How to Make Wood Relief Prints
Wood relief printing got its start several centuries ago as a way to make books before the invention of the printing press. Today, wood prints have been expanded to include decorative pictures that contain texture and color. In the early days of wood relief, the wood of fruit trees was the favored material for its soft texture. Today, pine and poplar are also popular options. If you want to make wood relief prints, you will first need to get all of proper supplies.
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Things You'll Need
- Wood block
- Medium grain sandpaper
- Pencil
- Paper
- Sharpie marker
- Small carving knife
- Gouging tool
- Brayer
- Glass sheet
- Printing ink
- Paper
- Spoon
Instructions
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Select the right wood. Pine is a good choice for soft wood reliefs because you can cut words or designs without worrying about ragged edges. Poplar is another soft wood, but is prone to creating uneven cuts that have to be smoothed out later. Firmer woods such as maple and walnut are harder to work with, but they maintain detail well. If your designs involve a lot of intricate patterns, hard wood will work better. You might need to sand down the wood surface for the best results. Make sure your tools are as sharp as possible.
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Draw a first draft of your image using a pencil and a piece of paper, then draw it on your wood with a pencil. Go over this drawing with a sharpie marker to make the image more pronounced. Clamp the wood to a flat surface using an adjustable clamp. Score the outline of your design with a small carving knife. Next, use a curved gouger to hollow out between the lines. Start with the tool in the scored edge and press firmly downward.
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Pour a small amount of ink on a smooth, flat glass or plastic surface and roll your brayer, or roller, over it. Slowly add more ink until your brayer is completely coated. Apply your ink in a back and forth motion over the wood cut. You don't need to apply too much on the first coat because you will continue to add ink until the surface has the appearance of an orange peel.
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Take the sheet of paper that you want to use for your relief and place it lightly on the surface of the wood relief. Using the back of a small spoon, press lightly in a circular motion over the surface of the paper until you are sure the entire print has been displaced on to the paper. Slowly peel off the paper in one movement and let it dry on a flat surface.
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Tips & Warnings
Abandoned lumber is a good source of wood blocks.
Knots or other imperfections in the wood add character to your finished product.
V,C and U shaped gouges are the most frequently used in wood relief printing.
Keep your non working hand clear when using a gouging tool.
References
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
