Animal Woodcut Prints for Sale at Penn State Brandywine!

Preview! What I'm showing at Penn State Brandywine show on Sunday, March 8 from 10 - 4. Route 352 just above Route 1 in Media, PA. Besides portrait samples, I'll have my woodcut prints and doing demos. Here's my small series of original handpulled woodcut animal prints. If you can't make it...you can purchase directly from me online and I'll take care of the shipping. Prices are between $20 to $45 for the life sized feral cat which is about 10" x 19". All prices and full descriptons on my site: http://robinzebley.com






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Pitbull Puppies Woodcut Print - Step by Step Demonstration

Welcome to my demonstration of my printing day on Tuesday..or welcome back if you're one of the many who are stopping by my blog often! When I last left you I had just finished...or so I thought...cutting out my piece of pine, but after a couple of test prints, I refined it and cut out more. It looked too busy to me. But finally I was happy with my cut and began the printing part.

First, I laid a line of oil based printmakers ink on the top of a large piece of palette paper, which I have taped all around to keep from slipping.

Next, I roll my brayer through the ink, bringing it down the palette to get it even. Then, ink up the block. See how the ink hits the part I didn't cut out and doesn't go into the grooves of my design?

Sorry for the photo lighting ... my second story studio faces west, not nice even lighting ... but I enjoy it because it's up in the sycamore leaves and I actually enjoy the afternoon light changes. The table I'm using to print on is right up against the window. I don't use it for drawing or painting, but for other art activities, it's fine.
Earlier in the day, I had ripped all my paper to size on this table.

Now that the block is all inked up, back and forth, turning the block to ink, I'm ready to lay my block into place. I've made up a jig to hold the block in the same exact place, with the paper being laid in the same exact place.

Now, I gently lay my paper in place, press it to the plate with my left hand, and with the back of an ordinary kitchen spoon, begin rubbing the back of the paper to transfer the ink. VERY important at this stage to keep the paper in place so the ink doesn't smudge into the white parts.

Look closely! Can you see the puppies design coming through the paper? Next, we'll peel off that paper and see the completed print. But that's for tomorrow. Got run.