Wood-Block Printing | Page 4

120
21. COLLOTYPE REPRODUCTION OF A COLOUR PRINT BY
HIROSHIGÉ 121
22. COLLOTYPE REPRODUCTION OF A PORTION, ACTUAL

SIZE, OF THE PRINT ON THE PRECEDING PAGE, SHOWING
TREATMENT OF TREE AND BLOSSOM 123
23. THE TIGER. COLLOTYPE REPRODUCTION OF A COLOUR
PRINT BY J. D. BATTEN 125
24. LAPWINGS. COLLOTYPE REPRODUCTION OF A COLOUR
PRINT BY A. W. SEABY 127

ERRATA
Page 62.--For "bamboo-sheath" read "bamboo leaf".
" 63.--In last paragraph, delete "the inside of".
" 64.--Third line from bottom, after "occasionally" insert "when
printing".

WOOD-BLOCK PRINTING
BY THE
JAPANESE METHOD
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY
Introduction and Description of the Origins of Wood-block Printing; its
uses for personal artistic expression, for reproduction of decorative
designs, and as a fundamental training for students of printed
decoration.
The few wood-block prints shown from time to time by the Society of
Graver Printers in Colour, and the occasional appearance of a
wood-block print in the Graver Section of the International Society's

Exhibitions, or in those of the Society of Arts and Crafts, are the
outcome of the experiments of a small group of English artists in
making prints by the Japanese method, or by methods based on the
Japanese practice.
My interest was first drawn in 1897 to experiments that were being
made by Mr. J. D. Batten, who for two years previously had attempted,
and partially succeeded in making, a print from wood and metal blocks
with colour mixed with glycerine and dextrine, the glycerine being
afterwards removed by washing the prints in alcohol. As the Japanese
method seemed to promise greater advantages and simplicity, we began
experiments together, using as our text-book the pamphlet by T.
Tokuno, published by the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, and the
dextrine and glycerine method was soon abandoned. The edition of
prints, however, of Eve and the Serpent designed by J. D. Batten,
printed by myself and published at that time, was produced partly by
the earlier method and partly in the simpler Japanese way.
Familiar as everyone is with Japanese prints, it is not generally known
that they are produced by means of an extremely simple craft. No
machinery is required, but only a few tools for cutting the designs on
the surface of the planks of cherry wood from which the impressions
are taken. No press is used, but a round flat pad, which is rubbed on the
back of the print as it lies on the blocks. The colours are mixed with
water and paste made from rice flour. The details of the craft and
photographs of the tools were given in full in the Smithsonian
Institution pamphlet already mentioned.
It is slow and unsatisfactory work, however, learning manipulation
from a book, and several technical difficulties that seemed
insurmountable were made clear by the chance discovery in London of
a Japanese printseller who, although not a printer, was sufficiently
familiar with the work to give some invaluable hints and
demonstrations.
Further encouragement was given to the work by the institution, a little
later, of a class in wood-cuts in colour under my charge, at the L.C.C.
Central School of Arts and Crafts, which for several years became the

chief centre of the movement.
Such are the bare historical facts of the development in our country of
this craft imported from the Far East.
On a merely superficial acquaintance the Japanese craft of
block-printing may appear to be no more than a primitive though
delicate form of colour reproduction, which modern mechanical
methods have long superseded, even in the land of its invention; and
that to study so limited a mode of expression would be hardly of any
practical value to an artist. Moreover, the craft is under the
disadvantage that all the stages of the work, from making the first
design to taking the final impressions, must be done by the artist
himself--work which includes the delicate cutting of line and planning
of colour blocks, and the preparation of colour and paper. In Japan
there were trained craftsmen expert in each of these branches of the
craft, and each carried out his part under the supervision of the artist.
No part but the design was done by him. So that the very character of
the work has an essential difference. Under our present conditions the
artist must undertake the whole craft, with all its detail.
[Illustration: Plate II.--Key-block of the print shown on the
frontispiece.
(The portion of wood lying outside the points of the mass of foliage is
left standing to support the paper, but is not inked in printing.)
(To face page 5.)]
Simple as the process is, there is, from first to last, a long labour
involved in planning, cutting and printing, before a satisfactory batch of
prints is produced. After several attempts in delegating printing to
well-trained pupils I have found it