Mokuhanga Intermediate - Creative Print

Intermediate Mokuhanga - Creative Print

A Flexible Framework for your Creative Mokuhanga.

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We are proud to announce this next stage in your mokuhanga learning, and are confident that there is nothing available elsewhere online, or in published form, that approaches the scope and depth of the material here. These techniques will enable to find your authentic creative voice in the wonderful medium of Japanese woodblock print.

Explore different ways of designing and transfering your design, as well as additional carving and beautiful printing techniques that enable a looser and more contemporary style of mokuhanga. Create fresh original work that goes beyond the old-fashioned styles of traditional prints.

Look below for more details about the content of the workshop. With more than 60 instruction videos, comprehensive notes (168 pages with more than 440 photographs), and our Sharp Tools book included it is a huge amount of highly informative and inspiring content.

Two very affordable subscription plans are available - the details are below, or on the subscription module on this page.

This workshop is designed to build additional techniques on top of your existing mokuhanga skills. If you do not have a solid understanding of basic mokuhanga processes, tools, materials and technique you are highly recommended to first complete our Mokuhanga Fundamentals workshop, as the content of this workhop assumes you have this knowledge.

Workshop Content

The units in this workshop are arranged differently, you can “dip in” and discover different ideas and techniques as you like. Unlike the Fundamentals workshop, which followed the natural order to create and print your first project, this workshop is structured more as independent units that you can focus on separately to follow your interest.

	Workshop Units Description	Videos
	Introduction. Introduction and overview of the workshop, with advice about how to approach and use the units. The full workshop notes are available here, as well as materials and tools suppliers.	1
	Design and Sumi-e. Some design ideas, how to make a design to keep four deckle edges on washi, using Sumi-e (ink drawing) as the basis for your design, introducing hanshita techniques (gluing your design to the block). We also introduce “muda-bori” (throw away cut) as a means of getting good registration without outlines	8
	Kyogo. Carving a key block using your hanshita, and more about the knife tool. Creating and using Kyogo for colour separations, and gluing these to blocks. Peeling kyogo and more carving tips.	8
	Tool Sharpening. A very comprehensive guide to all aspects of sharpening your mokuhanga tools, including our "Sharp Tools" e-book, included free with the workshop.	8
	Washi Preparation. Sizing washi using traditional methods and some other preparation techniques before printing. How to prepare washi for printing with 4 deckle edges. Preparing size, Sizing your washi, Calandering Washi, Preparing washi for printing with all four deckle edges (three stages)	8
	Carving Techniques. A range of techniques and ways to prepare or enhance your blocks that extend your skills and allow for creative printing techniques: Using the 18mm gouge, Chatter, Advice for Colour Blocks, Advice for the Key Block, Muda-bori, Texture effects, Using shallow gouges, Smoothing your blocks, Tou-bokashi, Two-knife Richard Steiner technique for more efficient knife carving.	10
	Printing Techniques. Some specific printing techniques such as printing wood grain, large bokashi, baren-suji, achieving very flat colours, as well as some decorative techniques to incorporate into your design: Baren-suji, Beta-zuri, Bokashi with the baren, Gomazuri bokashi, Large blended bokashi, Mokume principles, Dry Mokume, Wet Mokume, Handling larger sheets of washi, Textured blocks, Wax drip technique.	14
	Hanko. About hanko (personal seal) and how to use and make them.Complete instructions from start to finish making stone hanko.	6
	Putting it All Together. Selecting and using a variety of these techniques to produce finished work. Advice on combining techniques as well as four project examples from start to finish. Also included in the notes is a selection of other artist's works as "real life" examples.	6

Cost of Creative Print

To take part in the workshop there are two membership options:
One Year Subscription -	¥10,000	Enrol
Three Month Subscription -	¥6,000	Enrol

It's great value! ¥10,000 is only about $US95, €79 or $AU130! Less than a weekend workshop, and you will learn much more!

Each subscription gives you full access to the workshop materials. You can view all the tutorial videos as many times as you want, and download and keep the comprehensive notes for each unit. Our publication "Sharp Tools"(worth ¥2,500) is also included for no additional cost with either subscription.

Payment for the online workshop is through Paypal or Stripe (Credit Card Payment) and you can enrol by subscription through the module on this page.

Self-Assessment Before Starting

Before you undertake this workshop, you should have a solid grasp of the fundamental mokuhanga tools, materials and processes. The material presented here assumes you have this knowledge, and builds additional skills and knowledge on these fundamental skills. Without these foundations, you will have many questions and likely feel frustrated attempting the material presented.

Try this checklist to determine what you should already know and understand:

Carving processes of cutting outlines, clearing channels, cutting kentou and smoothing blocks
Types of carving tools used, their purposes and how to use them safely
Wood, including wood grain and suitable timbers for mokuhanga
Baren, the different types available, their purpose and how to use them
Mokuhanga printing process and how to achieve consistent basic print quality
Colours, the pigments used in mokuhanga and how to mix them
Washi, what it is made from and dampening for printing
Where to source tools and materials for mokuhanga

If you don't have a solid grasp of the above, we recommend first completing our Mokuhanga Fundamentals workshop, or purchasing our Mokuhanga Fundamentals book

How to Work through the Units

There is no set, natural order to follow as there was in our Mokuhanga Fundamentals workshop. In fact, I recommend looking at the units with carving and printing techniques which will then give you some ideas to include in your design. It’s better to include only one or two, and try multiple projects to gradually integrate them all into your skills.
Tool sharpening is a fundamental skill that you will need to continue to produce quality work and this unit, although a book in itself, is included for you to use at any time.

Our Demonstration Project

The project that I use has been designed to incorporate several new techniques and is intended to show those, not to suggest that you should include all of these in every mokuhanga project you create. You will see that with the blocks and techniques demonstrated we end up with several quite different prints. Normally I would pick and choose these techniques to suit particular projects, as trying to do too much may lead to unsuccessful prints. You can do a similar project of your own design to include these techniques, or even better, do several using different techniques for each project. The more mokuhanga you create, naturally you will improve, and gradually you will find your individual expression in the medium.

Get the best use of your Online Workshop

Some hints and advice for getting the best use of your workshop subscription - Article is here

Workshop Manual

Would you like to get the information without committing to the workshop? You can also download the Creative Print PDF E-book. The book gives a comprehensive step by step guide of the processes, the tools used and advice and tips to get the best results. With additional material, this is a stand alone guide to creative mokuhanga, a great addition to your library. You can find the download in our online shop, by clicking the link below. (A manual or individual unit notes is included in the online workshop subscription.)