A cactus woodcut is taking form under my knives. The photo is from a previous trip to the White Sands area of New Mexico. My 'studio space' is the dining table here in Vermont. Tomorrow I'll do a pencil rubbing as a proof. I won't be using ink until we return home to Puerto Rico later in the month.
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Un grabado en madera de un cacto esta formando bajo mis navajas. El foto es de un viaje previo al la area de Arenas Blancas (White Sands) en el estado de Nuevo Mejico. El 'taller' es la mesa del comedor aqui en Vermont. Manana hare una prueba usando un lapiz y papel. No podre usar tinta hasta el regreso a Puerto Rico mas tarde en el mes.
3 comments:
Coming along nicely.
Hi, there, drb and Annie... I always enjoy reading your blogs.
DRB... I'd had problems with an arthritic fingertip which didn't let me cut vigorously, having to learn a kinder-gentler method of cutting... but I didn't want to fill up my blog with my finger woes...LOL!
About the image... I played with the photo in Photoshop, eliminating anything I didn't want to use, flipped it to a reverse image, and pasted it onto the block with some great Nori paste I get from McClain's. Once the paste is dry, it's easy to cut through it. Just make sure your knives are always sharp as you are cutting through both paper and wood. It's good for the initial image cutting and then, after removing the paper, I can re-draw the areas I want to detail more. The computer is great for any hand-drawings as well since I don’t have to re-draw and re-size, running the risk the image changes too much through those evolutions..
To remove the paper, all I do is wet the paper with a brush, let it sit a few minutes and then, with the side of a knife, I can clear away paper and the bit of remaining paste, wiping the wood of any moisture. I also gently scrub the pasty area and wipe with a cloth because, later when printing, any uneven paste will affect the printing.
I love this, and I can't wait till you get home, and get inky. Looking forward to seeing the results!
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