yesterday David Bull sent me links to some raster to vector
>conversion demonstrations of Adobe Illustrator which were pretty
>interesting to me.
>http://media.studio.adobe.com/linked_content/en/illcs2ttL03/illcs2ttltcolor.mov
>
>http://media.studio.adobe.com/linked_content/en/illcs2ttL03/illcs2ttltswatch.mo
>v
>

Hi Mike,

Interesting. I've been trying to get a woodcut effect using
Photoshop, but haven't been able to yet. Supposedly it can be
done....

Bobbi C.
http://www.bobbichukran.com
Member image

Message 4
From: "Marilynn Smith"
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2006 09:55:41 -0700
Subject: [Baren 31844] Re: Baren Digest (old) V36 #3629
Send Message: To this poster

Leave it to Maria to open an interesting discussion.

For me, creating something has always been part of who I am. I am no tool
person, can barely use a screw driver, spent the last 38 years married to
"the tool man". Carving me???, no way I DO NOT CARVE!!!!!!

I AM A PAINTER!!!

I have spent ther last 7 or 8 years proving those 2 statements very very
wrong.

Why do I do wood cuts??? I have wondered and wondered. After taking
printmaking I did do a few linocuts and several collographs and of course
monotypes (painting, painting), but you Baren folks are sooo intense, sooo
into your carving, carving. process process. WOW, INTIMIDATI|NG!!!

Than came the day I did a lino and thought this should be in wood, it almost
looks like wood.

Approaches evolve as one learns process, at least for me and woodblock it
has. I started putting on designs from my watercolors and than going. Each
plate has always taken on a life of its own. They have never been copies,
they are definitely all originals.

Than came the day, which plate that day came upon I do not remember. But i
do believe the usual classical music was humming in the back ground and
there was absolutely nothing on that piece of wood, no picture! I believe
I may have had a dream or an "awakening" about the image, so there were
ideas. There were thoughts churning in my head. I let the wood "talk " to
me and started carving. WOW , what a relaease, how amazing it is to just
go, freedom!

There are still those plates based on a drawing or a watercolor.
Interestingly, when I was only just a painter, I could never transfer a
drawing into a painting. But with printmaking I do and I find that
interesting. Some times I have a block that is all line work and I find it
wonderful that a woodblock can be just a nice drawing and the beauty of a
graceful line can be everything there is. Than comes the little zen like
flower I just finished printing, the remains of a reduction plate. It is
all shapes and it works, very simple.

But what is it about wood that keeps me sooo enthralled that I want to keep
on carving???
I think, in part, it is the challenge of actually doing it. And, like
Maria, those plates have a beauty all their own. Where in our house my
husband and I will deside to use them I do not know, but they will not be
canceled by destroying them, but by using them in another way. I believe the
carving is just as beautiful as the print.

Okay, who else??????

Mike, Mike where is the link to that explanation of layering, I missed
it?????

Thanks Maria for an interesting discussion.
Marilynn
Member image

Message 5
From: "Mike Lyon"
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2006 15:19:51 -0500
Subject: [Baren 31845] Re: Block design at the touch of a button...
Send Message: To this poster

Closest you can probably get with Photoshop CS2 (without 3rd party plug-ins)
is probably Filter/Artistic/Cutout - PhotoShop is pretty much geared toward
painterly as opposed to printerly effects.



-- Mike



Mike Lyon
Kansas City, MO
http://mlyon.com


>Hi Mike,

>
>Interesting. I've been trying to get a woodcut effect using Photoshop, but
>haven't been able to yet. Supposedly it can be done....

>Bobbi C.

http://www.bobbichukran.com
Member image

Message 6
From: a stark
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2006 13:26:45 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 31846] Re: sekishu paper
Send Message: To this poster

do you size the sekishu paper with gelatin and alum?
Member image

Message 7
From: "Robert Viana"
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2006 18:37:46 -0200
Subject: [Baren 31847] sizing paper
Send Message: To this poster


Hello everyone,
A while ago I had asked about sizing paper. I tried all kinds of methods and found a few good ones. I use the gelatin and allum with success.
I dampened my Hosho paper and instead of brushing it on (which I failed at) I sprayed it on with a metal spray bottle that I had. I kept the bottle warm in hot water. It went on a little thick at first but after effing around with it for a number of tries, I got the consistancy correct.

The real reason for this comment here is this.
I bought a can of spray starch for my clothes and tried that and it worked great.
I have no idea if the prints will yellow with age but regardless. I thought this was worth sharing.
Damp paper, heavy spray starch in an aresol can. Easy and successfull.
I might be lazy, crazy or stupid or smart. I don't know. Anyhow.
Cheers
Rob
Member image

Message 8
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2006 13:48:20 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Baren 31848] Re: sizing paper
Send Message: To this poster

Robert,
I would think this starch has some sort of mold retardant in it to keep it from spoiling so probably it will work...can you read ingredients on the can? Maybe call a museum paper conservator and ask about it, or email the manufacturer...it could be fine. You just can't tell without knowing what the preservative is.
best to all,
Barbara
Member image

Message 9
From: "Maria Arango"
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2006 13:48:47 -0700
Subject: [Baren 31849] Re: Block design at the touch of a button...
Send Message: To this poster

Try Cutline filters, both woodcut and wood engraving with hundreds of
variations are possible...certainly fun to play with.

Maria


Maria Arango
www.1000woodcuts.com