Today's postings

  1. [Baren 43185] Getting Sumi to Stay Put (Andrew Stone)
  2. [Baren 43186] Re: Getting Sumi to Stay Put (Diana Moll)
  3. [Baren 43187] Re: Getting Sumi to Stay Put (David Bull)
  4. [Baren 43188] Re: Getting Sumi to Stay Put ("Maria Arango Diener")
  5. [Baren 43189] Fw: Typeface on your TV (Julio.Rodriguez # walgreens.com)
  6. [Baren 43190] sumi ink info from McClains (Barbara Mason)
  7. [Baren 43191] Baren Member blogs: Update Notification (Blog Manager)
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Message 1
From: Andrew Stone
Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:43:23 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43185] Getting Sumi to Stay Put
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I'm using a black liquid sumi from McClains and I have a new bottle and an old, concentrated bottle and both continue to offset sumi to the blocks/paper making it very difficult to print my keyblock first.

I've tried a little rice paste;
No rice paste,
Dryish printing,
Wetish printing,
Leaving the paper overnight in the damp pack,
Letting the paper dry and then rewetting

In all of the above, the sumi transfers Off the keyblock-printed paper onto subsequent blocks and then muddies the subsequent colors.
There are some prints where I really need to print the keyblock first so I can manage later registrations. But if I'm printing some smallish yellow details (the jewelry on my Rabbit print) I need the small yellow areas to remain both registered and bright and clear.

The only thing left I can think of is to try a different brand of Sumi but with the new US airmail restrictions the Baren Mall isn't shipping theirs to the US any more and I'm in a bit of a hurry to try grinding little bits of stick ink and letting it soak for a year--although I'll probably do that too.

Any suggestions?
Would gum arabic help?

Andrew Stone
andrewstone1@me.com
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Message 2
From: Diana Moll
Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:47:00 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43186] Re: Getting Sumi to Stay Put
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Print it last?
I know it's traditionally first....I've always printed it last, figuring it would cover up registration mistakes....

rabbits,
diana
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Message 3
From: David Bull
Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:55:32 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43187] Re: Getting Sumi to Stay Put
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> I've tried a little rice paste;
> No rice paste,
> Dryish printing,
> Wetish printing,
> Leaving the paper overnight in the damp pack,
> Letting the paper dry and then rewetting
>
> In all of the above, the sumi transfers Off the keyblock-printed
> paper onto subsequent blocks and then muddies the subsequent colors.

Given the list of things that you've tried - many of which usually
work to solve this situation - I would guess that you are printing
with a _very_ wet paper. The paper has to be moistened of course, but
it should feel more 'soft' than 'wet'. Other than that, the most
common cause of this problem is printing with a black that is just too
thick and sticky.

Believe me, it most definitely is possible to print the outlines
first, without subsequent problems ... we've been doing it that way
over here for well over three hundred years! :-)

Dave
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Message 4
From: "Maria Arango Diener"
Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:21:52 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43188] Re: Getting Sumi to Stay Put
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Wow Dave! And you don't look a year over two-fifty...

[=o=][=o=][=o=][=o=]
www.1000woodcuts.com
www.artfestivalguide.info
[=o=][=o=][=o=][=o=]
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Message 5
From: Julio.Rodriguez # walgreens.com
Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:55:03 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43189] Fw: Typeface on your TV
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This just came in, well worth seeing the video if you are interested in
the history of typeface and woodblock letterpress.....

