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I use both very traditional Japanese methods of printing, similar to those used by ukiyo-e printers, and also very modern techniques, materials and tools. The traditional tools are so beautiful and pleasant to use, but they are difficult to find and expensive. Modern tools are very practical, easy to find, easy to maintain. |
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1.
Making a plan
I use both very traditional
Japanese methods of printing, similar to those used by ukiyo-e printers,
and also very modern techniques, materials and tools. The traditional tools are so beautiful and pleasant to use, but they are difficult to find and expensive. Modern tools are very practical, easy to find, easy to maintain. |
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2.
Colour separation I transfer each image to the wood block, using carbon paper. Due to the nature of printmaking, the picture needs to be reversed. |
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3.
Cutting and carving I use a modern cutter knife, round-shaped cutter and V-shaped cutter. Cutters need to be very sharp so I use a whetstone to do this. I also use an electric machine called a Router, which makes removing extraneous wood much easier. After the rough cutting, I smooth the surfaces, using sand papers for the perfect finish. For the Intaglio plate, I put satin varnish again and again on the wood where I need highlights, and carve all the lines with a V-shaped cutter. |
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4.
Preparing the paper Japanese paper is extremely strong and has a long life. The fibres of the paper is very long and twined together. Papers should be cut to the same size and dampen, and pile up the damp papers layered between blotting paper, apply a weight to the top and leave them for one night. |
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5.
Printing (colour relief plates) I use water-based inks. Water is a very important element in all Japanese art. Japanese brushes can apply sufficient ink on the wood and also remove any excess ink. The traditional baren, made from bamboo skin, still gives much better results than you would expect. The modern baren has a lot of tiny balls set in the surface allowing it to be moved freely whilst applying pressure to the paper. In this kind of printing, everything can be done by hand. |
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6.
Printing (intaglio plate for black ink)
After the colour relief plates have been printed, I print an Intaglio plate with black ink. This plate works like an etching plate. I mix acrylic colours with retarder medium for this plate. After applying ink to the plate I use a squeegee to clean away the surface ink, leaving the black ink only in the cut lines and woodgrain. A traditional baren is used to press down the paper and receive the ink. |
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7.
After printing
The prints are placed on a flat surface to dry. Later, I pile them up and leave them under a heavy weight to flatten them. |
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