The technique of printing designs
from carved planks of wood is one of the oldest methods of making
prints, having
been used in China to decorate textiles since the 5th century AD. In
Europe, printing from wood blocks on textiles was known from the early
14th century.
The woodblock
printing technique begins with the artist creating the image and
choosing the colors for the print. The image is then transfered to
the wood (or other materials, such as industrial linoleum) blocks from
which the final
print is made. The artist then cuts away all the space around the
drawing, leaving the drawn areas raised, or in "relief". Each color and texture
of the original design has to be carved onto a separate piece of wood
and printed in order.
For example, a simple woodblock print with three colors, green, black,
and red, would require three carved wood blocks. Ink is then rolled
on the surface and the image transferred onto paper either by passing
the block through
a press or rubbing it by hand. Since the cutaway areas do not take the
ink, they appear white on the printed image.
All of the
following prints are original, limited edition, signed and numbered by
the artist; printed on acid free printmaking paper.
