WOODBLOCKS FOR PRINTMAKING

(MINOR FOREST PRODUCT)

CONTENTS

Introduction

The History of Woodblock Printing

Method of Woodblock Printing

Wood Types and Wood Characteristics Required for Wood Block Printing

Conclusion

References

Web Links

INTRODUCTION

The idea of using carved wood blocks to print multiple images on paper probably originated in China. This invention had an enormous cultural impact on human civilisation as it played a key roll in the evolution of communication and thought (Heller 1972). Printmaking wood blocks are a minor or unusual forest product and only wood types with specific characteristics are used. The type of wood that is used and the angle it is cut depends on the printing technique (Saff and Sacilotto 1978).

THE HISTORY OF WOOD BLOCK PRINTING

Wood blocks have been used for printing for at least two thousand years and their earliest application was probably for designs on textiles in China, India and Egypt. The art of wood block printing on textiles was also practiced in Europe during the early Middle Ages and reached a climax of perfection in eighteenth century France and England (Bramwell 1982).

One of the first forms of wood block printing done on paper (otherwise known as block book printing) was carried out by Buddhists to transcribe and disseminate the text and images of Buddhist deities. Printing with the same block of wood offered a way to mass-produce, in scroll form, the sacred words and images (Heller 1972). One of the earliest known Chinese woodcuts of text and image is the 17-foot long Diamond Sutra, which was discovered in a walled-up cave in 1907 and dates from 868 A.D. The assured style and beauty of this wood block print suggests that in China wood block printing must have already undergone a long period of maturation, many centuries before western woodcuts developed (Heller 1972). One of the oldest surviving records of European wood block printing is a fragment of a block depicting a Crucifixion. This block is known as the Bois Protat and is dated to 1380 (~500 years after the oldest known Chinese wood block print) (Heller 1972).

At the beginning of the fifteenth century, woodcuts were commonly used to provide cheap illustrations of religious subjects. Religious texts were also cut into the same block and the resulting prints were hand water coloured. Later that century woodcuts were beginning to appear as illustrations alongside type in Germany, the Netherlands and Austria. A number of great artists such as Durer, Holbein and Cranach also created woodcuts with the assistance of professional cutters (Bramwell 1982).

During the eighteenth century boxwood blocks were used for printing with fast running printing presses. This was because the resilience of the material was ideally suited to the printing presses and the fine grain made the wood ideal for fine and detailed work. In the nineteenth century woodblocks were mainly used for cheap commercial illustrations of all kinds (Bramwell 1982) and today is enjoying a resurgence of interest among visual artists and letterpress printers alike.

The above woodblock print done by Australian artist Max Miller in 1991, is a good example of the resurgence of interest among visual artists.

 METHOD OF WOOD BLOCK PRINTING

Woodblock printing can technically be divided into woodcut and wood engraving. The woodcut is created on the side grain of the wood while on the other hand wood engraving is worked on the end grain of the wood (Saff and Sacilotto 1978). See http://www.cbbag.ca/WoodEngraving.html for further information on wood engraving.

 Cutting the Block

The first step for producing a block is to draw something onto the surface of the wood or make a drawing first on paper and then trace it onto the block. After the drawing has been completed on the block, the lines or areas which are intended to be white or unprinted should be cut away. The cutting tools include a knife of traditional design and two basic types of gouge (V- shaped and U-shaped gouges). A bench hook or an engraver's pad can be used to support the block during the cutting process. An end-grain block is used for making an engraving as it can be engraved in any direction without tearing or splintering (Saff and Sacilotto 1978).

On the left is an original 1511 Durer woodblock for his "Christ appears to Mary Magdalene" from which the print on the right was made (Bramwell 1992).

Printing the Block

Printing a woodcut is very simple. Oil based or water based ink is worked on the surface of an ink slab (which is made of plexiglass, stone, marble or plate glass). A brayer is then used to roll up the wood block, which is usually made of gelatin. Alternatively the block can also be inked with a dabber, which is a cotton pad covered with leather or silk. Soft, thin, tough paper such as rice paper, Japanese paper or other comparable European or American papers are best for woodcuts. The block is then printed by either rubbing a burnishing tool over the back of the paper as it rests on the inked block, or by printing the block on a press. Coloured wood block prints can be created by either using a number of separate colour blocks, which when printed together create a complete picture (Saff and Sacilotto 1978).

