On this page, you are going to be learning about the materials and techniques used in woodblock printing.
Materials:
-The wooden boards that are used are made out of cherry wood because of its durability and flexibility. Kentō, or a gouge mark, is used to align the board correctly, and make sure that all of the corners are right angles.
-The paper that is used is made out of crushed mulberry bark mixed with vegetable size. This mixture makes the paper to come out flexible, and it allows the ink to penetrate but not spread.
-Lacquer is a thick, usually black, substance that is used to add emphasis and life experiences to paintings. It is usually added on after the print has been done, to make sure that it is darker.
-Metallic pigments were mostly used in smaller prints to add emphasis on jewelry and kimono patterns, which show power.
-Mica is a rock with many flakey, translucent and shimmery layers. When mixed with a rice paste, it adds a glistening effect to the background to make it more interesting.
Techniques:
- Circular baren traces are used to add texture to the painting, usually the background, rocks, paved surfaces, and other textured areas in the painting. You usually go in circular motions using the brush.
- Burnishing is a technique that is like using lacquer, but it starts as a dull black. Then when it is dry, you use a bone or a piece of ivory to rub it. The repeated dry rubbing is a polishing technique that is used to add emphasis on shiny objects or things that are supposed to stick out.
- Bokashi is the gradiation of paint from one color to the next. They use wiping, shading, and variation of amounts of ink to make a more visually appealing affect. This is a very highly observed art style that is used in larger areas of the painting such as a sky or the mountains.
- Visible woodgrains were usually used in earlier print. As ukiyo-es became more popular, the artists started to cover or plug the wood to ensure that there would be no grains. Artists pick their wood grain size depending on the style of work that they were doing.
This is a slideshow of examples using some of the different techniques and materials.