How To Make A Woodcut

Woodcuts vs. Wood Engravings
Etching Tools
Types of Woods
Preparing Wood for carving
Transferring the Epitome
- Direct Drawing
- Transfer or Carbon Newspaper
- Toner Transfer
Sealing the Block
Etching the Block
Press the Block

Contributors
Related Manufactures

Woodcuts are relief printing plates made past carving marks in blocks of long grained planks or plywood. Long-grain refers to the grain following the direction of growth, i.e, parallel to the tree torso/co-operative the piece of woods was cutting from.

Woodcuts vs. Wood Engravings

While both are relief printing methods, Woodcuts are distinguished from woods engravings past both the grain management of the wood used and the tools employed. Forest engravings are typically made in hardwood blocks cut across the grain or endgrained, that is, perpendicular to the growth of the tree using gravers and scorping tools. Woodcuts are made in wood plank or plywood with the grain parallel to the direction of growth using knives, gouges and chisels.

Carving Tools

The tools nearly typically employed to make woodcuts are etching gouges of various shapes and sizes along with various chisels and knives. There is a wide variation in construction and quality of carving tools. Personal preference and style of carving will ultimately have the greatest bear upon on the types of tools employed, even so, it is paramount that the tools be of skillful quality and kept precipitous.
Fewer tools of higher quality are preferable to a large selection of tools of junior quality. A small and large u-gouge, a minor v-gouge for details, a knife for outlining and a wide gouge for clearing areas is a skillful selection for the beginner.

Types of Wood

Forest used for a woodcut must be clean, well seasoned or kiln dried, and perfectly apartment in all directions. Many types of forest are suitable, both hardwoods and softwoods may be utilized depending on the amount of detail required. Sure soft woods, such as some species of pino, cedar or cypress, may non permit details to be successfully rendered and may also shrink during the printing process only may nevertheless yield interesting results. Hardwoods such equally mahogany, poplar, ash, birch, apple or cherry plywood are more than difficult to carve and require more attention to tool sharpening but retain smaller details and agree upwards to press pressure and abrasion meliorate.

David Black

Cedar Paneling, Shina Plywood and Pine Plank (top to bottom) are suitable for making woodcuts. Information technology should be noted these are all less than .918 in thickness and will demand to exist shimmed before press.

Plywood made from birch, red, and fir is widely employed as it has a more anticipated and consequent thickness, surface quality and more is hands acquired than suitable planks. Plywood should be apartment, clean, free of internal voids or knots that may affect impression and checks or cracks that may harm rollers. Plywood is typically graded with a lettering organization: A being the loftier grade and D being low grade. Two letters are commonly listed, (sometimes a tertiary added to indicate the intended exposure rating) with each alphabetic character indicating a face. For example, AA graded plywood would be plywood with two articulate faces and few voids. AC plywood is the near common and would indicate a clear face and a face with some imperfections and filled knots or voids. Voids in the internal structure of the plywood block may affect impression. AA or higher grades of plywood volition have the fewest voids.

Buying wood direct from a well stocked lumber yard that serves fine woodworkers rather than one of the box store retailers volition yield higher quality and more selection of interesting species. Lumber yards as well frequently offer some milling services, so you may be able to accept stock panels or planks accurately milled to desired dimensions and occasionally thicknesses besides.

Ownership pocket-sized samples of diverse species and performing some tests is ultimately the best way to decide which wood products will yield the desired results.

David Black

Whatsoever wood may be tested for suitability past making various tool marks and noting the results. In this instance, a modest department of Pine plank has been tested and so inked in black to give better dissimilarity to the results.

Preparing Wood for carving

Since wood reacts to the humidity of the environment by expanding and contracting, it is advisable to purchase planks several weeks in advance and allow them to acclimate to the studio norms of humidity and temperature prior to carving. Store them well supported and flat with adequate air circulation. This can assist in preventing distortions in the surface and salvage internal stresses in the materials that may build upward when moving abruptly from high humidity to low humidity or vice versa. By and large, if materials are purchased locally during the spring and summertime, this is not an consequence as the climate inside the studio should exist close to those found in the lumberyard. This is not always true in the winter or fall when a damp, cool plank is brought into a warm dry studio. A big section of 1 surface carved away will shortly begin to bend and/or twist in response.

Plywood, with its veneers of alternate grain direction is not quite as susceptible to these stresses, but should however be given some time to acclimate and can warp if stored on end, or if 1 side becomes dampened.

