The paper we use is known as 'Echizen Hosho' (washi) and is a very expensive type - not something you want to be using for your first experiments. I can't put links into these RUclips comments, but if you search for a place called McClain's Printmaking Supplies, you will find many suitable papers, both for editions, and for experimentation.
Wow, that was phenomenal to watch come together. The work is absolutely beautiful. Also, the video and your narration is fantastic - you have a great voice and style, David. And when you cracked open that beer at the end, that was just the icing on the cake!
The paste that goes on the block to be mixed with the pigment, is a simple type called 'yamato nori'. It was traditionally just mixed from rice, although nowadays we mostly use stuff in tubes. It's there to help the pigment spread smoothly over the wood; without it, the colour would be patchy and blotchy. It's not - as most people assume - to help the pigments adhere to the paper ...
I have a light table here, and for areas like that - which are not on the key block - I trace them from a master printout of Jed's design. Another way is to draw and cut _one_ such area first, and then print that and transfer it to subsequent blocks as a guide.
You mean the background/sky block on this print? It's not a problem, for a couple of reasons. First is that we wash the blocks after each work session, and almost all of the excess pigment is removed. When we then print that peach colour on a subsequent batch of prints, barely any blue remains. The second factor is that a bit of print-through from the blue impression of the first batch in the sky area of the second batch isn't a problem, because it's going to also get hit with the blue itself.
These videos are such a pleasure to watch. David seriously has such a soothing voice that I cant help but feel so relaxed while watching. This is my therapy haha
Not in many years. Small mistakes while carving (there was one on this print) are easily corrected with a bit of inlaid wood. I haven't had a 'do over' in around fifteen years, I guess.
The 'chattering' is no problem at all; we're just happy to be all here together 'working' on these cool things! (But yes, once the last of the printers has gone home in the evening, I do enjoy the rest of the day working peacefully by myself ...)
I adore watching these, thank you so much for sharing your work with us David. I dabbled in printmaking in college, albeit not woodblock, and I truly wish I had stuck with it.
I agree. There is something about traditional art that digital just can't get. I do a lot of drawing by hand and people say I should get into digital but as cool as some digital art looks I always felt like it's just not as impressive
Even in day to day life Japanese people seem to do things a lot more structurally organized than in the west at least it seems that way to me. I love your art, I could never afford a print but to watch you work is so much fun.
Hah! Actually, there is no hidden meaning there at all. That's a shirt that Jed gave me when we did the CTN Animation event together last December (he was selling them from our booth). Whether or not he is planning shirts as part of his new project I can't say, although it would be a good idea, I suspect!
7 - 5 = 3 .... not! We have _two_ of the Kickstarter-backed prints still to do, the ones that Jed has entitled 'Yokai Dracul' and 'I Choose You'. After that, I'll be working on images that he created after the Kickstarter was over. First of those will be 'Trouble Afoot' (which is already taking orders on his website ...)
It's not really possible to describe the tool comprehensively here in these comments, but if you go to woodblock com and scroll down to the bottom of the front page, you will find links to descriptions of my carving tools. As for Fukushima, well, we're doing just what anybody would expect, holding onto normal life while the crews work to get the situation under control, however long it takes.
Have you heard of ASMR before? Your videos definitely trigger that on most people who watch this. It's basically a feeling of intense relaxation and enjoyment from a video. Think Bob Ross. :) Also, as someone who has been up for almost 2 days due to a mental illness that causes intense insomnia and intense back pain thank you for these videos which I find very relaxing. They help a lot. I could never be as organized as you are! I find the way Japanese people work to be fascinating.
Nothing to do with the teeth - a number of the prints had a small spot at one point, and I was delicately shaving these off. It seems that a small particle of pigment must have lodged on one of the blocks during the printing session, leaving an unsightly spot on a few dozen prints, and the printer didn't notice it for a while. Luckily it was very small (which is why he hadn't noticed it) and I was able to shave them off without damage ... Thanks for watching!
Your work is simply amazing. Such skill! And such patient - not only on the work itself... but to make and post all this videos! (please, keep them coming) I have a question: after you print a color, you rest the paper on top of the block to show the print to the camera. How can you do it without getting some paint on the back of the paper?! All the best, and good work!
+ptJorel Putting the paper back down onto the block is not a problem at all; _all_ the colour on the surface of the wood is done - it was completely transferred to the paper by the action of the baren. The top of the wood is 'dry' ...
No, nothing 'secret' about that print. Sometime later this year, Jed and I will sit down and seriously discuss how we can best get that design into woodblock form ... The current secret project is of the 'And Now for Something Completely Different' genre ...
