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Some pieces from my Japanese woodcut phase


crupiea

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They are all beautiful looking.  Would love to hear more about how they were created and put together.  Thank you very much for sharing these super looking works. 

jim

penquin

Years ago i would make the regular portraits/ sillouhetes that we alk make.  Well I was making one and there was that one eye that wasnt connected to anything, just sort of floating out there.  The picture would look if I had a way to somehow connect it to the rest of the piece. you know how it is.

 

So I cut it out anyway and while I was trying to figure it out I put all the pieces I had cut out back into the picture to get some perspective.

 

Right away it struck me that i had been limiting myself all along and that if I put the pieces back in then i would open up limetless possibilties so thats what I did.

 

i started out but working with coloring books. looney tunes basically, bugs, yosemetie sam and the like.  They already have the black outlines so it seemed a perfect fit.

 

I first tried to just let the actual cut be the black line between but after the piece was all cut out I had lost some size with the cuts and it looked bad when i tried to glus it to the backing so i figured I would put the black lines in.

 

From there i could still see the drill holes so i made sure the drill holes were in the black lines.

 

For these piecses you can see that i was in my transition period where i went with the lineless look. 

 

What i did was find some nice images online, print them out, spray glue them onto the 1/8" baltic birch and go after it.

 

I start at one corner and work my way up.  once i cut a piece, i write on the back a number where ot will go back in and the color.  i use a code like 1 x. 1 is bottom right and x is white.  I have a code for each color.

 

Plus I have printed 2 copys of the pattern so worst case, i can always check that as a reference.

 

So now I cut everything out and am left with a giant jumble of odd shaped tiny chuncks of baltic birch.

 

From here I have to paint them.

 

I take some card stock and put some blue tale on it backwards, you fold over the ends so the sticky side is up.

 

I label all the cards with the finishing color. blue, red, white, whatever.

 

I paint all the pieces white first as sort of a primer. After that dries i come back and paint all the pieces the color they are supposed to be.  Mainly I use spray cans but for some of these i used an airbrush.  Of course you have to make sure the pieces are stuck to the tape or the wind from the can or airbrush will blow them everywhere.

 

This can be a major hassle as making a replacement piece is a hassle.

 

Once its all dried, i glue it to the backer board which i cut out originally with the outline of the piece.  I spread wood glus onto the backerboard which in itself is another pain.  You dont want too much as it will seep through.  Not enough you will lose pieces.

 

Then you press it somehow.  i used to use clamps but now just use a big plank and put in under the plank for a day so it presses evenly.

 

Next day, all done.

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WOW that is what I thought, a lot of work but great results.  Thanks for the mini tutorial on it.  Sounds like something that could be fun to do.

May give it a try.

If you can get to the Orange Country Fair this weekend ( last weekend) I have 3 cuttings there, I took a first and 2 honorable mentions. The judges were very kind to me.

Glad to see another So Cal person here.

jim

penquin  ( Canyon Country CA)

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