In traditional Japanese woodblock prints, a keyblock was often used. The keyblock was usually a black outline of the artwork to which all of the color blocks were registered. This third reduction of the block in my Bethlehem print is acting as a sort of keyblock in the sense that it gives the piece its definition. I used a very red purple color which came out more violet when it overprinted the blues underneath.
One more block to carve and print. This will be a border that I'll cut on a fresh block.
6 comments:
Wow, this is really taking shape! I can't wait to see it finish and my hat is off to you for printing this long format. I printed a long format print once and had trouble, when the paper would stretch, getting it to register on the long side. Great job! You rock!
Thanks, pistoles press. Yes, stretching is definitely happening. I'm dealing with it by trying to keep the stretching the same for each pass, which means keeping the variables as similar as possible (amount of baren pressure, amount of moisture in the paper and amount of moisture on the block). Which as you know is nearly impossible, so I rationalize the off-registration by imagining that it adds to the handmade charm :)
This is looking terrific Annie! I rally like how the printed image has the character of the cut wood block - and looks 3D.
How thrilling to see it come together!
Celia
This is so great to look at...and to follow the whole process from the first print untill now is so interesting...
I´m so thrilled by woodcuts and would like to do some one day....Now i do some pictures where i cut in birchveneer which have been coloured...and i like the feeling of cutting and the expression it gives to the picture...
One of your readers Anita from Randers in Denmark
Wow, Annie! And *Yay* to handmade charm!
Thanks Celia, Anita, Nicole. Anita, your wood carvings sound interesting.
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