Emil Orlik The Japanese Painter Kano Tomonobu |
This step is obviously done by the artist himself. He paints on a very thin and translucent paper. |
Kitagawa Utamaro Création d'une estampe |
Somebody else frequently does this step: an engraver. Bertha Lum had learned this craft and therefore cut her own blocks at the beginning of her career.(see biography) To cut the blocks, the artist has to sacrifice his painting: it is put face down and glued on a wooden block (cherry wood). Then the engraver will start working the wood using specific tools that resemble scalpels. The craftsman will cut the wood until nothing remains except for the outlines, which are now in relief. This woodblock is called "keyblock".
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Keyblock of Ming Huang and Yang Kuei Fei 1924. |
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Keyblock of Sisters 1907(detail) |
Once the keyblock is made, the craftsman will cut the colour blocks, one block per colour present in the original painting. In other words, for a given area (or areas) on the original picture in a given colour, the engraver will make a woodblock where the only area left in relief corresponds to this or these areas.
A single woodblock print may thus require up to thirty carve woodblocks, depending on the complexity of the artwork.
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Kitagawa Utamaro Création d'une estampe (details)
To make sure that the different colours are properly aligned and do not overlap on the final print, the cutter made two incisions on each block, one in a corner and the other half way along one of the sides. These incisions are called kento.
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The third craftsman is the printer, and he is in charge of the last step: making the colour prints. The printer will place a mixture of pigments, water and glue on the woodblock. He spreads it evenly with a brush. |
Monk inking a printing block for a new edition of a sutra in the printing room of a Buddhist temple, Photo by l'agence Hartung.
He then places a sheet of paper, which will become the wood block print, onto the wood block. He makes sure the sheet is placed properly on the block thanks to the two kento.
He will rub the sheet of paper with a stamp wrapped in bamboo leaves (the baren ); thus the paper will take up the colour properly.
Emil Orlik Japanese Printer |
Monk impressing a piece of paper on an inked printing block in the printing room of a Buddhist temple, Photo by l'agence Hartung. |
The printer will repeat the procedure with as many sheets of paper as he wants prints.
He will then take the next block (and thus the next colour) and repeat the procedure just described , using the sheets of paper that he used for the first colour .
The printer will start with the blocks for the lighter colours and end with the blocks for the darker ones.
On the following page, you will find an example of the making of a print by Hiroshigé.