Hello David- I really like your videos. When you make a print such as "the Soul Eater", on a color such as the vibrant red verses the pale pink in the creature, do you use the same pigment with more and less water, or do you use 2 different pigments to start with. Thanks!
Hey Dave thanks for the video and the print I have here at home! It just dawned on me that blocks with two (overlapping) colors may be unusable for a new batch of prints (i.e. after you've gone through all the 50 or whatever prints you want in Block 1 color A, then the 50 on same block color B, you cannot go back to dropping color A)... is that the case?
Hi Dave, How would you recommend framing one of your prints? I purchased Fox Moon a couple of months ago and it looks fantastic! I'm just not sure how to best preserve it, so I've left it in the original sleeve that it was shipped to me in. If you have any tips to share, I'd be very grateful. Keep up the excellent job with your prints, I love your work.
Wonderful knife work! Might I ask what the blade angle on a hangi-toh is? I very much enjoy these videos and hope you're able to continue ... how is Tokyo fairing with the fallout from Fukushima?
Well, we don't do any 'teaching' here, there simply isn't the time/place for it. We're ready to take on new _workers_, but we're looking locally for that, as we want people for the long term. At some point in the future, we would like to offer studio space where people from overseas can work and develop some skills in this craft, but it's beyond our capabilities at present ...
How come the ink immediately covers the wood, but not what looks like remains of the paper (at 2:50, in the corner near your right hand) ? As far as I understand it's just pigment and some binder in water, not a special oil ink as in lithography?
+Damien Pollet I'm not quite sure what you are seeing there. At that spot in the video I'm brushing pigment over the entire carved surface, but I'm careful to avoid the place in the lower right corner, where there is a carved slot for the paper to fit into (at 3:10 you can see this ...). I'm not using oil-based pigment, but a simple water-based carbon black pigment, with some paste ...
I realized after commenting that the block has a deeper hollow in those spots, and the brush didn't reach (duh). I just discovered your channel and barely managed reasoning myself not to start watching your Big Wave series at 3am :)
also I would like to know which kind of wood are you using, and which kind of brushes...I mean the hair of the brush, where to buy those materials, thank you
Jed gave it to me a few years back; he sometimes prepares these when he goes to comic-con events in the US. You might try writing to him through his website at ukiyoeheroes.com ...
Bill McCaffrey i know this is a tad late, but you can route out a section then put new wood and re-carve the section. You cant really just patch it as far as i know.
![Gucci Mane & Sexyy Red - You Don't Love Me [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/j7IBqyFKT4c/mqdefault.jpg)
Stumbled upon your channel from reddit, really blown away with the dedication you put into each piece. Truly amazing :)
The paper we use is known as 'Echizen Hosho' (washi) and is a very expensive type - not something you want to be using for your first experiments. I can't put links into these RUclips comments, but if you search for a place called McClain's Printmaking Supplies, you will find many suitable papers, both for editions, and for experimentation.
Wow, that was phenomenal to watch come together. The work is absolutely beautiful. Also, the video and your narration is fantastic - you have a great voice and style, David. And when you cracked open that beer at the end, that was just the icing on the cake!
The paste that goes on the block to be mixed with the pigment, is a simple type called 'yamato nori'. It was traditionally just mixed from rice, although nowadays we mostly use stuff in tubes. It's there to help the pigment spread smoothly over the wood; without it, the colour would be patchy and blotchy. It's not - as most people assume - to help the pigments adhere to the paper ...
I love these, David. I find them soothing to watch. Please keep sharing them
I have a light table here, and for areas like that - which are not on the key block - I trace them from a master printout of Jed's design. Another way is to draw and cut _one_ such area first, and then print that and transfer it to subsequent blocks as a guide.
what a beautiful peace, the detail on this is just amazing
You mean the background/sky block on this print? It's not a problem, for a couple of reasons. First is that we wash the blocks after each work session, and almost all of the excess pigment is removed. When we then print that peach colour on a subsequent batch of prints, barely any blue remains. The second factor is that a bit of print-through from the blue impression of the first batch in the sky area of the second batch isn't a problem, because it's going to also get hit with the blue itself.
I just love your style! So much work and so enthusiastic envolvment. The last scene is awesome! Congratulations!!
These videos are such a pleasure to watch. David seriously has such a soothing voice that I cant help but feel so relaxed while watching. This is my therapy haha
Very busy working! There'll be a new one fairly soon ... please wait a bit! (and thanks for the enthusiasm!)
Not in many years. Small mistakes while carving (there was one on this print) are easily corrected with a bit of inlaid wood. I haven't had a 'do over' in around fifteen years, I guess.
