[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking.

Baren Digest               Saturday, 4 July 1998       Volume 04 : Number 202

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Ray Esposito <brassring@brassring.org>
Date: Fri, 03 Jul 1998 08:10:32 -0400
Subject: [Baren 1061] Re: Secrets of Hideshi 

Graham wrote:
>I am a believer that if you are afraid of competion then....
>Well ....if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen.....
>
>There I have made another enemy....  so be it.

But you also made a LOT of friends.  I agree completely.  As I have written
to a number of lurkers to Baren, this a friendly AND sharing group.  Your
words could not have been more true.  And when have you and I worried about
making enemies?   Perhaps Hideshi will take eyour words to heart and
rethink his position.

Cheers

Ray Esposito

------------------------------

From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Fri, 3 Jul 1998 08:51:26 -0700
Subject: [Baren 1062] Water Slip Stones 

Jean Wrote.....
>I have uploaded an image of this special sharpening stone to my web site at
>http://users.lanminds.com/~jeaneger/tool.jpg

I looked at the site and was surprised to see just one stone that had all
the shapes which in itself is a good idea but you require several grits to
properly sharpen your tools. When the shapes get smoothed down or out of
shape it would be very difficult to reinstate them to the proper shape.

I suggest the water slip stones as the most practical and best units for
consistent sharpening.  If you are not familiar they come in three shapes
and several grits.

Traditional Water Slip Stones....
are about 4" x 2"  are tapered to a thickness of 1/2" down to 1/8" along
the 4" length. The ends have a round edge. These come in 1000x, 4000x, and
8000x grit.  The first two grit are recommended.
Can price ...around $15.00 each.

Carver's Miniature Water Slip Stones......
are 2 1/2 long x 1 wide, come in 4 shapes ranging from a wedge, flat with
short wedge at end, flat with one end tapered, and flat with one end angled
and other end wedged.  These come in 4000x grit. Can price ...set of $
23.00  A must have.

European Slip......
this is not a needed stone so will not elaborate.

You also need Wet Stones. Their size is 8 x 2 x 1
You can purchase one stone that comes in a 250x and 1000x combination
The 250x is for blade shaping and the 1000x is for a finer finished edge.
For our type of carving you need the 4000x and I have only used the above
4000x Traditional Water Slip Stones rather than spend the $ on a large size.

Having an assortment of stones enables you to get the best results and an
bonus feature is that you can keep your stones in shape. Whether they are
flat, tapered or rounded you can rub and shape one stone against another.
This is important to do on occasion to maintain the proper shape of wet
stones and slips.
The stones must be wet ...soaking wet .... to do any sharpening of tools
and shaping of stones. I leave mine sitting in a tray of water while
carving so they are immediately ready.

Jean wrote.....
>Basically, the success of the sharpening seems to depend on the
>mood of the day and the state of mind of the woodcutter, rather than the
>stone.

Sharpening is a skill.  Once you learn how to hold and move the blade over
the stone then you will get the proper results every time.
It takes a little practice.....little compared to carving....and once you
get it, it is like bicycle riding .... you never loose it.

Dave...
Should we get this info ...with diagrams.... in the Encyclopedia.
It could be a helpful addition to your article.  I have a few days just now
and can use the rest from physical labour.

Graham

------------------------------

Subject: [Baren 1063]
Duplicate posting in error

------------------------------

From: April Vollmer & John Yamaguchi <jy6@columbia.edu>
Date: Fri, 3 Jul 1998 12:49:44 -0400
Subject: [Baren 1064] Virtually Extended! 

I am pleased to announce that my exhibition "Japanese Lessons, hanga
woodcuts" at AIR Gallery this May has been virtually extended on the
internet at: http://www.ulster.net/~vollmerf/april/gallery/jlsouth.html

Hope you can drop by!

April Vollmer

------------------------------

From: Gary Luedtke <GLuedtke@compuserve.com>
Date: Fri, 3 Jul 1998 14:38:20 -0400
Subject: [Baren 1065] April Showing in July 

April,

Very impressive, a nice layout on both the gallery walls and the net.  Good
luck with your exhibit.  Web-sites do not often follow the flow as you
would walk around a gallery, I like the fact that on yours, you _see_ the
wall as if you are there, and can then step-up to a print to fully
appreciate it.  It's a more relaxed feeling, and an open house sensation.

Two thumbs up!

