MOVIE: Aspen Grove pigment application

You asked about how I mix and apply pigment...

When printing very pale colors, I generally add pigment dispersion or dry pigment to rice paste or methyl cellulose, mix well, and then dab that onto the damp block and brush out. For more saturated colors, I mix a substantial amount of dry pigment into a bit of paste and water and let stand overnight, stirring well the following day prior to printing -- OR -- I use pigment dispersion (a pigment-saturated liquid which mixes freely into water) as I demonstrate in the movie below. I add the pigment directly into a damp area of the block and then brush out until I achieve an even and satiny surface suitable for printing.

click the '>' play button when it appears to play the movie

8 blocks printed

detail

-- Mike

Labels: Woodblock

  ¶ 11:43 AM 4 comments links to this post

  2nd large print underway (Aspen Grove)

I've completed printing four blocks (of 12 total blocks) onto six 77 x 42 inch sheets (image 75 x 40 inches) and it's going... Well... Interestingly! I'm clearly very much on the steep part of the learning curve and my printing's more or less out of control at the moment -- even so, this looks like it'll be a pretty nice image of the dense aspen grove next to my parents' home in Colorado.

the print after four blocks

detail showing grain printing from walnut block

the 5th block (reduction state) underway -- this is 1/2" 'cabinet grade (A1)' walnut veneer

-- Mike

Labels: Woodblock

  ¶ 4:05 PM 3 comments links to this post

  Pulling the final impression of first 77x42 inch woodcut This morning I pulled the final impressions of my first 77x42 inch woodblock print using my new press... Not bad for a first attempt, actually, but I believe I can greatly improve with more practice! Registration appears to be pretty close to dead-on, thanks to paper maker Iwano Ichibei's having rocked the paper mold lengthwise so it is very stable in the long direction! Kinda amazes me to be able to maintain such tight registration over 77 inches of paper -- I had NOT expected this to be so easy and automatic at all! COOL! Here's a short (3.4mb) movie showing the last impression of the last print (8 blocks were printed on each of 5 sheets) -- ends with some dizzying (sorry) close-ups of the print showing rather intense detail:

pulling the final impression

Another brief movie shows the vacuum plenum on the press in greater detail. Rather than load it here, I'm providing a link in case you'd like to watch it (0.8mb)...

detail of final print (still damp!)

the completed prints in humi-drawer prior to drying

-- Mike

Labels: Woodblock

  ¶ 12:53 PM 7 comments links to this post