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- The following is a summary of the woodblock print technique which might be useful to a person experimenting with the medium for the first time or to a printmaker looking to refresh a memory.
Pine is a good wood to work on, either clear planks or selected knotted pieces. For cutting the block, a simple set of small carving tools with a knife, a flat tool, and a couple of scoops and V gauges will do.
Stain the wood so that the carved areas will show up against those left untouched. Draw the image on the block and black it in so that it is clear to you.Carve out all areas that you don’t want to print. You can leave all sorts of texture or emphasize the wood grain. Hold the knife at an angle away from the image so that you don’t undercut the design and cause it to chip.
To pull a proof, you’ll need a soft composition roller, oil-based inks, a sheet of plate-glass, and a flexible and absorbent rice paper. There are many kinds to choose from so try several to get the effect you want (I like Okawara). Using the roller, roll the ink out evenly on the glass and then roll it in all directions on the block, gradually building up a surface that will print. Place the paper on top of the inked block and use a Japanese rice paddle to carefully rub the back of the paper. Check the print by pulling the paper partially off one side, replacing it, and then checking the other side.
For color prints you will generally need a block for each color. A registration board is easy to make and will allow you to control where you want each color in the print. Use plywood for the back of the registration board. Attach two strips of wood at right angles [glue these]. In one strip, two nails should protrude. These will pierce the printing paper so that you can put the nails through the same holes each time for registration.
Using the registry board, fit the first block into the right angle and print onto non-absorbant paper i.e. wax paper. Then fit the second block into the right angle and print the wax paper onto it. Draw on the second block and then carve it so that what remains are only the shapes and texture of the second color.
When you print these, one over the other, you can use alum hydrate extender to enhance the transparency of the inks.
Woodblock prints have been done using many other techniques. Hopefully this simple explanation will encourage some experimentation in an exciting medium.
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