Posted by Dave Bull at 10:52 PM, September 21, 2012 [Permalink]
So here we go ... the blocks are all done; time to get printing!
Because there are is a fair amount of detail in this image - hair, etc. - it is important for me to get the paper into 'good' condition, so before beginning the printing with pigments, I gave it an impression on a blank woodblock. This left the paper (in the central area only) with a nice smooth surface, and also helped me get the moisture to the proper 'soft' level. Once the paper had recovered, I began the main printing, starting of course with the key block:
At the end of that day, I then took the stack out from its moistening sheets, and dried them all off completely. I did this because if I simply pressed ahead with the colour printing in the usual way there would be a lot of 'transfer' of these black lines. Key block printing is normally done with a not-so-dense black pigment and very little paste, giving a result that doesn't usually transfer while printing colours, but in this case, in order to get her hair to a nice dense level, I had to use a pretty rich mix (along with plenty of paste) and that is a perfect recipe for transfer.
Drying the sheets and letting them sit for a day or so before re-wetting helps obviate most of the transfer, and early this morning, I was able to continue with the printing, beginning with an under-tone for the main kimono:
Most of this will be covered up by subsequent tones ...
