Japan Relief Print

Moving right along (no rest for the wicked -- or chronically lazy).  Working on a sketch for the Japan Relief Benefit Print.

This is a giant wave reflected in an umi dragon's eye.  I had to negotiate the design with my son, who has a proprietary interest in the umi dragon, as he has a roll playing character based on the concept.  He wanted to make sure the dragon was portrayed in a positive manor.  I hope this meets with his approval.

I'm tentatively calling it Umi's Tears.

Eye tilted slightly.  Tear moved over.  Don't know what I'd do w/o my scanner and Paint Shop Pro.  ;-y

Yet another iteration.

The thing about art is it's obsessive/compulsive.  Thank goodness dinner is almost done and I can quit this for awhile.  ;-j

Mythology Exchange - Prints Away

Mother Nature Welcomes Thor prints are on their way!

Mother Nature has been a fixture of our family mythos since our son Will used to watch the BBC cartoon program Super-Ted, with its improbable cast of characters too strange to mention. Mother Nature became an amorphous, generic force for good in our family, like a cosmic granny.



Thor was our beloved family dog who, as all children know, went to doggie heaven when he passed away. It has been a decade since he left us, but he is still fondly in our thoughts.

Printing - Day 3

Better day of printing yesterday.  Hotter weather, so ink dried out faster.  Had to clean the block often and dig out ink in the finer lines with a stylus (tedious task, but worth it).

Now that I've finished printing the set, I'm seriously recarving the block to open up the finer lines.  I drive myself mad sometimes with those fine lines.  Sometimes I think I should be doing engraving, or go back to etching.

Progressing.

Time for a break.

Printing - Day 2

Less than satisfying second day of printing.  The one on the left is from yesterday, the one on the right is from today.  I suspect it's the sometimes unavoidable side effect of too-fine lines.  They swell after the block has been wet.  I often have to recarve finer lines and I think this is one of those occasions.

Also it's cooler today than yesterday and the ink texture may be affected by it.

So I'll be recarving some of the lines next.  The usual two steps forward, one step back.  ;-j

Recarving.  Powder helps to show contrast.

Mother Nature Welcomes Thor

Ok, I like how this came out.  ;-]  Now all I have to do is print 30 more.  ;- j

Test Print - Mother Nature

I was playing around with a scan of the block in Paint Shop Pro and I decided I really like this look:

So I did some test prints today using Burnt Sienna.

I really like this.

I'll tear down the rest of my paper and have at it tomorrow.  Company coming for dinner and I've got ready to get.  ;-]

Finished Carving Mythology Block

Finished carving.  Time for a test print.  I'll be doing that tomorrow, but in the meantime, here's a faux print (mirror image of the block in black & white):

More Carving

Another hour of carving.  The stars are addictive.

~*~

Another hour or so of carving.

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Another session.

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Moving along.

That should do it for today.

Carving - Thor & Mother Nature

Starting to carve.  It's those first marks that get the juices flowing.

More carving.  ;-]

~*~

Yet more carving.

Sanding and Staining

Sanding and staining the block today.  It's a cold, soon-to-be damp day, so I expect it to take a while to dry.  Still working on the cartoon, but I'll have something to transfer when the block is ready.

Starry Background

Cut & paste Mother Nature and Thor over a starry background.  I want to do something like my Once In a Blue Moon woodcut for the stars.

Ordered paper.  Probably carve this on a 6"x8" block.  Print size in chuban, 7.5"x10" for Baren exchange #48.  I'll print some on larger paper, maybe 10"x11".  Easier to mat and frame larger paper.