The 'chattering' is no problem at all; we're just happy to be all here together 'working' on these cool things! (But yes, once the last of the printers has gone home in the evening, I do enjoy the rest of the day working peacefully by myself ...)
I adore watching these, thank you so much for sharing your work with us David. I dabbled in printmaking in college, albeit not woodblock, and I truly wish I had stuck with it.
Wow! I love how vibrant these prints are, you can almost feel the energy put into your work.
Analog Vs. Digital
Very nice work.
I agree. There is something about traditional art that digital just can't get. I do a lot of drawing by hand and people say I should get into digital but as cool as some digital art looks I always felt like it's just not as impressive
This one is my favorite. I hope to have this hanging proudly in my house someday!
Even in day to day life Japanese people seem to do things a lot more structurally organized than in the west at least it seems that way to me. I love your art, I could never afford a print but to watch you work is so much fun.
Hah! Actually, there is no hidden meaning there at all. That's a shirt that Jed gave me when we did the CTN Animation event together last December (he was selling them from our booth). Whether or not he is planning shirts as part of his new project I can't say, although it would be a good idea, I suspect!
7 - 5 = 3 .... not! We have _two_ of the Kickstarter-backed prints still to do, the ones that Jed has entitled 'Yokai Dracul' and 'I Choose You'. After that, I'll be working on images that he created after the Kickstarter was over. First of those will be 'Trouble Afoot' (which is already taking orders on his website ...)
Awesome work and dedication!
Your skill is unparalleled
Absolutely stunning, thank you so much to share your craft!
Stay as safe as is possible ... Japan and the world are in our prayers
HOLY SHIT ITS SO INTENSE AND COLORFUL THATS BEAUTIFUL
The patterns and gradients i could look at it for hours exploring all the little details...
It's not really possible to describe the tool comprehensively here in these comments, but if you go to woodblock com and scroll down to the bottom of the front page, you will find links to descriptions of my carving tools. As for Fukushima, well, we're doing just what anybody would expect, holding onto normal life while the crews work to get the situation under control, however long it takes.
Have you heard of ASMR before? Your videos definitely trigger that on most people who watch this. It's basically a feeling of intense relaxation and enjoyment from a video. Think Bob Ross. :)
Also, as someone who has been up for almost 2 days due to a mental illness that causes intense insomnia and intense back pain thank you for these videos which I find very relaxing. They help a lot. I could never be as organized as you are! I find the way Japanese people work to be fascinating.
This is so great, thank you again for these wonderful videos.
Nothing to do with the teeth - a number of the prints had a small spot at one point, and I was delicately shaving these off. It seems that a small particle of pigment must have lodged on one of the blocks during the printing session, leaving an unsightly spot on a few dozen prints, and the printer didn't notice it for a while. Luckily it was very small (which is why he hadn't noticed it) and I was able to shave them off without damage ... Thanks for watching!
That was a quick response! Thanks and take care! :)
These are so relaxing to watch!
Absolutely fascinating. Thank you for this wonderful video.
Beautiful works David thank you for sharing the video.
The beer at the end! haha, you deserved it Dave
Your work is simply amazing. Such skill! And such patient - not only on the work itself... but to make and post all this videos! (please, keep them coming)
I have a question: after you print a color, you rest the paper on top of the block to show the print to the camera. How can you do it without getting some paint on the back of the paper?!
All the best, and good work!
+ptJorel Putting the paper back down onto the block is not a problem at all; _all_ the colour on the surface of the wood is done - it was completely transferred to the paper by the action of the baren. The top of the wood is 'dry' ...
Incredible work.
Look up something called ASMR, these videos are definitely therapeutic and relaxing. And I think they will trigger ASMR on everybody.
I really love this series. Since i frist found this videos i've wanted to learn this technique.
Why hasn't there been any new videos lately? I miss them.
Absolutely beautiful
No, nothing 'secret' about that print. Sometime later this year, Jed and I will sit down and seriously discuss how we can best get that design into woodblock form ... The current secret project is of the 'And Now for Something Completely Different' genre ...
Hello David-
I really like your videos. When you make a print such as "the Soul Eater", on a color such as the vibrant red verses the pale pink in the creature, do you use the same pigment with more and less water, or do you use 2 different pigments to start with. Thanks!
where can i buy that shirt? super super cool!
Hey Dave thanks for the video and the print I have here at home! It just dawned on me that blocks with two (overlapping) colors may be unusable for a new batch of prints (i.e. after you've gone through all the 50 or whatever prints you want in Block 1 color A, then the 50 on same block color B, you cannot go back to dropping color A)... is that the case?
