Studio Notes - Large Blocks
9/30/23 - A difficult printing day. Everything seemed to go wrong! I need to remember that I’m still fairly new to Mokuhanga. This should become a daily practice. If only I could arrange my life to have that kind of time to devote to printmaking. My goal is to make it happen.
But that’s a long-term goal. Right now, I need to get a few good prints out of the three 16x20 blocks that I’ve worked so hard on. It’s too late to quit now! Friday night, I will prepare the damp pack. Use the mister bottle. Spritz 3 times across, 3 rows for a total of 9. Brush up the left side, and across three times. Place the next sheet on top of the first (stagger them a little). Why didn’t I do it this way earlier??? Sandwich between two damp sheets of newsprint, wrap plastic sheeting around it all, and don’t put a weight on it this time. Let it soak overnight.
Saturday morning - Prep the nori. Use distilled water, and make half a jar so I won’t run out of it this time. Make sure the nori is the right consistency (yogurt, mixture drops off at a count of four or five). Test ink gradations (need to make one more jar of the darkest value).
First proof - spray the block with water and let it sit a few minutes. Brush the block. Spray the maru bake and the block and brush it again. Then, add nori and ink (more nori the first time, then less later). Don’t keep spraying the block like last time. Use enough paste and pigment. Shine two lights on the block to gauge amount of water/paste/ink. The lighting was terrible last time - it’s no wonder the prints didn’t turn out!
Try and try again. The blocks are in good shape. I just need to focus on the printing. It will happen. And then, I can work on some small blocks for awhile!
*** And stop beating yourself up over this. Think of how much you love Mokuhanga, and of how much of yourself you have put into these blocks.