Warping, cupping, and other distortions can be mitigated with sanding, planing, and conscientious reintroduction of moisture. However, wood already demonstrating these issues should be passed on if other sources are bachelor.

In one case the desired size block and been gotten out of a plank or panel, it should be lightly sanded using medium to fine sandpaper mounted on a sanding block to remove whatsoever proud standing burrs, irregularities, loose materials, or splinters on the face. If the edges of the block are rounded or eased they will print equally a soft or fuzzy edge. Unless this is a desired effect, care should exist taken during sanding to prevent the sanding block from sliding over the edge at anything other than right angles.

Once the surface has been uniformly cleaned, a fabric lightly dampened with alcohol can exist used to remove sanding dust. Any liquids, including mineral spirits, tin swell or "raise" the grain of the woods. Yous may use a cloth lightly dampened with water to exaggerate the grain, taking intendance to allow for consummate drying.

Transferring the Image

Directly Drawing

The most simple method of preparing an epitome on the woodblock is to describe directly on the woods surface with pencil or marker, bearing in mind the resulting image will be reversed when printed. No materials other than a pencil or mark are required for this method. Care should be taken to only use plenty pressure to make a readable marking and not vanquish the wood grain or surface as this may bear witness up as undesired errant marks during press.

Transfer or Carbon Paper

Designs may also be transferred using transfer newspaper or carbon paper sandwiched confront down betwixt the drawing and the wood surface with a ballpoint pen or other stylus used to trace the cartoon. The resulting pressure will transfer a copy in carbon/graphite to the surface. Care must be taken to prevent burdensome or indenting the woodgrain; experiment to find only the right amount of pressure to make a transferred line without indenting the surface.

The drawing to be traced should be reversed rather than correct reading. The resulting line transfer should be re-traced with a Sharpie or other mark if you intend to proof your image frequently while carving, otherwise information technology may wipe off when exposed to ink. Materials required for this method are transfer paper and a re-create of your image, reversed and sized in proportion to the block.

You may too simply shade the back side of the paper your prototype is fatigued on with a thick layer of soft graphite pencil, so it may be used equally transfer paper would. Clarity of the transferred prototype may be variable, however.

Toner Transfer

The toner transfer method is technically complicated, simply yields very fidelitous results—of import if the image has a high level of particular. This technique of image transfer to the block requires the use of a heated transfer tool, a photocopy, and mineral spirits. The image should exist transferred earlier the forest surface is sealed with varnish (run across preparing the wood surface earlier in this section) then the surface should only be sealed with a waterborne acrylic, as shellac may loosen the transferred toner and blur the image.

This method should only be used in a properly ventilated and fire prophylactic environs. The transfer tool is hot enough to crusade severe burns and must be kept under observation during utilise. Mineral spirits are flammable and should be stored and applied in an surface area abroad from where the transfer tool is to be used for the procedure.

Materials needed:

Oestrus transfer tool non greater than 18w chapters. These are available widely in stores selling wood carving tools and virtually arts and crafts stores. College wattage tools will scorch the wood immediately and cannot be used.

Odorless Mineral Spirits

Photocopy fabricated on a not-fusing oil or dry toner blazon copier of the 'right reading' and properly sized image for the intended block. The fresher the copy the easier the toner will transfer.

David Black

Materials needed for rut transfer of image to block.

Steps:

Photocopy is placed face down, aligned properly, and secured to the wood block with record.
Plug in the transfer tool and permit it to heat up to operating temperature. (5-10 min)
A cotton ball, cotton makeup applicator, or clean textile is wetted with a modest amount of odorless mineral spirits and rubbed over the entire image area of the photocopy until the paper is just wetted enough to be translucent, simply no liquid is credible.
The fully heated transfer tool is worked over the paper surface in the image area. Wisps of pale smoke may ascension from the surface. Keep the tool firmly and flatly pressed to the surface and constantly moving. The paper should dry out, become opaque again, and stiffen as you work; this is a good indication that you have heated the expanse adequately. If the paper begins to discolor you have overheated that area.
Continue working until the image is completely transferred.

Note: Pausing in i area may crusade scorching, go on tool in constant motion. Tool volition cool during the paradigm transfer procedure, working methodically in small areas with occasional pauses to permit the tool to recover proper operating temperature will give the best results.

