Woodblock Prints
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The woodblock print has its roots in China, but the techniques involved developed remarkably in Japan. In the early stages, a simple design was carved on a small piece of wood and pressed, or stamped. on paper. In order to increase print size, many small designs were stamped next to each other on the paper. In trying to make even larger size prints, craftsmen realized how difficult it was to stamp a large woodblock on paper. Instead, they started to print in the opposite way, by placing a piece of paper on the woodblock, then inking the color into the paper by rubbing on the paper with brushes. Before the Edo period (1603¡Á1867), most woodblock prints were made only in black and white. If a color print was needed, color would be painted on the print afterward, using a brush. But this laborious process did not meet the demands of the bustling Edo metropolis, with its teeming population of a million people. A process was developed to directly make color prints, and these were a huge success. Woodblock prints became very popular with the commoner class in Edo, and craftsmen made tremendous progress in developing techniques to meet the increasing demand as this class became more prosperous. However, woodblock prints could not compete with the advent of mechanical printing in the Meiji period (1868¡Á1911) and the art almost completely disappeared. But the artistry and craftsmanship of the Japanese woodblock print still fascinates us even today. |
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Process | |||
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A woodblock print is usually produced by a publisher or studio, and involves a collaborative effort of three people: the designer or painter, the carver and the printer. Following is a brief, simple explanation of how to make a woodblock print. | ||
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ESHI : The Designer 1. The designer draws pictures for the woodblock prints and indicates the colors. |
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HORISHI : The Carver 2. The carver separates the picture into parts, according to color and shape. Each color/shape will be transferred to one block. Each color/shape is traced in reverse on the woodblock and then carved. |
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SURISHI : The Printer 3. The printer makes the print by placing a piece of Japanese paper on each woodblock and rubbing in the color with a tool called baren. The printer must be very careful to align the paper on each block so that each color will be in the right place. |
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Finally, the designer and the publisher confirm the print, and it is unveiled to the world. |
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Tools and Materials |
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Most woodblock prints are printed on Japanese paper with colors made from natural materials. The carver use various types of chisels, selecting the appropriate one for each part to be carved. Like the sword was a soul for a samurai, these knifes are very important to the carvers and they are maintained with special care before and after carving. A tool called a "baren" is just as important for the printer.It is made from bamboo bark and thick paper. How it is pressed and moved on the paper greatly effects the expression of color. |
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Ukiyo-e |
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Until the middle ages, people were suffering from poverty caused by constant fighting taking place all over Japan. Buddhist pessimism lead people to think this world, the floating world or ¡Èukiyo¡É world, where we live now is transient and full of uncertainty, and they hoped to live in ¡Ègokuraku¡É (Buddhist heaven) afterward. When the battles faded and peace came, the meaning or implication of the word ¡Èukiyo¡É changed. It came to imply a cheerful atmosphere, signifying a world where you can live with fun and enjoy it. In the Edo period, especially as the culture of the common people developed, ¡Èukiyo¡É began to be used to signify the present moment, or contemporary era. It became a popular word to refer to new products, for all sorts of popular merchandise like ¡Èukiyo-bag¡É, ¡Èukiyo-umbrella¡É, etc. So ¡Èukiyo-e¡É (¡Èe¡É means picture in Japanese) literally means ¡Ècontemporary picture¡É or ¡Èmodern art¡É! Currently, however, people do not use the word ¡Èukiyo¡É in popular language, and if you say ¡Èukiyo-e¡É, it only refers to the woodblock prints made in the Edo period. |
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