Laura Boswell ARE – Printmaker

Tips and guides for Japanese woodblock printing

Videos

Printing a Japanese Woodblock Print Diptych 'Mrs Sasuka's Garden' - Laura Boswell Printmaker prints her Japanese watercolour woodblock print 'Mrs Sasuka's Garden, Fuji Hiding' - working with two separate prints to create a single image. A slow video for lovers of printmaking technique. If you’d like to say thanks for these films and help us to fund more, please chip in with a donation at my fundraising page at GoFundMe gf.me/u/zd8bcq

Japanese Woodblock Printing: Large Scale Printing Mokuhanga - Printing a massive Japanese woodblock print of Bembridge Mill cut in birch plywood. If you’d like to say thanks for these films and help us to fund more, please chip in with a donation at my fundraising page at GoFundMe gf.me/u/zd8bcq

Japanese Woodblock Printing; colour layers build up - Laura Boswell builds up the layers of colour in her Japanese woodblock print: Chiltern Seasons Spring printed in watercolours and nori (rice paste). If you’d like to say thanks for these films and help us to fund more, please chip in with a donation at my fundraising page at GoFundMe gf.me/u/zd8bcq

Cutting Japanese Woodblock: shina ply - Laura Boswell Cutting Japanese Ply for a Japanese woodblock print.

Tying Baren - Demonstration video of tying Japanese bamboo baren.

Japanese Woodblock Printing techniques : Documenting the printing of a Japanese Woodblock Print - Laura Boswell ARE Printmaker editioning her Japanese Woodblock print 'The New Astronomers' using watercolour paints, nori (rice paste) as a printing medium and washi paper. If you’d like to say thanks for these films and help us to fund more, please chip in with a donation at my fundraising page at GoFundMe gf.me/u/zd8bcq

A Slow Video of Japanese Woodblock Printing - Mondays without a video? Can’t have that - here’s some s-l-o-w film of me working on a pair of Japanese woodblock prints, one of an Owl called "Winter Owl" and the other a group of long tailed tits called "Late Persimmons" under the Artist Support Pledge Scheme. This video shows me carving the blocks and then printing the prints, no chat, just quiet work...
Please subscribe to my channel for more videos and if you'd like to leave a small donation to help our film making, I have a fundraising page at GoFundMe gf.me/u/zd8bcq

Printing a Japanese woodblock ASMR - Printing my way through 'Northern Moon, Hilltop' using watercolour paint on shiramine washi. No chat, just me getting on with the work!

Rhubarb Sky - printing a Japanese woodblock print - Printing Rhubarb Sky, Hawnby with a commentary - join me as I explain my printing technique. This is a Japanese woodblock print (mokuhanga) that I cut some time ago. I am making further prints from the edition for exhibition a show about Japan at Beverley Art Gallery, Yorkshire this winter (2021)

Rhubarb Sky - ASMR - Printing Rhubarb Sky, Hawnby without a commentary - relax and watch me printmaking. This is a Japanese woodblock print (mokuhanga) that I cut some time ago. I am making further prints from the edition for exhibition a show about Japan at Beverley Art Gallery, Yorkshire this winter (2021).

This short video shows a master printer at work in traditional Japanese style

And this one shows the making of Japanese Washi paper

Making of Japanese handmade paper of Kyoto Kurotani from Kuroyanagi Takashi on Vimeo.

Books

Making Japanese Woodblock Prints by Laura Boswell
Published by The Crowood Press
ISBN 9781785006555

My own book, just published. Full details here.

Japanese Woodblock Print Workshop: A Modern Guide to the Ancient Art of Mokuhanga by April Volmer
Published by Watson-Gupthill Publications

Full of beautiful photographs, contemporary and historical examples as well as practical advice.

These two are no longer in print, but if you can find them from second hand dealers they are very worthwhile.

The Art and Craft of Woodblock Printmaking by Kari Laitinen, Tuula Moilanen, Antti Tanttu
Published by University of Art and Design Helsiki ISBN 951-558-085-4

The best work on Japanese woodblock which I have found so if you do happen across a copy or can get one through a library I promise you will find it a mine of information

Japanese Woodblock Printing by Rebecca Salter
Published by A&C Black ISBN 978-0-7136-5297-0

An inexpensive and helpful book with plenty of colourful illustrations.

Modern Japanese Prints
Carnegie Museum of arts
ISBN 978-088039049-1

Shin Hanga: the new print movement in Japan by Barry Till
ISBN 978-0-7649-4039-2