Gary 

------------------------------

From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Sat, 04 Jul 1998 15:02:16 +0900
Subject: [Baren 1066] One-point lesson 

Here is this week's 'One-point' lesson (a 'tip' from printer Mr.
Keizaburo Matsuzaki, passed on here by David Bull)

********** ********** **********

(#12)  'Locking' the paper into the 'hikitsuke' ...

The pigment has been brushed over the block and smoothed out, the paper
picked up by the fingers and set into the registrations marks with the
thumbs and then gently allowed to fall into place on the wood ...  What
comes next?  Of course, rubbing with the baren is the next step, but
first a small hurdle must be crossed ...

Picking up the paper and getting it into place on the wood is definitely
a 'two-hand' job.  How then, is one to pick up the baren without
'letting go' of the paper?  When the carved area is wide and the pigment
quite wet, the paper will not usually move from the position into which
it fell, but when the areas to be printed are small and scattered about,
there is nothing much to 'hold' the paper in place, and at the first
touch of the baren it may shift - spoiling the registration.  Ideally,
one would like to keep the two thumbs 'clamping' the paper in place on
the registration marks, but without a 'third hand' to pick up the baren,
this is not possible.

The procedure that Japanese printers use for 'locking' the paper in
place is simple, but requires that the blocks be carved in a
standardized way - with the 'L'-shaped 'kagi' in the front right corner,
and the straight 'hikitsuke' along the lower left side of the block (as
you look at it in the printing position).  As the right-hand corner of
the paper is being slid into the mark, the printer always ensures that
_both_ of the two trimmed edges of that corner come in contact with the
wood.  

When the thumbs come down to lock the paper in place, it is not the wide
'meat' of each thumb that does so, but the side edge of the thumbnail
(along with a touch of the side of the thumb).  These two nails are
allowed to grow to about 4~5mm in length, to provide enough nail to bite
into the paper.  

Then, with the left thumbnail securely holding the paper in place
(together with the 'tension' from the edges of the paper touching both
faces of the 'L' mark), the right hand is free to pick up the baren from
its resting place, which of course must thus be a position on the bench
to the right hand side of the block.  The baren is then lightly touched
down on the paper over one of the carved places, and the first small and
light stroke that will 'pin' the paper in place is always made stroking
_towards_ the corner kento mark, so not to pull the paper out of place. 
In the case of wide and secure colour blocks, the left thumb is now free
to release the paper, but for delicate blocks, this nail continues to
clamp the paper throughout the entire printing operation.

The reverse sides of Japanese prints thus frequently show a series of
small striations along one edge of the paper, caused by this thumbnail
clamping.  

(And as for us lefties, if we want our blocks to be printable by
'normal' printers (and thus not carved in 'reverse' fashion), we have
quite a problem ...)

********** ********** **********

Next week,  'Everybody knows their place ...'

These 'One-point' lessons are being collected into a section in the
[Baren] Encyclopedia of Woodblock Printmaking.
http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/updates.html

Contributions from experienced printmakers for future 'One-pointers' 
are eagerly solicited.

------------------------------

From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Sat, 04 Jul 1998 20:03:40 +0900
Subject: [Baren 1067] Re: Various 

April wrote:
> http://www.ulster.net/~vollmerf/april/gallery/jlsouth.html

Thanks for showing us this one April.  Will these photographs be up
'permanently' or will they be disappearing soon?

And now for the questions!

Please tell us about that interesting 'baren' with the wooden handle
that we see in one of the photographs.

What's in the small plastic squirt bottle?

Have you got more photographs available ... that with a description of
your process added, would make a page in that 'Overviews of the
Printmaking Process' section of the Encyclopedia!?

***

Re: Mr. Hideshi Yoshida

I've been in correspondence with him (in Japanese) and despite what you
may have understood from that 'secrets' comment on his web page, he _is_
completely open to discussion of his methods, etc.  I don't think his
comment was made so seriously.

He wants to contribute to the Encyclopedia, and he is very willing to
correspond with any of you who wish to write to him, although I would
suggest that you remember that English is his second language, so your
letters should probably not be overly long or complicated.

***

Graham wrote (re sharpening stones)

Dave...
> Should we get this info ...with diagrams.... in the Encyclopedia.
> It could be a helpful addition to your article.  I have a few days just now
> and can use the rest from physical labour.

Graham, yes please, whatever you would like to put together!  I've
already put in my own small description ofwhat stones I use, but there's
room for lots more right beside it, describing what other people use.

And I have not even started to write an entry on how to use the stones...  
That's still wide open ...    So yes, if you would like to spend
some time at your Mac instead of with your blocks, yes yes yes!

Dave

------------------------------

End of Baren Digest V4 #202
***************************