Hi Dave,
How would you recommend framing one of your prints? I purchased Fox Moon a couple of months ago and it looks fantastic! I'm just not sure how to best preserve it, so I've left it in the original sleeve that it was shipped to me in. If you have any tips to share, I'd be very grateful.
Keep up the excellent job with your prints, I love your work.
Wonderful knife work! Might I ask what the blade angle on a hangi-toh is? I very much enjoy these videos and hope you're able to continue ... how is Tokyo fairing with the fallout from Fukushima?
Love your work!
How many carving knives have you broken? Seems like it can be a very delicate tool.
Well, we don't do any 'teaching' here, there simply isn't the time/place for it. We're ready to take on new _workers_, but we're looking locally for that, as we want people for the long term. At some point in the future, we would like to offer studio space where people from overseas can work and develop some skills in this craft, but it's beyond our capabilities at present ...
Have you ever messed up any batches and had to re start all over again??
thank you for teaching. thank you very much.
How come the ink immediately covers the wood, but not what looks like remains of the paper (at 2:50, in the corner near your right hand) ? As far as I understand it's just pigment and some binder in water, not a special oil ink as in lithography?
+Damien Pollet I'm not quite sure what you are seeing there. At that spot in the video I'm brushing pigment over the entire carved surface, but I'm careful to avoid the place in the lower right corner, where there is a carved slot for the paper to fit into (at 3:10 you can see this ...). I'm not using oil-based pigment, but a simple water-based carbon black pigment, with some paste ...
I realized after commenting that the block has a deeper hollow in those spots, and the brush didn't reach (duh). I just discovered your channel and barely managed reasoning myself not to start watching your Big Wave series at 3am :)
Damien Pollet go to sleep
lovely finish!
how the colors are made, and mix with? I am using powder pigments from ceramic and others...but I read that are mix with rice flour?
What sort of paste do you mix with the pigment?
Hi David. How do you know where to carve on the colour blocks that have no outline like the mountains in the background?
In the end you said something about a days work.Dont tell me you did all those Blocks in one day o.0It looks gorgeose by the way
I started one afternoon, and finished the next evening ... I think. So it's close enough for a 'day's work'!
David Bull Wow :o I guess you realy have to love what you do. Best wishes from Germany and thank you for all the great videos ^^
also I would like to know which kind of wood are you using, and which kind of brushes...I mean the hair of the brush, where to buy those materials, thank you
If you look in the 'Library' section over at my website at woodblock.com you will find all the information you are looking for ...
Dave, that's such a cool shirt of your print! Where can I get one? Your site doesn't carry them, I don't think.
Jed gave it to me a few years back; he sometimes prepares these when he goes to comic-con events in the US. You might try writing to him through his website at ukiyoeheroes.com ...
Man i wish I could afford the Trouble afoot print.
Are you aware of the swastika pattern in the clothes of the lower monster? Seems kinda hard to miss....
It is an ancient - long before the Germans used it - Asian pattern known as 'sayagata'. www.mikworks.com/originalwork/sayagata/
@@seseragistudio ah ok I see. Thank you for the clarification. I wrongly assumed it was some original design.
I loved this!!
do you have any videos of you carving a block from start to finish?
Watch his twitch videos. Just be aware the image he is carving while an original Hokusai design, it is a NSFW image.
Dave, you are a fucking master. A wizard.
Something sounds quite fascinating about a 60+yo craftsman uttering the name Kirby.
Kirby …
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Kirby …
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Link …
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(_that’s_ the one I found strange, when we first started this work …)
Does anyone else find these videos therapeutic?
what kind of paper is that? I'm starting wood carving and I can't find that paper. it's vellum paper?
C'mon Dave. You're just going to flaunt that fox moon shirt and not say anything about it? Or is this your hint to what Jed's been working on?
Why the different slopes?
I'm sure that you have been asked this many times, but what happens if one of the fine lines breaks? Is there any repair possible?
Bill McCaffrey i know this is a tad late, but you can route out a section then put new wood and re-carve the section. You cant really just patch it as far as i know.
I can't wait to get this! :D
Where do I get the T-shirt?
what is this piece from anyway? is it kirby?
very late but yes this is kirby. The bottom character is King Dedede, which confirms that it is kirby :p
This is great! Yr great! Subbed!
awsome
Oh yeah !!!! :)
Who else can hear the king dedede theme song as hes printing
Oh, I know that paper! Thank u, yes I know it's very expensive. I'll check, thanks a lot :3
its probably david's angelic voice...
15:25 I want that shirt
i fall asleep to much lol
First!