Woodblock Wednesday - advanced class, week 1 of 3

Carol showed us an example of how overprinting deepens the colour -

Other techniques used here are bokashi (shading) and stencils -

She suggested we use the simple shape of a mountain and moon for trying out the various techniques. First step is to mark the margins for the blocks -

The light wash on the printing area helps you see what's been cut. The shapes are transferred -

The advanced cutting method involves holding the bevelled knife at an angle, rather than straight up -

 My Inner Rebel didn't like the mountain-and-moon idea, though I did understand about using a simple shape; these two pots came out of my little sketchbook. After trying to "make them more interesting" I went back to the original ...

 and divided them up among the four blocks -

 Some things to learn and/or remember -

What the course will cover

A useful reminder

Efficient cutting of paper

 We'll need sheets of paper for printing next week -

First square up the deckle edge

A reminder of making the kento (registration notches) - I need more practice with this...

At home, I took a moment to check that the images lined up properly - and they didn't!

This is what comes of not following instructions! I decided to put a mountain (but not a moon) on the other side of the shina plywood. The first skyline wasn't mountainous enough (bottom left, below; you're seeing it upside down), so I zoomed in closer, and cut the mountain again and added a "cloudy" sky (top right) and at bottom left (upside down) cut the solid sky and some foothills. Both sections of both blocks can be printed separately (and I may try the other, the distant view, just to see what it looks like) -

 Bonus picture - lovely little curls ...