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'Moku hanga' Japanese woodblock printing 'Iconic Landscapes' with Julie Evans

Join Julie Evans for an exciting foray into the art of Mokuhanga, an ancient Japanese printing technique depicting 'Iconic Landscapes'.

Event Date

26 April 2025

£ 82

Description

A fascinating and full on day learning the basic processes of this ancient traditional Japanese technique that uses only watercolours and rice starch, as used by Hokusai, for his 'Great Wave off Kanagawa.' You will come away with the skills you need to continue exploring and developing at home.

In the morning Julie will guide you through creating a simple 3-5 colour ‘landscape’ of mountains, lake, sky, clouds and perhaps a sun or moon. Templates to the correct size of 16x11 cm will be provided for you to use or adapt. Each element of the design will then be transferred onto the colour blocks - iro-ban ready for carving. You will learn how to cut the registration kentou that ensure each block prints exactly on top of the previous one.

Using a set of woodcutting tools you will outline each area of the design and carve a gully all around it to isolate it from the surrounding wood. If you have any injury or arthritis in your fingers, hands or shoulder you may find this part difficult, but Julie can help you with the carving and the shina-plywood is very soft.

After lunch you will prepare your paints, rice starch and paper ready to begin printing the woodblocks. Julie will show you how to control the paint and pressure of the baren to create different effects. After that you will be free to explore your blocks in whatever way you choose. You will be supplied with a variety of western and Japanese washi papers so that you can see how differently they print. Julie will also be bringing along some of her professional tools and equipment for you to try.

Your woodblock is yours to take home and Julie will show you how you can re-carve areas and add extra elements to your design. She will also demonstrate how you can use a floating kentou to create additional and abstract effects which involve a little less carving. Typically this course runs with 8 students.