The Woodblock Print Process

The woodblock (or woodcut) printing process has been around for many years. It originated in china shortly after the development of paper.

Woodcuts are relief prints; the non-printing areas are carved away in order to make the design that is printed. With woodcuts every print is an original work of art. They are not reproductions (like giclees). There is no true original as there would be with a reproduction of a painting. They are all originals as slight variations are found in each print. The amount of prints printed depends on what the artist decides to print and include in the edition of prints. Generally, there is only the edition of prints that the artist chose to print from the block. After a print run is made the block is either destroyed or put away.

To create a woodcut, a wooden slab block is prepared to print a design on paper first by drawing onto the block its self. The artist must then carve away the areas that are NOT to be printed. Chisels are generally used to carve the block. Once finished with the carving the artist will the coat the block with ink and press it firmly against the paper. This can be done by hand with the use of a baren or spoon or it can be run through a printing press. Though originally printed by hand the use of a press is widely accepted in the art world today. When the paper is lifted off the block and the mirror image of the carved design will then appear in ink on the paper.

Finally this is just one of the many ways to create a wood cut. Traditionally this method I use is a more European in style. For multiple colored prints the artist may choose to use different blocks for each color. I however prefer to use the same block and carve each color away after printing; working from the lightest color to the darkest.This process is called the reductive woodcut process.