#Moku hanga for pc registration

The emphasis on method and tradition is very Japanese (for lack of a better way to describe it). This is sometimes called “rice paper”, even though it is not made of rice. Japanese Woodblock Prints are printed on a particular type of paper, called Washi, made in a particular way. There are different barens for different uses. You use a baren to press the paper against the block, to transfer the ink to the block. The paint is mixed in a very specific way, and applied to the block with a specific type of brush. Each of those notches has a specific name too (kagi and hikitsuke).

#Moku hanga for pc registration

Registration is done in a specific way, by carving very specific notches into the woodblock. Each specific tool (with its specific name) is used for a specific task. Moku Hanga uses specific carving tools, which all have very specific names. Speaking of “method”, it is the methods that really make a Japanese Woodblock Print what it is. This leads to a little variation in the density of ink throughout the print. The technique used to print in the Japanese method results in a little more texture than western methods, because the ink is applied by hand. The water-based inks used for Japanese Woodblock prints give them a particular texture and quality that I have trouble describing, other than to say “it looks like a Japanese Woodcut”. Japanese Woodblock Prints use water based ink. The biggest difference is that Japanese Woodblock Prints are, well, Japanese. There aren’t really many differences between Moku Hanga and Western Woodblock Printmaking. …and no matter where in the world you do it. Mashing ink against paper is mashing ink against paper no matter how you spice it up. Basically, however, it is the same principle regardless of how much detail you include. Sure, it gets complicated as you add detail to the image, and as you carve multiple blocks to include more colors in the print. By carving the block of wood, you can control where ink is applied to the wood, and as a result, where it is mashed onto the paper. Woodblock Printmaking is the art of using wood to mash ink onto paper. Moku Hanga translates to something like “wood pictures” or “wood graphics”, and is the Japanese name for printmaking. As a result, I might be a little irreverent.Īlso, I am going to use the terms “Japanese Woodblock Printmaking” and “Moku Hanga” interchangeably. Everything I know about it is from research, reading, and viewing Japanese Woodblock Prints. Disclaimer:īefore I go on, I should make a little disclaimer: I’ve never made a Japanese Style woodblock print.

Western Woodblock Printmaking uses oil based inks applied to the block with a brayer (roller), and the blocks are sometimes printed with a press, and Japanese Woodblock Prints (aka Moku Hanga) are made with water-based inks applied with a brush, and are printed by rubbing a pad (baren) across the back of the paper.