Printmaking Basics: Block printing

By now, everyone knows, it's hip to be square. After graduating with stars from the wonderful world of the potato print and before advancing to the fine arts portal of silkscreen, etching, or (gasp) lithography, enter the block. Block print is a great, accessible place to start your printing career. You'll be part of a tradition spanning 5,000 years back to Mesopotamia -- the territory now known as Iraq and Iran, or, maybe, more recently, Mess-o-potamia. But, with a little luck, and some pointers from this fine website, your first efforts can be relatively conflict free.

Block printing -- or relief printing -- is characterized by a carving away of negative space. In theory, it's just a souped up version of the potato print we all did in the second grade. In essence, you are removing the space you don't want to appear inked in the final piece and leaving behind the carved image that will take the application of ink and make its impression on your paper. You may remember, and it's worth repeating, that -- like said potato print -- your image will appear backwards. This is particularly important where text is concerned and you're so busy wrapping your head around the curve of that ampersand that you forget to flip it.

Linoleum is a traditional surface to start carving from as it has no grain (in constrast to wood), which resists and redirects your tool as you work it. It's helpful, also, to warm linoleum in the sun or by a register -- with enough heat the material will cut like butter. You'll find linoleum comes in grey or brown blocks, often mounted to wood for easy handling. Opt to draw on the block first or begin carving it directly. You'll use cutting or gauging tools administered by your local art store to remove the linoleum in strips. Everywhere you leave a recessed line or empty plane, you will see white in your finished print. When cutting is complete, you'll apply ink to the block surface. It's important to distribute it moderately and evenly. Next, you'll place a thin paper on the block and rub it (with a spoon, burnishing tool, or that bygone potato). The pressure will move the ink on your image to the final page.

There are options aside from linoleum as well. Other synthetic rubber slabs are comparable but somewhat softer (Soft-Kut^TM for example). However, while easier to carve, their lack of resistance won't allow for the construction of fine lines and detail; they are a typical classroom-grade product. Japanese woodblocks are another option. They are multi-ply plywood with a smooth, immaculate surface. Other clear woods -- like luan -- are good choices. In general, look for blocks without tight grains or knots.

INKS AT A BLINK

There are basically two choices for block printing ink: water soluble and oil.

• 1) Water soluble inks have the advantage of easy clean-up (no worries about it drying on the plate or your person). However, it will reactivate with water and pressure, coming off on clothes and sweaty hands. So you might rethink your homemade "I'm Sorry" note for nerved-up personal delivery, or instead use...
• 2) Oil inks which are, conversely, more permanent, and considered more professional.

Ink should be applied to a smooth, non-porous surface in beads -- or strips squeezed from the tube. Use your brayer (see next section) to roll the ink bead into an even film across this surface. This will load the brayer with ink. Then apply the film across your carved block print in a thin, even application.

NOTE: Too much ink will fill in the details of your smaller, more shallow lines. Too little ink will leave gaps in your printed image.

BRAYERS -- NOT YOUR MOTHER'S ROLLING PIN

If you've ever done interior house painting, picture a small torpedo roller that is rubber (instead of cloth). This is your new friend, the brayer. It is used to ready ink and apply it to the block. When buying a brayer, is it important to find one that is neither too hard or too soft. Harder, typically clear, school-grade brayers are less expensive but compromise themselves when it comes to surface imperfections. A more forgiving, more porous rubber brayer will work better for ink pick-up and provide more give dealing with surface irregularities. As mentioned in my notes on ink, it's a bad idea to simply add more if you encounter bald spots -- it will fill the detail work you want to preserve. Bottom line, invest in a good brayer and make Mama proud.

ROB HER BAREN

or just go buy one of these for yourself...

A baren is the tool you'll use to rub the back of your paper as it is resting on top of your inked block print, thus passing the ink from the latter to the former (in a strange editorial twist). Truth be told, you can use just about anything with an even surface that's going to distribute pressure consistently -- steal some rocks from your girlfriend's zen garden, or an apple from mom's kitchen. However, professional barens are tailored to fit the job.

• 1. Traditional Eastern barens: made of bamboo leaves, are a flat disc wrapped in material.
• 2. Plastic/Teflon barens: Speedball, for instance, are harder and somewhat more substantial for added pressure and endurance.

ADDITIVES

And if I haven't complicated a straightforward process enough, you should be aware of your choice to involve additives. These will become more of an issue as you familiarize yourself with the process and want to finesse, but it's good to know they exist. They are mixed with the ink before you apply it.

• Extenders -- add body and volume to your ink, but also make it more transparent; sometimes transparency is a desirable effect (for instance, when layering more than one print).
• Retarders -- slow the drying time of inks, which helps if you are working with a large block surface or a detailed one that might require touch-up cleaning.

Rinse, repeat (literally, clean your block in-between prints to start with a pristine surface), and, when you're feeling confident, proceed to my next hub, Etching Basics...