The Block

I spent most of the day fighting with this woodcut, trying to salvage a presentable piece. First I struggled to mix a color that I wanted to use. I printed the brown on 5 sheets (this time I didn’t ink the ceiling area in the background). When I printed the black on top for the first time, I was still disappointed with the results. I realized that the background was too busy and was competing with the figure. If I hadn’t cut those marks in the wall area behind the figture, the figure would have come forward more clearly. I decided to cut away the background all together and reprint. I’m much happier now. However I’m still trying to decide if the brown adds anything or if the simple black and white version says it all.

I printed both colors last night so I now is a good time to take a look and decide what I think about this one. Here are some intial thoughts:

• I like the cut marks over cut marks as opposed to “coloring in” outlined shapes from the key block. Still, does having the 2nd block even add anything or have I said it all with the key block? If I want to get away from having a key block, I guess I can’t do my original drawing directly on the block.
• Kitakata is beautiful, tough paper, darker in tone than the Kozo (used for Yellow Jacket). I was able print with the baren without a slipsheet, without rubbing holes in the paper.
• I need a better way of planning my colors. I think it would be helpful to have color samples that Im trying to match before I start mixing ink. I’m not thrilled with the colors with I ended up using. Maybe I’ll use watercolors for color studies for the next one.
• I’ll probably work a little smaller so I can do more prints and try more things in less time. I’ll wait to move up in size when I have more of these questions worked out.
• I took my time drawing on the block and am happy with that part of it.
• Overall, I’m satisfied. However, there are a lot of lessons that I’ll be taking from this one to the next piece. I’m tempted to reprint this in different colors but, at this time, I think ‘ll move on to a new image.

This one has been a long time coming. It was drawn from a dead yellow jacket that had attacked me as part of a swarm. Apparently, I pissed them off while clearing brush for a fence. The beasts chased me into the kitchen where they repeatedly stung me until ultimately meeting their doom. These are no cute little honey bees - I was laid up full of wasp venom until the next day.

I finished cutting the master block close to a year ago, then set it aside. I have returned to it with a bunch of new tricks and techniques and am pretty happy with the results. Also, being a smaller piece, it was great for answering a few questions ahead of some larger stuff I’m working on.

I printed by hand on Kozo paper. Kozo is transluscent, has a beautiful texture and really absorbs the Daniel Smith relief inks nicely. Those relief inks are incredible to work with. I was using litho ink for everything as I had in college. Never again! Using these inks saves a lot of ink ($) and time as they are easier to mix, roll up and clean up. Plus the they print like a dream. Also, I feel like I have really been missing out by not starting to hand print earlier. Former attempts at hand printing were less than successful because I was trying to use BFK and similar too-thick papers. Now I know.