by 3 people |
So, what is woodblock printing?
Woodblock, or woodcut, is a method of printing in which an image is carved into a block of wood, which is then inked, and the image is pressed onto a sheet of paper. The print is a mirror image of the woodblock, and the areas to show as white are cut out of the wood
It has its origins in China where it was first used to print on textiles, then Buddhist scriptures. Today it is mainly used as an art technique.
Dragonfly Woodblock in Aqua II Art Print - Zarris, Chariklia - Buy at AllPosters.com
Some basics about woodblock printing
- Woodblock printing
- A brief history from Wikipedia.
- What Is Moku Hanga?
- Moku hanga is the Japanese term for woodblock print and has been practised there since the 8th century when it was introduced from China.
- Ukiyo-e
- Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints. This article from Wikipedia details the history and outlines the method.
- Woodcut
- The woodcut is the wooden printing surface used in woodblock printing.
- Ukiyo-e Periods and Movements
- Ukiyo-e art can be divided into five different art periods and movements: The Edo Period, the Meiji Period, the Shin Hanga movement, the Sosaku Hanga Movement and Moku Hanga.
Moku Hanga Printmaking
Graham Scholes demonstrates a 17-colour print
See Grahams work at woodblockart.ca.
powered by Youtube
Learning about woodblock printing
- Woodblock Workshop
- Graham Scholes offers a very informative hands-on Moku Hanga workshop they call Boot Camp. This is an informal,very motivational and important learning experience as attested by numberous students, from around the world, who have attended during the last 6 years. Graham has been studing with Noboru Sawai, a Japanese Canadian master printmaker who was taught by Toshi Yoshida in Japan.
- The Technique of the Color Wood-cut
- An online version of the book by by Walter J. Phillips, published August 1, 1926, by Brown-Robertson Co. Inc. (New York)
- Guide to Print Workshops in Canada and the United States
- An extensive list of open workshops: about 500 places, techniques and press sizes, paper and book arts, photo and computer facilities, galleries, classes, handicapped accessibility, more.
- Ukiyo-e Techniques
- This site is intended to help students, collectors and researchers better understand the Ukiyo-e technique. It focuses on techniques utilized in prints and is not meant to be a survey of Japanese prints or a history of Ukiyo-e. Photographs and video clips show demonstrations of the techniques.
Some books on woodblock art
One Hundred Aspects of the Moon: Japanese Woodblock Prints by Yoshitoshi
Yoshitoshi (1839-92) was the last great woodblock print master of the Ukiyo-e tradition. He was interested in preserving traditional Japanese culture, and his prints celebrate Japan in its mythology, literature, history, the warrior culture, and fine woodblock print tradition. The series 'One Hundred Aspects of the Moon' is regarded as his greatest achievement.
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 11/28/2009) 
David Rabinowitch: Carved Woodblock Monotypes 1962
In the early 60's Rabinowitch moved from painting to sculpture. In 1962 he created 100 woodblock monotypes at the time that his first sculptural works were being formulated. They provide a fascinating insight into the process that produced his early sculptures. Although they are not studies for them, they are directly expressive of sculptural issues.
Release Date: 01/02/2004
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $30.83 (as of 11/28/2009)
The Woodcut Artist's Handbook: Techniques and Tools for Relief Printmaking
This profusely illustrated book is ideal for artists, printmakers, designers and collectors. It provides the basics of this craft with a detailed analysis of the tools and the media. Artists can improve or develop considerable skill in this art by following these instructions and helpful tips. Beginners and advanced woodcutters and collectors will gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation for this craft and this art.
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 11/28/2009)
Ukiyo- e
A Japanese artform
Ukiyo- e is the main artistic genre of woodblock printing in Japan. Prior to the 17th century, printing in Japan was restricted to making text and illustrations for books. Ukiyo- e originated with the single-color works of Hishikawa Moronobu in the 1670s and the art form rose to great popularity in the metropolitan culture of Edo (Tokyo). Traditionally, ukiyo-e was made with a collaborative system where the artist, carver, printer, and publisher engaged in division of labor. During the twentieth century revival of Ukiyo-e, some practitioners began taking responsibility for the whole process. This came to be called Sosaku hanga, which struggled at first to gain acceptance, but has come to be the dominant school of practice in post-war Japan.
