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Read Ebook: Tools and materials illustrating the Japanese method of colour-printing by Strange Edward Fairbrother
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PREFATORY NOTE HISTORICAL NOTE THE DRAWING CUTTING THE BLOCK PRINTING PAPER BOOKS OF REFERENCE
PREFATORY NOTE
This pamphlet has been prepared by Mr. Edward F. Strange, of the Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design, for use primarily in connection with a collection of Tools, Materials and Examples, specially brought together and now exhibited in the Museum, to illustrate the technique of Japanese Colour-printing from wood-blocks. The descriptive matter has been somewhat amplified, in order to render it of value to those who cannot immediately refer to the Museum collections.
The works of reference consulted, are named herein; and acknowledgment must also be made to Mr. Hogitaro Inada, for translations from the Japanese, kindly supplied by him.
CECIL SMITH. Victoria and Albert Museum, 1913.
HISTORICAL NOTE
THE DRAWING
It is evident that this process resulted in the destruction of the designs. The Museum, however, has acquired a number of unused drawings, which fully illustrate this stage; and the series of blocks exhibited have, in several instances, remains of the paper still adhering to the uncut portions of their surfaces.
CUTTING THE BLOCK
The engraving was invariably done by a second person and not by the designer.
DIAGRAM:--Method of cutting a log into blocks.
To produce a colour print, therefore, a key-block is required and also a separate block for each colour in the design. For the sake of economy, colour-blocks are sometimes cut on both sides; and, for small details, two portions of the design may be cut on one side, but only one colour is printed at each operation.
In the actual cutting of the block, the old Japanese engraver adhered to an important principle--that of following the direction of the brush strokes of the original drawing, in such a manner as to reproduce the actual quality of the brush-mark. This is less apparent in the ordinary colour-prints; but in reproductions, by the same process, of paintings and drawings, the results obtained are extraordinarily faithful to the originals.
Blocks were often framed, to prevent warping, in the manner illustrated in fig. 2. This device was more generally employed in the case of those especially made for book-illustration. A block that had warped could often be straightened out again, by being well soaked in water and then placed under a weight.
PRINTING
The Printing of the old colour-prints was done by a third person, neither the engraver nor the designer.
It is the modern, and was probably the old practice, to take the required number of proofs from each block in succession; and not to complete each print separately. The writer has observed that a modern Japanese printer takes an impression in from 15 to 25 seconds, without special effort.
The colours used were as follows:--
Great importance was attached to the grinding and mixing of the colours. The glue-water medium used for mixing with black was made in the proportion of about one-third of an ounce of glue to three-fourths of a pint of water; but these proportions varied with various qualities of the pigment or paper. In the case of other colours, glue was not always used, but rice-paste ; the actual being sometimes done in the process of applying the colour to the block. A little alum was dissolved in the cold water with which the rice-paste was mixed. A specially brilliant effect was produced by laying a light wash of rice-paste over the block before spreading the colours.
DIAGRAM:--Printer's Desk.
The KEY-BLOCK, for printing the black outlines only. First printing from KEY-BLOCK. Second printing, with GREY added to proof from key-block. The block is also cut for the twelfth printing, GREEN. Fifth printing, PALE BLUE. The block is also cut for the fourth printing, BROWN. Sixth printing, BLUE PATTERN. The block is also cut for a printing not used. Seventh printing, BLUE. Eighth printing, YELLOW Ninth printing, GREY. Tenth printing, BROWN . Eleventh printing, BROWN PATTERN. The block is also cut for the third printing, PALE PINK. Thirteenth printing, CRIMSON. Fourteenth printing, CRIMSON PATTERN. Fifteenth printing, PURPLE. Sixteenth printing, BURNISHED BLACK, giving the completed print.
NOTE.--The above are exhibited, in a separate case, in the Museum. In the Students' Room is a set of proofs showing separate printings from each block. The key-block of the above series is original; the colour-blocks were made in the and half of the 19th century.
The Museum also possesses the following original Woodblocks.
Key-block for a colour-print of a fan-design. "Shiki Bijin Sugatazoroye." Beauties representative of the Four Seasons. Spring. A woman of the Yoshiwara with her attendant . One of a set of four. . E. 4940-1903. The back is engraved to print gold and a colour. Key-block for a colour-print of a fan-design. Shiki Bijin Sugatazoroye. Summer. A geisha enjoying the evening breeze. . E. 4938-1903 The back is engraved to print one of the colours.
Key-block for a colour-print. Farmer turning an irrigation water-wheel, in rice fields. . E. 4935-1903 The back is engraved to print one of the colours. Key-block for two colour-prints. Chrysanthemums and butterfly; on the back, peonies in a flower-vase . E. 4933-1903.
PAPER
The fine quality of the colours in old Japanese colour-prints is due, to a considerable extent, to the nature of the paper and especially to its tough but highly absorbent character.
BOOKS OF REFERENCE
The following works contain descriptions of the various technical processes mentioned above.
CREDITS
December 17, 2013
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
Section 1.
Section 3.
For additional contact information:
Section 4.
Section 5.
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