Julio

----- Forwarded by Julio Rodriguez/Corp/Walgreens on 04/13/2011 03:53 PM
-----

"Typeface the film"
04/13/2011 03:03 PM
Please respond to
ian@kartemquin.com


>To
>"Julio Rodriguez"
>cc
>
>Subject
>Typeface on your TV
> >Kartemquin Films
>April 13, 2011
> >
>Typeface on your TV!
>Typeface is currently being broadcast nationally across many different PBS
>outlets. Please check your local listings as so many new screenings are
>being added that we can barely keep up with adding them to our website (we
>just found out about 30 different markets carrying the film)!
>Here's a list of upcoming cities and PBS stations that are carrying the
>film between today and April 30th. Some of these stations have multiple
>broadcasts planned across multiple digital channels, so really check those
>listings and don't miss it! We'll try to add more broadcasts as we hear
>about them.
>Tampa Bay - WEDU - 4/14: 11pm
>Miami - WPBT - 4/15: 10pm
>Grand Rapids - WGVK - 4/15: 4am
>Kentucky - KET - 4/16: 3am and 4/17: 2am and 4/18: 10pm.
>Spokane/Calgary/Edmonton - KSPS - 4/16: 3pm
>Houston - KUHT Create - 4/17: 6pm
>Tampa Bay - WUSF - 4/18: 5am and 4/27: 10pm
>Miami - WLRN - 4/18: 12am
>Washington D.C - WHUT - 4/19: 8pm and 4/20: 10pm
>Boston - NHPTV - 4/25: 9pm and 4/26: 2pm
>Cincinnati - CET - 4/30: 8pm
>A full list of screenings can be found on our Typeface events page. Don't
>see your local PBS station listed? Contact them and request a Typeface
>screening today!
>And, GET THIS! To celebrate all this Typeface on your TV, we're offering
>15% off the remaining limited edition Typeface DVDs in our store. Just use
>the coupon code #TFONPBS to get the discount before May 15th.
>On Twitter? Use the hashtag #TFonPBS to tweet your reviews, thoughts and
>updates on broadcasts of @typefacefilm as they happen!
>
>Typeface on Netflix
>We've just made it easier to request Typeface on Netflix. If Netflix gets
>"enough" requests (whatever that magical number is) they'll make it
>available to rent and watch instantly! So please help Kartemquin and
>Typeface and do it now! Happy watching! Save Typeface to your queue!
>
>Upcoming Screenings
>Typeface - Minneapolis, MN
>April 16, 2:00 pm
>Open Book
>Typeface - Tulsa, OK (Rescheduled date)
>April 21, 7:00 pm
>Philbrook Musuem of Art
>
>We hope to announce more screenings soon so stay tuned on our website,
>facebook or twitter!
>Interested in hosting your own Typeface screening?
>Email Typeface Outreach Coordinator, Ian Kibbe.
>
>Forward to a Friend
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Message 6
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2011 22:55:47 GMT
Subject: [Baren 43190] sumi ink info from McClains
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Here is what McClains has to say about the sumi ink,, as you can see I am in
Arizona soaking up some sun! it is 85 today and no rain in sight...we had 32
days of rain when I left Portland. It is forecast to be 91 tomorrow. I am
carving but will print when I get home to 30% humidity. I forgot to ask...are
there any bareners in Phoenix??
My best to all
Barbara

>Hi Barbara,
>
>80 degrees? Sun? I don't know those words. :-D Good to hear you made it safely
>to Mesa in spite of all those trucks!
>
>So, my thoughts on Andrew's problem. I think you're definitely on the right
>track. Sumi will reactivate if it gets wet so drying the paper after printing
>the key block won't help and if there's lots of pigment on the paper, it's going
>to reactivate and offset every time it hits something wet.
>
>The best idea I can think of comes from a book showing the progression of blocks
>printed to create a ukiyo-e print. They first printed the key block with what
>looks like a very light application of gray ink, not black. It's not solid
>printing either, it's textured - gomazuri I think that's called - so you know
>there isn't much pigment there. Then they printed first the light colors, then
>the darker colors and their final step was to print the blacks. That gave them
>the ability to make sure all the other blocks registered to the key block
>without having offset problems. So if Andrew wants black outlines, wait until
>the end and reprint the key block then.
>
>I've never tried adding gum arabic to sumi so I don't know if that would help or
>not.
>
>Well, back to work - have fun in the sun!
>
>Alex

Digest Appendix

Postings made on [Baren] members' blogs
over the past 24 hours ...

Subject: New Woodcut: Enhanced Fighter 2

Here’s a proof of a piece I’m doing for a print exchange and exhibition coming up this summer. It’s part of my ongoing series of “unfortunate fighters that just can’t seem to win” woodcuts.


This item is taken from the blog The Block.
'Reply' to Baren about this item.


Subject: Adventures in stencils
Posted by: Elizabeth Busey

My prints are all reductions, meaning that I use only one block and layer colors, one on top of the other.  I create colors this way that I would never have mixed by eye.  But one of the problems with reduction printmaking is that it is very difficult to get contrasting colors on the same print, especially colors in the same tonal range.  Enter the stencil...

I originally learned about stencils from Karen Kunc, a printmaker who also teaches at the University of Nebraska.  She uses stencils cut from brown kraft paper, and strengthened with masking tape.  Holding the stencil over one area of a print, she adds color to specific areas.  Her reduction prints are filled with vibrant colors.  


A large leaf on lino.

My subject was a close-up of a leaf of Ragged Jack Kale.  The scalloped blue-green leaves are punctuated by pink and purple veining.  I knew that with one block it would be very difficult to do each of these colors justice.

A lot of delicate cutting was required.



My strategy was to cut a stencil out of acetate, covering the veins while I printed layers of blues and greens for the leaf cells.   After a background of light blue, I printed a layer of purplish blue, and used one of my test prints to create the stencil.  I tried to leave as much of the acetate connected to strengthen the stencil.





[Long item has been trimmed at this point. The full blog entry can be viewed here]

This item is taken from the blog The World in Relief.
'Reply' to Baren about this item.