What is Japanese Woodblock Printing?
Hiroshige (1797-1858), Shono , Series: The Fifty-three Stations of the TokaidoMedium: Woodblock PrintDate: c. 1832-1833Size: 9" x 14"
Printmaking comes in many forms and there are many approaches and styles. In Japan the traditional and most widely know form of printmaking is MokuHanga and country of Japan has a long history of beautiful woodblock printing
In Japanese woodblock printing, an artist carves an image into a piece of wood. Using sharp blades called gouges, the areas that won't be printed are cut away, leaving the design in reverse on the block.The block is then inked and pressed onto a surface, for example, fabric or paper, leaving an impression of the image of the block.Woodblock printing is a very old art form. Most early woodblocks were done in black and white, although some were later painstakingly coloured by hand. That's because each colour added during the printing process requires a separate block. Making coloured woodblock prints is a complicated and time-consuming process. It's also one that Japanese woodblock artists eventually mastered.
Woodblock printing came to Japan from China around the 8th century. At first, it was used to print religious texts and by the 1500s, woodblocks became the preferred method of printing books. These early prints were mostly one-color but had, sometimes, one or two additional colours.
In the mid-1700s, during a time of growing prosperity, a style of art called ukiyo-e, or 'floating world' developed, initially for the wealthy upper classes. The style included both paintings and exclusive prints with a colourful, decorative quality. It featured scenes of sensual pleasures, beautiful courtesans and the latest in fashions. Eventually, the style became popular among all strata of society, and an innovative technology provided a way for the masses to also own images. In 1765, a printing process called nishiki-e, (the word means 'brocade picture,' so-called for its resemblance to colourful fabrics) was developed to produce brilliantly colorued woodblocks using up to 20 different colous, each with its own block.
The technology of nishiki-e required large teams of carvers and printers. Ukiyo-e prints began as a collaboration between an artist and publisher, who discussed possible images to create. After the artist created the image, block carvers did the actual cutting of the woodblocks. To ensure that each separate colour block matched up when the image was printed, L-shaped brackets, which were registration devices called kento, were attached to the edges of each block in an identical location. After the blocks had been carved, the printers then mixed the inks and carried out the actual printing process. The result was inexpensive, beautifully coloured prints that could be mass-produced for audiences.
How wood cut print are made
The techniques themselves have remained consistent for 300 years. A finished Ukiyo-e print will reflect the vision of three artists: the painter, the carver and the printer. These unique works capture the true essence of traditional Japan. Here are the five steps involved in creating a Ukiyo-e print.
1. PAINTING
The first step in creating a Ukiyo-e print is the initial painting or hanshita-e. This image is the basis for the entire print, but at this point, it is more like a sketch or a template, composed only of black ink brushstrokes. That is not to say these templates don’t take skill. Artists pour their hearts and souls into every line to produce a strong image that will guide the whole process.
Pasting down the design (key block) to begin the lengthy process
2. CARVING
Next, the painter hands the hanshita-e over to the wood carver. The carver’s job is to transfer this template onto a block of wood. They do this by pasting the paper over the wood and carving the black lines into it.
3. REPEAT
The painter creates one hanshita-e for every colour of the final piece, handing each one over to the carver to complete a woodcut for each. Once this process is finished, another artist enters the fray: the printer.
4. PRINTING
The printer receives one block for each colour of the final Ukiyo-e, and communicates with the artist to decide how to best combine them on Japanese Kozo paper. This printmaker will experiment with various hues in order to make what they think is the best image. Painters and printers, who are both stubborn and passionate, often debate this process, but if they work together correctly, the final result will be better than anything either of them could have come up with on their own.
The actual print process is laborious and time consuming. The layers of colour have to be printed one by one, and they must be aligned perfectly to avoid spoiling the image.