Latest news about woodblock prints and printmaking
- Utagawa Kuniyoshi at the Royal Academy
- The 19th-century prints of Utagawa Kuniyoshi are on display at the Royal Academy in London. According to the Telegraph's art critic, the prints expose the Japanese artist's creepy imaginative vision, and explain where Japan's taste for manga comics comes from. Includes a short video. (30 March 2009)
- After Hiroshige: A Century of Modern Japanese Prints
- "This exhibition at the Johnson Museum emphasizes the push during the Meiji period in Japan for modernization and industrialization, a move reflected in the shin hanga (new prints) and sosaku hanga (creative prints) that became popular during this time. With this new modernization, artists reflected a nostalgia for the past, as well as the growing influence of the West." (1 April 2009)
- 19th Century artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi's woodblock printed art work
- Blogger Kim Dellow reviews the current exhibition of Utagawa Kuniyoshi's work at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. (April 4, 2009)
- James D. Havens carved his legacy into woodblock prints that captured the world around him
- Rochester printmaker James D. Havens (1900-1960) is considered part of the color woodblock revival of the early 20th century, generally viewed as an outgrowth of the arts and crafts movement. (April 5 2009)
- Interview with UK printmaker Mark Mason
- Mark talks about how he became fascinated with printmaking, his creative process and inspiration. (April 6, 2009)
- Master of the Skies
- Paul Binnie has created an intimate series of small, directly carved cloud studies. These clouds are explicit and bold renderings of the sky's landscape captured in evocative woodblock prints. (April 9, 2009)
Woodblock supplies on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Organizations
- The American Print Alliance
- The American Print Alliance is a consortium of non-profit printmakers' councils in the United States and Canada. Lots of on-line resources. Some require subscription.
- WorldPrintmakers.com
- Serves two clear-cut collectives worldwide: working printmakers, and fine-art print lovers. The former deserve all the help they can get, and the latter, a select-but-devoted minority, need a dedicated printmaking center on the Web where they know they can always turn for reliable information, up-to-date news, interesting work for sale and sheer visual delight.
- PrintMakers.info
- A website where printmakers from around the worls can showcase their work and their websites.
Woodblock Supplies
- Aboveground Art Supples
- Toronto based supplier whos Lino/Block Printing range includes Water Soluble Ink, Oil Based Ink,
Blades & Handles, Lino Blocks, Brayers and Accessories. - The Japanese Paper Place
- supplies several thousand different kinds of Japanese paper.
- McClains Printmaking Supplies
- Dedicated to the Art and Artists of Relief Printmaking
- Block printing supplies
- from DickBlick.com
Woodblock dreams
An artist exploring moku hanga, traditional Japanese woodblock printing
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byWoodblock RoundTable
The work of woodblock printmaker David Bull
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byby seafoam
I live in rural Nova Scotia, Canada where I make my living as a woodturner. If you need a spurtle, I'm your man.
I have an interest in how the intern... (more)
I have an interest in how the intern... (more)
Explore related pages
Printmaking Studios, Groups, Galleries & Ateliers
- Welcome to the lens on international studios, galleries & ateliers devoted to th...
Japanese Art and Artists - Resources for Art Lovers- This lens provides links to information about Japanese Art and Artists of the 18...
Portraits of Great Composers- I am in the process of creating a series of the great composers. Here are the on...
d r a w i n g l i n e s :: p r i n t s- t h a n k s : for : d r o p p i n g : by please : e n j o y : and : check : back...
m.Lee Fine Art- I am a fine art printmaker living in Boston, Massachusetts with my husband and t...