Sealing the Block

The wood surface can be sealed with Shellac (alcohol based) or Waterbourne Acrylic Varnish to allow for better ink release and to assistance preclude surface splintering of softwoods during etching. Avoid using sealants or varnishes that are oil based as the inks and solvents tin can soften them during printing or cleaning with disastrous results.

Wood may be printed without sealing the surface, however the ink used during printing will soak into the surface somewhat rather than release onto the paper. This affects the density of solids until the pores have been filled and can be frustrating. The wood surface will likewise swell and soften a pocket-size amount. Sealing the surface prevents this from occurring and allows for more carefree treatment during printing.

Apply one or two sparse coats of Shellac or Acrylic Varnish, lightly sanding betwixt or later on each glaze. Careful application is of import; drips, brush marks, devious bugs and other imperfections will reproduce in the print. Only plenty varnish is needed to seal the pores of the wood and toughen the wood surface. Coating both sides at once and drying raised on thumbtacks prevents warping.

Acrylic varnish will significantly raise the grain as the water contained in the vehicle readily soaks into the wood. The consequence is not equally pronounced with Shellac.

Bank check to be certain you lot've coated the surface uniformly, as any areas of uneven application may show up as changes in ink density due to absorption.

Carving the Cake

Success in carving wood blocks can depend heavily not just on skill, merely on the quality and sharpness of the tools employed. Every bit mentioned earlier in the is section, a few abrupt, good quality tools are preferable to a big selection of inexpensive tools that do non hold a sharp edge.

Frequent honing while carving allows yous to avoid longer and more hard sharpening sessions.

Wood, as an organic fabric, has a smashing deal of variation in reaction and behavior when carved. Cutting across the grain can cause splintering. Occasionally the grain can crusade tools to wander if care is not taken to maintain a abrupt edge and an fifty-fifty, moderate application of pressure while working.

There are many different techniques employed for the bodily carving of the prototype; the post-obit illustrates a typical approach as used on Shina Plywood.

Prior to starting work, a small amount of transparent printing ink is rubbed into the surface to stain the surface. This will assist in judging the development of the image. As material is removed, the unstained wood underneath will contrast with the surface cloth which is stained. Red or light blue are proficient choices. Waterbased ink should be avoided as the grain will slap-up. Alcohol based markers may also be used.

1. Careful outlining of the image tin be performed with a 5-gouge, angled knife, or heavy utility blade. Leaving a small margin effectually the bodily image allows for afterwards refinement. The raised expanse left behind should be supported by a sloping edge rather than an sharp directly angle for support and stability. Annotation: A small department of reglet, steel, or brass bullnose dominion held behind the cutting border of the tool protects the wood's surface by preventing unintended crushing of the surface from the backside of the tool.

2. Further refinement of the image.

3. Open areas are cleared with a large (in relation to the size of the cake) u-gouge. In many cases but ?" deep or less material removal is needed to allow for clean press. A smoothly cleared surface is preferable to a rough one every bit it is less likely to snag cleaning rags or hide devious printing areas.

4. The cake may be proofed carefully and further refined equally needed.

The finished block needs to be carefully inspected for loose splinters, raised sections or other debris that may damage rollers. Gentle poking and conscientious inspection of small raised details to bank check for soundness is also advisable.

Printing the Block

One time the prototype has been carved, the block needs to be shimmed to proper pinnacle for press. Binder's lath, masonite, MDF, boosted plywood blocks or chipboard alone or in combination may exist employed for this.

David Black

Checking the block is the proper height with a type high approximate. This ane has turned out a little high and will need some underlay removed.

When printing the woodblock, carefully build up the underlay until the cake prints evenly and densely. Heavy impression will shell most wood except for the toughest hardwood (and difficult to carve) species. Starting time with a light impression and add together underlay slowly and carefully.

The cake should exist given close attention during the print run with careful appraisal of it'due south status. Wood is an organic material and may show unexpected reactions or wearable during the run. Information technology is better to take hold of something like a small section of item coming free before information technology does, than to fish it out of the inking rollers.

The block should be cleaned with a gentle dry out wipe with a sturdy cotton cloth. Alternatively, a material dampened with a pocket-size amount of solvent may exist used. Non-drying oils, water-miscible solvents and even mineral spirits tin smashing and soften the woodcut, breaking free minor details or changing the surface's reaction to ink. Solvent, if used, should be used as sparingly as possible.

Blocks should be stored flat, the surface protected, in an area with controlled temperature and humidity to prevent warping or other baloney.