Lets mix some ink and print something with love
For the girls
& the guys
Who’s Your Type?
‘Just My Type’ A short film (48secs) showing the process of making a letterpress card.
Wood for Trees Linocut Workshop
Lets start with a nice cup of tea...
Sketch out some Ideas
Carve those designs into Lino
Ink up the lino!
And make a linocut Print!
Lovely!
If you would like to try a taster linocut workshop click the button below to book your spot!
A Miniature Woodblock Print from Mokuhankan
Mokuhankan Patreon - Miniature woodblock print from the Mokuhankan studio - design by John Amoss.
Woodblock Printmaker David Bull
I’ve been following David Bull’s woodblock printing website for a few years now and what I love about David is his absolute passion and dedication to woodblock printing and generosity of sharing his process. He has built an online extensive encylopedia dedicated to woodblock printing. This wealth of information includes advice on tools for carving, sharpening stones, tools for printing, wood for carving, printmaking papers, sizing recipes, pigment and paste recipes. Whatever you’re looking for this is definitely a fantastic place to explore.
http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/index.html
Mokuhankan
David is based in Tokyo at his studio Mokuhankan where he has a number of carvers and printers working with him in the studio to create exquisite original woodblock prints and reproductions of some well known prints including those of Hiroshige and Hokusai.
David also produces videos which give a real insight into his world of woodblock printing. (Almost 100 videos to choose from on Youtube!) He has created a series of Ukiyo-e Heroes with illustrator Jed Henry, a Hiroshige reproduction of ‘Heron and Irises’ - edition printed by Ayumi Ohashi, a reproduction of Hokusai’s ‘Great Wave’. His latest video shows the whole process, in real time, from start to finish, carving and printing the well known Japanese woodblock print ’Female Nude Seated in Water’. Original design by Ichijô Narumi (1877~1910).
I recommend anyone with an interest in woodblock printing to check out David’s amazing world of woodblock printing at woodblock.com, mokuhankan.com and his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/seseragistudio/videos
Mokuhankan Patreon - To our fans and supporters - a miniature woodblock print - design by John Amoss.
Patreon
By becoming a patron ‘Patreon Chibi’ I am now a patron of David’s work and just before the New Year I received my first miniature woodblock print from the Mokuhankan studio - design by John Amoss.
Beautiful Japanese postage stamps too : ))
"Mokuhankan is my attempt to see if traditional woodblock printmaking can perhaps find a place in contemporary society. I am going to publish some prints - on a very small scale at first - and see if I can find the combination of image, quality, price, and presentation, that will achieve that goal." David Bull
Thank you David and John and all the production crew at Mokuhankan. I think traditional woodblock printmaking certainly can find a place in contemporary society. Your print is a joy to behold.
Japanese Woodblock Printing with Laura Boswell
A question I keep hearing recently is ‘Does this add value to my life?' It’s a question The Minimalists ask themselves throughout their daily lives. I recently saw their wonderful film Minimalism about how having less is definitely more.
What adds value to your life?
It’s a useful question and one that I’m beginning to look into a little deeper. For a few years now I’ve been exploring a few different printing methods. From rubber stamp printing to linocutting, to letterpress and more recently woodblock printing. Through the process of exploration I’ve come to find that the process of woodblock printing resonates with me the most. I am drawn to the process from beginning to end, from sketching an image, transferring the image onto the woodblock, then carving the image into the wood, dampening the paper and finally making a print with the baren. I love the materials used in the process and the way it helps me to slow down, focus and be more present. This process definitely adds value to my life. So I wonder why then I seem to be spending the least amount of time actually woodblock printing?
Laura creating Kento registration marks
Woodblock BLOCK!
One reason might be my slight phobia of multi-colour printing. I have continued to tell myself that I have woodblock BLOCK and a fear of creating a multi-colour print. It’s not as though I haven’t made a multi-colour print. I’ve been on a couple of group courses where I came away very happy with my colourful prints. But I also came away with that overwhelming feeling that the registration process was still somehow out of my reach. I had not asked enough questions. There was not always time or space in a group setting. When I had tried to make a multi-colour print back at my studio, each time the blocks wouldn’t line up but I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. It was as if I had been transported back to the school maths class but this time the tutor had vanished. The 'how to' books and online videos were not helping. So it remained a complicated puzzle that I just could not unravel and so I put all the mistakes back in the drawer and froze.
What I really needed was a one-to-one session with a printmaker with a hefty plunger who could help remove this gigantic blockage. Someone at my side to show me the process, who I could directly ask questions at any point in the day without interruption and be able to extinguish those burning questions in a moment. That someone was indeed the wonderful printmaker extraordinaire, Laura Boswell.
Printing my woodblocks
Thank you Laura Boswell
Laura simplified the registration process for me, she made the whole woodblock printing process very accessible. She took measurements off the map, put my fears to rest and renewed my faith in my own ability to go forward with the process. Her down to earth approachable manner made the whole day a complete joy.
So thank you Laura for helping to unblock the woodblock BLOCK and restoring my confidence. Your woodblock printing course has definitely added value to my life!
Trees & Songs in Orange & Gold
It’s been a busy couple of weeks at the studio and I’m excited to announce that a limited edition of 100 EP covers have been printed for Red Deer Sleeping’s EP ‘Autumn’.
Printing Spiral Song Titles
Thanks to the lovely Lisa from Lymebay Press for transferring my design for the inner sleeve onto polymer plates. Although I love to work within the limitations of traditional letterpress, there are times when having more more control over the design is preferred. Mixing analogue and digital enabled me to create spiralling song titles for the inner sleeve. It might have been a bit of a challenge typesetting this by hand!
Inside inner sleeve printed with orange linseed oil based ink
Printing British Oak
I scanned and enlarged this botanical illustration of British Oak by W.H Fitch. The image was transferred to a polymer plate which I then fixed to the chase base enabling me to print the design using the adana 8x 5 printing press.
100 inner Sleeves Printed
Ouside inner sleeve printed with gold linseed oil based ink
Autumn EP Launch
Red Deer Sleeping’s EP ‘Autumn’ will be released on the 16th November at their EP Launch, El Rincon Spanish Bar, Bristol. Click here for more details.