Japanese Woodcut Course

About

This Japanese Woodcut course will take place over 3 alternate Saturdays, allowing time for you to develop your work and cut blocks in between the sessions. You will learn how to transfer your drawings to the blocks, cutting techniques using traditional tools, then how to ink and print the blocks with help to understand how to get the right combination of paste and ink, the right moisture in block and paper, and hand burnishing with the baren. The day will start with a look at some Japanese Woodblock prints and a discussion and a brief overview of the history of the technique, and the names and uses of the tools.

• In the first week you will:
• Look at examples of artists work, talk about how artists use the technique and have planned their images
• Discuss the properties of different wood
• Discuss images and how to plan the sequence of woodblocks (3)
• Learn about the different carving tools and how to use them
• Draw directly onto your woodblock or learn how to transfer a drawing onto the block
• Learn how to make the registration
• In the second week you will:
• Explore the difference between using traditional colour and commercial colours
• Learn how to size paper
• Learn how to damp paper
• Learn how to mix the paste and colour on the block and how to print your blocks
• Print and continue to cut blocks
• In the third week you will:
• Explore printing and colour mixing
• Focus on printing all of your blocks together to make your final image
• Tea and coffee provided.
• Please bring your own tools if you have them.