HOW TUGBOAT PRINTSHOP MAKES WOODCUT PRINTS


Tugboat Printshop's woodcuts are made by hand using age-old printmaking techniques.

A unique handling of the traditional woodcut process has evolved through artistic practice.


Prints begin as pencil sketches on blocks of 3/4" birch plywood, lined in pen before carving.

The wooden blocks are hand-carved in low relief using gauging tools & knives.







Prints are made by applying pressure to paper laid on ink (much like stamping)









Even layers of oil-based ink are applyed with hand brayers & rollers.

Paper is placed on the inked block, which is then hand-cranked through a printing press.

Pressure transfers ink from block to paper, creating a printed impression.

WHAT MAKES A WOODCUT PRINT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER TYPES OF PRINTS?


Woodcut makes a distict printed image, different than a screenprint or digital (giclee) print.

The woodgrain of the woodblock's surface is a visible element in the printed image!

Crispness & clarity of line is sharp, without pixelation or distortion.

There is a sculptural history in the carving of a woodblock drawing.

Each print pulled from a woodblock is in some nuanced way original (cool!)



HOW MANY PRINTS CAN BE PUBLISHED?


I never produce more than 200 editioned prints of any image, though it may be possible to print more.

A 2nd edition is occasionally pulled if a 1st edition is 100 prints or or less

& new or returning patrons continue to inquire about the artwork after the 1st edition is sold out.


Editioned prints are always clearly marked with an edition number, title and signature.

2nd editions are similarly catalogued, and additionally marked with a (II.) beside the edition number.


AP prints are Artist Proofs. These are prints pulled in excess of target numbers during publishing.

Proofs occasionally hold minor flaws/quirks that don't affect the overall quality of the printed image.

(I won't mark a print AP unless I think it's a good print)

AP prints are similarly catalogued with title/signature & are marked AP instead of an edition number.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE A WOODCUT PRINT?







The time it takes to make a print depends on complexity & color scheme.

Sometimes a month or two; sometimes years!





The 5-block "OVERLOOK" woodcut took the longest to date.