Following on from my first attempt at carving my own letters, (you can read about that here) I decided to try again using Japanese katsura for the full set this time. Following a similar process as last time, I opted for a bolder, blockier typeface this time in order to show the surface texture of the wood to its best advantage. I also made sure to measure carefully while transferring the letters to ensure the finished blocks would all be uniform size. (Reminder - reverse your letters when transferring!)
Carving the katsura was a much smoother experience than the pine. I outlined all of the letters with my hangi-to knife this time which also made the process much neater.
Once the blocks were carved, they were divided and sanded. A much simpler process this time, proving that mantra 'measure twice cut once'! A razor saw was used for the finer detail. I did find that the katsura had much less tendency to splinter.
The finished blocks:
The printing...
I printed on tissue paper to see what a layered effect might look like and photographed the prints together, holding them up to the light.
I had the wonderful notion of printing this set on the hottest day of the year so far, so I had to work extra quickly as the ink was drying as I was rolling it out. Initially, I thought I was on a hiding to nowhere. As it turned out, the temperature and drying ink resulted in a lighter impression than I might otherwise have achieved and the resulting wood grain visible in the print is really pleasant. Next I think I'll try some scanning and enlarging to really emphasise the texture. Let me know if you have any thoughts on my experiments, or suggestions!
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