Japanese woodblock printing is a beautiful art that traces its roots back to the eighth century. It uses a unique system of registration, cutting and printing. This practical book explains the process from design drawing to finished print, and then introduces more advanced printing and carving techniques, plus advice on editioning your prints and their aftercare, tool care and sharpening. Supported by nearly 200 colour photographs, this new book advises on how to develop your ideas, turning them into sketches and a finished design drawing, then how to break an image into the various blocks needed to make a print. It also explains how to use a tracing paper transfer method to take your design from drawing to woodblock and, finally, explains the traditional systems of registration, cutting and printing that define an authentic Japanese woodblock.

Of all the sophisticated traditional arts and crafts of Japan, woodblock prints are probably the most widely known in the West. The bold yet refined compositions are as fresh to the Western eye today as they were when they first came to the attention of the Impressionists in the nineteenth century. With their fluid lines, intricate carving and delicate colors, Japanese prints are still as fascinating as ever. In this book, Rebecca Salter takes us through the history of the Japanese woodblock, discusses the materials, tools, and papers available (and their Western equivalents) and shows how to get the most out of them through interesting step-by-step projects. The work of an international group of artists shows the varied and exciting prints being produced today.

This unique Japanese art book shows step-by-step how a Japanese woodblock prints are produced in layers. Woodblock printing is at the same time a very simple and a very complicated art. It is simple by modern standards because no machinery, not even a press, is used. The finished print in this book and the pages which so graphically present its development in color are produced by photo-offset from original woodblocks.

Woodblock printing is an ancient art form, which produces beautiful, subtle and lively pieces with just a few simple materials. This book introduces the art, and shares technical information and ideas for those with more experience. A wide range of exciting examples of printed woodcuts are shown along with advice on materials and tools, and a step-by-step guide to sharpening. Techniques to achieve quality prints and perfect registration are covered too. Drawing on the vibrant living traditions from China and Japan, it is both a technical guide and an inspiration. Beautifully illustrated with 160 colour photographs.

"[An] impressive volume, with a valuable amount of information not otherwise available in one source." --Choice Companion volume to Merritt's Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints. This volume is a reference work that is both comprehensive and rigorously chronological.

Japanese woodblock prints, or ukiyo-e, are the most recognizable Japanese art form. Their massive popularity has spread from Japan to be embraced by a worldwide audience. Covering the period from the beginning of the Japanese woodblock print in the 1680s until the year 1900, Japanese Woodblock Prints provides a detailed survey of all the famous ukiyo-e artists, along with over 500 full-color prints. Unlike previous examinations of this art form, Japanese Woodblock Prints includes detailed histories of the publishers of woodblock prints--who were often the driving force determining which prints, and therefore which artists, would make it into mass circulation for a chance at critical and popular success. Invaluable as a guide for ukiyo-e enthusiasts looking for detailed information about their favorite Japanese woodblock print artists and prints, it is also an ideal introduction for newcomers to the world of the woodblock print. This lavishly illustrated book will be a valued addition to the libraries of scholars, as well as the general art enthusiast.

Some fifty years ago, the remote Arctic community of Cape Dorset was introduced to the ancient traditions of Japanese printmaking by a Canadian artist, James Houston, who had studied printmaking in Japan with the revered master printmaker Un'ichi Hiratsuka. The remarkable story of that artistic encounter and its extraordinary results are the focus of this groundbreaking book. With two major essays and detailed captions, it features 49 exquisite and rare artworks (including Inuit prints from 1947 to 1963 and Japanese prints that were brought to Cape Dorset in 1959, as well as never-before-seen works by James Houston), and shows how Cape Dorset graphic artists selectively borrowed and actively transformed Japanese influences. It includes the voice of Cape Dorset printmaker Kananginak Pootoogook, as well as previously unplished historic photographs from Japan and Cape Dorset.