Sunday, October 25, 2009

Getting There

This is the first tree I carved. It was on EasyCut around the end of May in 2008. I remember being really disappointed when I tried to print it. The paper was all wrong. I think I printed on dry pastel paper. And I couldn't get good coverage. I was using Speedball Water Soluble ink applied with a brayer.

I reprinted it this week with Akua Kolor waterbased inks, brushed on, doing multiple impressions on the background and lino block, and printed onto the Japanese handmade paper Kitakata.

What a difference materials make! And a little more experience. I just wish, now that I've started printing from wood, that this was not carved out of that squishy stuff. It is pretty near impossible to get consistent registration with this stuff. It is just too soft. Sure, it is easy to carve, but there's just something about that baren on wood that feels better, and right.

3 comments:

Annie B said...

Wow, how satisfying is that??? Great improvement.

starkeyart said...

VERY satisfying. I remember how frustrated I was with my first attempts at printing. I think maybe I just expected it to be easy and had no idea that there was so much to learn. Now I know that there will always be more to learn, and improving with each print is part of the appeal of the whole process.

And thanks, Annie. I've learned a lot from your blog.

Anonymous said...

Has it only been a year? Keep up the good work...M