THE WOOD TYPES AND WOOD CHARACTERISTICS REQUIRED FOR WOOD BLOCK PRINTING

Woodcuts

Woodcuts are usually made on the plank side of wood, with the grains running lengthwise. The quality and type of wood (as well as the skill of the cutter) determine the degree of fineness and detail of the woodcut (Heller 1972). Throughout the history of the woodcut, prints have been made successfully from many different types of wood from many different parts of the world. The characteristics of wood have tremendous variation between species and where they are grown (ie trees of the same kind can have different characteristics when grown in different locations) (Heller 1972). For large-format prints the blocks are often glued together at the edges because most blocks for woodcutting are rather narrow (Heller 1972).

The coarseness and direction of the grain are major considerations because the cutting takes place on the grained or plank side of the wood. The use of wild cherry wood by the Japanese ukiyo-e artists was very important for the quality of the results they achieved. This is because this wood is very hard and fine-grained so that detailed cutting can be done both with and against the grain. Softer woods such as fir and pine are less able to hold fine detail although they are easier to cut. Also the grain of softer woods is more pronounced and can often give added texture to the print. The density of the wood itself can influence the flow and curve of the linear cutting pattern and in some incidences the cutting pattern can be influenced by the grain direction (Heller 1972).

Hard Woods

If fine detail is needed then both maple and birch are good although they are extremely hard and difficult to cut and so the tools need frequent sharpening during the cutting. Fruit woods such as cherry, pear, or apple trees are some of the finest for woodcutting as they can hold exquisite detail because they are hard and even-grained. Beech has the most even-grained wood and so is also excellent for detail. Other suitable hardwoods include walnut, oak (although it is extremely hard and has an objectionable open grain), and the softer mahogany (which cuts reasonable well but splinters easily). Some mahogany can also have a very porous, textured surface (Heller 1972).

Soft Woods

Pine is one of the most abundant tree species found throughout Asia, Northern Europe and North America and so it is a traditional and very widely used material for woodcutting. Pine has tremendous variation in ease of cutting, evenness of grain and tendency to splinter. One of the superior varieties of North America pine for wood block printing is sugar pine as it is firm, even-grained and can be cut both with and against the grain. Although it is soft compared to cherry or maple, pine is capable of producing thousands of prints from a single block. Some pine often shows the marks of the grain in the final print which may give a beneficial textural effect. This is due to a strong grain pattern and a distinct difference in hardness between the earlywood and latewood (Heller 1972).

Another softwood that has excellent qualities for woodcuts is poplar as it holds detail well when cut both with and against the grain and the grain tends to be smooth and even. Also it is strong and resilient, does not warp readily and it can be worked easily. Basswood or linden wood (as it is known in Europe) has very similar cutting properties to poplar and also an excellent ability to hold detail (Heller 1972).

Plywood is sometimes invaluable for large woodcuts and solid areas although it is never quite as good for detail as a solid piece of wood. This is due to the nature of its formation as each layer of wood is cut and glued in a way that is different from its structure on the trunk of the tree. Some types of plywood though will hold a surprising amount of detail such as those made from basswood or birch. Fir plywood is the most common plywood and it has a strong grain, splinters easily and can also produce strong wood grain textures when scrubbed with a wire brush (Heller 1972).

Australian Species

Little is known about which Australian species are suitable for woodblock printing as most visual artist tend to use traditional exotic timbers (as their characteristics are well known). Australian species, which have characteristics that are favourable for woodcarving, may also be suitable for wood block printing such as Jarrah, Blackwood, Banksia, Sandalwood, Huon Pine, Hoop Pine and King Billy Pine.

CONCLUSION

The earliest application of wood block printing was probably done for designs on textiles in China, India and Egypt (Bramwell 1982), although the first form of wood block printing of multiple images on paper, probably originated in China (Heller 1972). Wood blocks used for printmaking are a minor or unusual forest product and only wood types with specific characteristics are used. The type of wood that is used and the angle it is cut depends on the printing technique (Saff and Sacilotto 1978). Today woodblock printing is rarely used to depict daily life around the globe (as it has been replaced by television which does it much better) however it is enjoying a resurgence of interest among visual artists and letterpress printers alike. For further detail on woodblock printmaking see http://www.woodblock.com/.

REFERENCES

BRAMWELL, M. 1982 The International Book of Wood. Colporteur Press.

HELLER, J. 1972 Printmaking Today, A Studio Handbook. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., New York, U.S.A.

SAFF, D. SACILOTTO, D. 1978 Printmaking, History and Process. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., New York, U.S.A.

WEB SITES CITED

http://www.bridgewater.edu/~dhuffman/soc306/Weaver/)

http://www.cbbag.ca/WoodEngraving.html

http://www.woodblock.com/

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Copyright1999 The Australian National University

Author: Tristram Miller

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Date last Modified: 18.10.99

URL: http://www.anu.edu.au/Forestry/wood/nwfp/woodblock/woodblock.html