Woodblock: Xylography Printmaking Process

For this assignment we were asked to design a pre-colombian mask. I mixed some shuar and valdivia design elements to create mine.

WOODBLOCK: XYLOGRAPHY PRINTMAKING PROCESS

Step 1: Gather necessary materials: Paper, wood sheet, ink, brayer or paint roller, gouges, precission cutter, tape, pen, fabric.



Step 2: Sketch a a black and white design on A4 paper or the same size as the MDF plate, making sure to keep a balance between blacks and whites.



Step 3: Transfer the finished sketch onto the wood block with tracing paper. Don’t hesitate to go back over your design to improve it directly on the wood.

Step 4: Hold the knob of the gouge in the palm of your hand and hold the MDF block in place with your other hand. The type of pressure you exert with your hand and the way you hold the gouges will allow you to create varied carvings.


Step 5: Engrave the wood using the gouges, cutting out the areas of the image you don’t want to show on the print. Remove the clear parts of the image if it’s a positive print, or the dark areas if it’s negative.

Step 6: Once the block is completely engraved, rub it with a brush to remove all dust and wood chips. Sand down rough edges.


Step 7: Pour some ink on a tray and spread it the width of the inking roller. Pour more ink until the roller is completely covered.


Step 8: With the roller, evenly spread ink on your wood block in all directions until the design is covered. No roller marks should be visible.

 


Step 9: Place a sheet of fabric on the inked wood. Using a Japanese baren or your fingertips, exert pressure over the entire surface of the wood. Don’t forget the edges and the corners.


Step 10: Carefully remove the fabric from the wood block. This print is a first proof: the test proof. Don’t hesitate to make any corrections or improvements you think are necessary.

        

Here's the final result!

        

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