The definition of printmaking is
generally known as a variety of mechanisms created to transfer ink either on
paper or cloth. Types of materials used are metal plates; normally these are copper
or zinc, stone, aluminum, polymer, wood, silk, synthetic fabrics
and linoleum. Each of the methods has been given a term based on the
material used. Examples of common terminologies that have been listed in the
arts dictionary are engraving and etching known as a technique of producing
images using metal plates while silkscreen is known to support ink-blocking
stencil by using silk or other synthetic fabrics. Although the process is
very complicated compared with other discipline of arts, what is so unique
about printmaking is that it requires great knowledge of the various techniques
used to make prints as there is no short cut to it. However, in recent years, manual
printmaking techniques have been replaced with help from a machine called the printer. Since
2002, the author’s involvement with printmaking has personally led to an
exploration of deeper understanding of the unique style of printing especially
in relief printing called woodcut. This is a process where woodblocks are specifically
used in which the design is produced by removing the non-printing parts while the
surface that needs to be printed is kept. Next, when the ink is applied, a
piece of paper will then be pressed manually against the block or performed using
a press machine.
Relief methods have been used for
many thousands of years, and woodcut is
one of the oldest relief processes. It was originally used to repeat designs on
cloth or paper. Additionally, it was also originally used to print Buddha
images as charms and amulets. According to Munsterberg H. (1982), the oldest
form of Buddhist picture was found in the writing of the famous Chinese pilgrim
I-ching, who in the late seventh century visited India and he reported that
Buddhist prints were being made there. In Japan, Japanese woodblock print
has existed for more than eleven centuries and is famously known for its
amazing skill of production during the Nara period. The technique, which came
from China many centuries ago, was widely adopted in Japan during the Edo
period. These traditional woodblock prints are also known as ukiyo-e,
or pictures of the floating world. Images that have been depicted in many
woodblock prints were Kabuki actors, warrior and landscape. In the nineteenth
century, woodblock prints gained great popularity in the Western world after
Western artists and collectors started to collect them. While in Europe,
the discovery of paper manufacturing has led to the growth and spread of the
printed image. Generally, they were images of simple lines and were translated
to woodcut to translate a story. As pointed out by Rothenstein M., (1970), the development of polychrome Japanese print developed in stages.
For the past few years, with the help
from a former teacher, Juhari Said who has had the opportunity of making
Japanese wood block prints in Japan, the author’s involvement with printmaking
and the unique appeal of the Japanese design of the print has personally
attracted the author to discover more about the technique. In October 2012, the
author was given the fortuitous first-hand experience of visiting the
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and was given the opportunity for the first
time to witness the spectacle of beauty of the Japanese collection on display (Figure 1).
More than seven prints were exhibited at the Bridge Gallery at the time, including
works from Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Keisai Eisen and the famous Utagawa Hiroshige. It
was interesting to see how the audiences who had caught a glimpse of the prints
were mesmerized by their beauty, and literally incorporated themselves into the
prints. It was also amazing to see the perception and acceptance of the
Birmingham audience toward the Japanese prints where huge appreciation and
awareness toward a piece of non-Western art was shown. The fascination and
enthusiasm in exploring more about the Japanese print has resulted in greater
understanding of the elements and the distinctive Japanese design of the print,
and with the personal help from the museum curators, it provided the direction
for this research. Hence, a special visit to the Print Room has led to the discovery
on how to appropriately store prints.
A progressive study and continuity of
exploration on Japanese woodblock print during my master studies has led to a
practical understanding of the method for my Research in Practice module. It
has exposed me to a greater exploration in developing deeper understanding of
the technique. This blog was created to provide detailed descriptions of the
method based on entries that will provide better understanding of traditional
woodblock printing for those who are not familiar with the term and to share my
experience through out the whole process of producing woodcut prints. The
reason for choosing the medium of a blog in the first place is because it will
be easily accessible for the public where they could learn about the
traditional methods and a bit of the Western twist to the methods of woodblock
print. In addition, apart from providing information, records of videos and
images with the help from Mr. Justin Sanders, a print technician from
Birmingham City University will also provide a closer visual experience on how
the method works by just clicking on the URL. It also provide as a platform for my career development.
The blog begins with an overview of
material preparations by visiting the specialist suppliers of equipment and
materials to printmaker artists in London called Intaglio Printmaker. It
then seeks to provide information on how to handle tools in an appropriate way
in order to achieve good quality carving. The subsequent entry follows
with the printing process. Finally, it sums up the entire experience from the
perspective of history and art appreciation.
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| Figure 1: Japanese collection on display in Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery |
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