Some thoughts about woodcut printmaking The simple process outlined above becomes magical for me every time I start a new work. More traditional approaches require that the ink be perfectly and evenly laid, that the wood grain be eliminated through careful planing or sanding, that the paper be the exact right type, etc etc. To me, the wood must have a voice in the final print, the ink must leave its visible marks, the implement for printing must also leave a trace, the paper, above all, the paper must show its beauty through the design. The entire process has to be visible the process must show. The magic begins with cutting.
Designs take on their own personality once the wood and the knife meet.
Chisel marks become movement, lines become alive, flat areas are full of wood-life. I let the chisels make their characteristic marks and modify my designs as they wish. Printing One of the magic things about printmaking is that the process modifies the final result. I think accepting the process is part of printmaking, knowing that the block and the ink will have their own say on what the final print looks like. Once the paper is soft and ever so slightly damp, printing begins.