Today's postings

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Postings made on [Baren] members' blogs
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Subject: Book Announcement : 'Your First Print'
Posted by: Dave Bull

Do you think the Woodblock RoundTable has been just too quiet for the past month or so? Well, it certainly has, but don't jump to the conclusion that this has anything to do with the 'procrastination' post I made a while back. Far from it.

Time for an announcement. (Trumpets!) I have spent most of the last month busy with keyboard, camera, audio recorder, and video camera, and am ready to let the results loose. My first, and very much long awaited (by me!) book on woodblock printmaking is about to be published.

Is this my mythical 'Encyclopedia of Traditional Japanese Printmaking', about to come to life at last? Nope. You'll have to wait a bit longer for that one. The new book is entitled 'Your First Print', and is a complete guide to 'everything you need to know' to make a woodblock print using the traditional Japanese methods. Everything from information on the tools and materials, right through a very detailed step-by-step explanation of the whole process.

As you can see from the title page, I am issuing this as an eBook. But not just an 'ordinary' eBook - as a RichMedia eBook. Using modern technology, it is now possible to embed multi-media items within a .pdf file, and that is what I have done: the book contains the normal text and images that you would expect, but also has plenty of audio and video content too. You've seen the Harry Potter magic books where the images come to motion as you turn the pages ... well, here it is in real life! And it works on both Macs and PCs.

On this page, for example, which discusses gradation printing:

... the image in the top right hand corner is 'hot'. When you click it (not here, but in the eBook), it starts to play, and you watch (and listen) as I narrate a session of gradation printing.

There are videos on each step of the carving process, of course on the printing, on sharpening, and even a visit to my workroom as I spend a day carving one of my own blocks.

For more information on the eBook, please visit this page of my Mokuhankan webshop. Linked from that page, you can find a sample file to download and try out, containing 20 complete pages from the book, including the videos on sharpening and gradation printing that . . .
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This item is taken from the blog Woodblock RoundTable.
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Subject: Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop Exhibition
Posted by: Annie B


I just learned that my latest print, American Bible Story, has been accepted for inclusion in the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop (RBPMW) 6th Annual International Juried Exhibition in New York City. The November 3 - December 5 exhibition is scheduled to coincide with the IFPDA Print Fair and New York Fine Art Print Week. The exhibit was juried by David Kiehl, Curator of Prints, Whitney Museum of American Art.

RBPMW, now part of the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, was founded by Robert Blackburn (1920-2003) who was born in Summit, New Jersey, and was known for his work as a printer, a collaborator, and a lithographer. Blackburn worked with some of my favorite artists -- Jasper Johns, Elizabeth Catlett, and Helen Frankenthaler -- in addition to creating his own personal artwork. RBPMW is now a cooperative workshop that also does contract printing and hosts classes and workshops.
Copyright Woodblock Dreams blog

This item is taken from the blog Woodblock Dreams.
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Subject: Key Blocks Completed for New Prints
Posted by: Mark Mason

I've just finished cutting the key blocks for my next set of prints.


I've decided, for personal family reasons to call them 'The Grace Quartet' and they're closely based on images I found on the internet from an 1860's Japanese woodblock print book of pictures attributed to Hiroshige. The images are certainly in his style, but whether they were actually by him, I'm not sure.

As you'll be able to see from the photo of the colour blocks, which I'm now starting to clear, the images are fairly monochrome, either blue or peach. The blue irises will have a large graduated tone in the background.


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This item is taken from the blog Curiously Drawn.
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